N.C. State football coach Tom O’Brien sounds optimistic about the chances that quarterback Russell Wilson will return to N.C. State in 2010.
Wilson, who led the ACC with 31 touchdowns passes in 2009 as a sophomore, also plays baseball for N.C. State and will be eligible for the major league draft in June.
"Right now, if it was today, he'd be back,” O’Brien told the crowd – which included News & Observer reporter Chip Alexander - at a fund-raising dinner for the Toys for Tots program on Thursday night.
"That's because he has been playing football and he likes what he's doing. He finished on a high note by beating North Carolina.”
Although N.C. State finished 5-7 and missed out on a bowl trip, the Wolfpack’s 28-27 win over North Carolina in the season finale took some of the sting out of a disappointing season for Wilson and O’Brien.
Wilson threw four touchdown passes in the game against one of the ACC’s top defenses. Afterward, Wilson gave little indication of whether he was leaning toward returning to school or leaving. He said his religious faith would guide his decision.
In baseball, Wilson batted .236 last season for N.C. State with two doubles, one triple and 10 RBIs in limited action. He made 23 starts, 19 at second base, but missed the first 22 games because of a knee injury suffered in the Papajohns.com Bowl.
"He has never had a full year of baseball,” O’Brien said at the dinner. “With the injury last year he did not have a full year. I think it will take a lot for him to leave this year but there is that possibility."
Comments
yar8pack
Sun, 12/13/2009 - 15:40 — gvillegatrdo you even realize what kind of tool you are?? if not, go back and re-read all of your posts in this blog. If not convinced, send it to your mother or father and let them read it and see what kind of response you get?
heck, loyal reader and pack fan, jpdohio, told you to shut the h*ll up when he said he got a headache from your post on Latin.
like all of our frineds and Bud Light. "Know when to say when."
YAR8pack...
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 00:36 — Heels20...fits the stereotype of the Wolfpack fan who walks around with an undeserved sense of accomplishment after a 5-7 season, solely because of a win over Carolina (a school where the majority of people don't even acknowledge the Pack as a rival). Hope your family enjoyed the trip to Applebee's to celebrate the win!
Where have you been?
Sun, 12/13/2009 - 10:14 — YAR8packWhere have you been, sweetie? Thanks for stopping by to take a weak jab at someone. Not that we needed more examples, but thanks for showing all other fans of various universities how crass and silly unc fans can be.
BTW, what "undeserved sense of accomplishment" am I touting? The Wolfpack beat carowhina for the third straight year; they should be saluted for that. They should garner some praise after all the trash talking submitted from the likes of stereotypical unc fans such as yourself, holes20.
Don't get upset because someone else writes on these blogs. We all know you used to think you were the moderator. Aww. Someone (YOU) had a sense of accomplishment in the blog writing section but it's been shattered. Here's a tissue.
And, bud, don't ever make a joke about my family. I haven't made any pun at your family, so don't take the weak way out. Or is that the way your momma and daddy taught you? See. Any punk can do that. Man up. Pull your thumb out of your mouth and go put on your big boy pants.
BTW, we didn't go to Applebee's, we went to the Sizzler!
I'm a little confused...
Sun, 12/13/2009 - 13:48 — Heels20...considering I said before this season that I thought NC State would win this game. Of course, you were always in hiding during Wolfpack losses, so you wouldn't know that.
It's funny how you only talk after a NC State win or a Carolina loss. Really shows how big of a fan you are. Sorry, "sweetie." In order to deserve the right to run your mouth, you've gotta be around during the ups and downs. Unfortunately, you can't stand up like a man during the downs. As you can see, I was one of the first people on here after that loss on November 28. As were Surfer, Gatr and a few other Heels.
Oh well. It's not like I expected any more from you, awdracer, izzykareem and many other of your sorority sisters.
rivals
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 09:01 — wfpak69to be considered a rival, you have to win at some point. That is why UNC doesn't consider State a rival.
Indeed
Sat, 12/12/2009 - 12:14 — Heels20That is supported by our 63-30 overall head-to-head record.
Short Term Memory
Sun, 12/13/2009 - 10:13 — YAR8packPerhaps you goobers should go back to look at all the junk you talked before the State vs carowhina game football game. Those empty posts sure look like the type of talk that's associated with a rival.
Are you Barry Saunders?
Sun, 12/13/2009 - 13:41 — Heels20With all these inaccurate statements, I'm starting to think so. What trash talking was I doing before this game? I even said before this season that I predicted that we would lose to State. But hey, I didn't expect you to know that since you only talk out the wrong end of your body.
Russell's decision
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 18:42 — JPDOhioRW seems like a great kid with a good head on his shoulders. So he doesn't need my advice, but here it is anyway. For what it's worth.
If Russell wants to be a pro baseball player, he should quit football now and devote himself to enhancing his draft status for this spring. Baseball is a game of repetition and constant adjustment and readjustment. He needs to play everyday to improve his skill in every aspect of the game and to show MLB scouts that he is dedicated to the game. Otherwise, he will be relegated to the lowest of low minor leagues with a long and tedious upward climb.
If it doesn't work out, I assume he will still have 2 years of college football eligibility. He can return to college to get the rust off of his football skills, resume his football career, work on his graduate degree and still have the potential for a pro football career. He could be a Hines Ward type of receiver in the NFL or a Flutie-like QB in the CFL.
I can think of several examples of former pro baseball players who came back to college to play football. I am not sure if any did what I am suggesting here, which is to leave and then come back. I don't think it works as well in reverse. The longer you stay out of baseball, the tougher it becomes to break in.
I believe Russell's decision will be thoughtful and based on what is best for himself and his family. I wish him well in whatever path he chooses.
Merry Christmas Yar8pack
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 12:26 — SurferAs a UNC fan I hope RW comes back for FB next year. I enjoy seeing all of the NC State FB hype that usually begins with Spring practice. I do think Glennon is pretty good, but if RW announces that he will be back, the frenzy would be that much more interesting to see. Although, realistically, it may be late summer before anything is known for sure.
As a person, RW seems to be a great guy and wish him well, in whatever he decides to do.
Hype
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 18:49 — JPDOhioAfter this year, only the most optimistic Wolfpack fan will be predicting great things for the 2010 football season.
That would probably be me. Feel free to substitute "delusional" for "optimistic".
Whatever you say
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 15:37 — bradleyb123The expectations were justified. We had a great offense, and we knew it. How were we supposed to know the defense would be this bad? I don't think we'll have any great expectations until we see progress from the defense.
btw, I so always look forward to the condescending posts from Carolina fans that think they're better than everyone else, too.
Comma Camp
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 14:05 — YAR8packYou should have a comma between "Christmas, YAR8pack." See. Anybody can be the grammar douche. Get over your butthurt.
True
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 11:09 — YAR8packTrue. Wilson has yet to be able to play a lot of baseball, and his draft stock has certainly suffered because of it. Listening to Wilson, you get the easy indication that he is a very intelligent young man, and he'll weigh his options very carefully. The kid's got a great head on his shoulders.
I, along with ALL of the Wolfpack faithful, really hope Wilson decides to come back for the 2010 season. Perhaps, though I highly doubt it, Wilson's decision will influence Baker to come back, too. Baker's most likely gone. Can't blame him. The knee injuries are more than enough ammo to push him to try his luck in the NFL. Good luck to him.
The Wolfpack are returning a lot of starters on offense for the upcoming season. If State wises up and fires Mike "I don't know anything about running a defense" Archer and figures out WTF is up with the strength and conditioning program--something has to account for the crazy amount of injuries over the past THREE years--this team could actually win maybe half their conference games next year.
Go Pack!
Also, where are the Wolfpack trolls at? They should be here to give evidence of how ridiculously asinine their penile brains work. You know who YOU are.
Einstein
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 12:24 — SurferIn front of the preposition, dude.
Are You John Dryden's Ghost?
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 14:22 — YAR8packYou see, while you think back to how your high school English teacher used to berate you for prepositional clauses, and thus your easily programmed brain attacks whenever you see that, you should take into account that the dramatist John Dryden set this rule into place...for Latin. Yes, English is a derivative of Latin, but that doesn't mean that the same rules apply.
In Latin, a preposition cannot come at the end of a word it governs, and SOMETIMES this rule does apply to English, but not always. What this rule fails to take into account is English is not like Latin in this respect, and in many cases (particularly with phrasal verbs and questions) the attempt to move a preposition produces awkward, un-natural results. In standardized English the placing of a preposition at the end of a sentence is widely accepted, provided the use sounds natural and the meaning is clear. You with me on that?
Winston Churchill famously objected to this ASSumed rule by saying, "This is the sort of English *up with* I will not *put*.
Class dismissed.
BTW, Einstein's first and second languages were German and Polish, so I wouldn't refer to him when trying but failing miserably to make a loose pun about the English language. Perhaps Webster is more to your speed?
I took Latin...
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 18:53 — JPDOhioa hundred years ago. And I can usually write good English. But I read this too fast and now, like with ice cream, I have a headache.
Aww. So sweet.
Fri, 12/11/2009 - 14:09 — YAR8packYou're gonna play Grammar Police now? How about that? Look at you. Your chest must be poked out so far right now. How are you able to fit it inside your car? You're such a bad, bad man. Do the real police know where you're hiding your villainous ways? Somebody call John Walsh. We have another candidate for the America's Most Wanted list.
Since you can't refrain from flirting with me, try formulating another thought on a blog, rather than reposting the same dribble from a similar but different story if you want someone to take your garble seriously.
Later, babe.