sign in sign up
<<
Home , Dick Christy, Jim Ritcher, Torry Holt

WOLFPACK LEGENDS

18 An All-Pro choice in 1986, 1988, and 1990, Ritch- fifth-best mark in Viking history . His 4,546 career er played in the 1992 and 1993 Pro Bowls . He rushing yards ranks third in the history of that fran- (QB) also played in four Super Bowls with Buffalo and chise . Brown was inducted into the College Foot- At NC State: A two-time All-American, Roman played in more games than any other Buffalo Bill ball Hall of Fame in 2013 . Gabriel starred at quarterback for NC State in the (225) . He was inducted into the Buffalo Hall of early 1960s and finished his career holding virtu- Fame in 2005 and was the recipient of the Gerald 81 ally every Wolfpack passing record . An academic R . Ford Legends Award in 2009 . (WR) All-American, At NC State: Torry Holt was a human highlight Gabriel saw his 40 film for NC State from 1995-98, and culminated his jersey retired career by being named a consensus All-American . and present- (HB) Holt rewrote the Wolfpack record books, setting ed to him by At NC State: Scoring all 29 of NC State’s points, single game, single season and career records Governor Ter- Dick Christy earned the Wolfpack its first Atlantic in almost every passing category . He also set an ry Sanford on Coast Conference Championship in a 29-26 win in ACC record with Jan . 20, 1962 at the Pack’s season-finale at South Carolina on Nov . 3,379 recep- halftime of an 23, 1957 . Christy earned first team All-America tion yards for NC State-Mary- recognition from the Associated Press and Unit- his career . The land basketball ed Press Inter- two-time All- game in Reyn- national for his ACC performer olds Coliseum . efforts that sea- was named the A first-round son . He ended ACC Player of draft pick by his career in ’57 the Year and Of- the Los Ange- holding 14 NC fensive Player of les Rams, he went on to a distinguished profes- State records the Year follow- sional career . and four ACC ing his senior In the Professional Ranks: Gabriel played 15 sea- records . Nearly campaign, and sons in the NFL, splitting time with the Los An- 40 years later, was also a final- geles Rams (1962-72) and the Philadelphia Eagles Christy’s jersey ist for the Biletnikoff Award, honoring the nation’s (1973-77) . He was named the NFL’s Most Valuable was retired on top . His jersey was retired on Jan . Player in 1969 and earned spots in 1967, Nov . 8, 1997 in 16, 1999 during halftime ceremonies of the final NC 1968, 1969 and 1970 . He was the MVP of the 1970 a game against State-UNC basketball contest that was played in Pro Bowl . He ranked as the Rams’ all-time pass- Maryland . He Reynolds Coliseum . ing leader with 22,223 yards and 154 touchdowns died in a car accident in 1965 and was named to In the Professional Ranks: Holt was a first-round (1,705 com ./3,313 att .) and threw for 7,221 yards the ACC’s Silver Anniversary Team in 1978 . draft pick of the Saint Louis Rams in 1999, the sixth and 45 touchdowns (661 com ./1,185 att .) with the In the Professional Ranks: Christy played five sea- selection overall, and made the Pro Bowl seven Eagles . In 1973, he led the NFL with 3,219 yards sons in the NFL, splitting time with the Pittsburgh times . He won a ring during his rook- and 23 touchdown passes . He still holds the Rams’ Steelers (1958), Boston Patriots (1960) and the ie campaign, and in the process set Super Bowl career records for: touchdown passes (154), pass- New York Titans (1961-63) . He was selected to rookie records with seven catches and 109 receiv- ing yards (22,223), passes attempted (3,313), and play in the 1962 AFL All-Star game and led the AFL ing yards . He was the first player in NFL history to passes completed (1,705) . Gabriel was inducted and NFL in punt returns in 1961 and 1962 with 21 3. record five straight seasons with 1,300 receiving into the Hall of Fame in 1989 . and 16 7. yards per return, respectively . In 1962, he yards, and he was the fifth-fastest in NFL history was named his team’s MVP, when he led the squad to 5,000 yards and fourth-fastest to 500 career 51 in rushing, punt returns and kickoff returns . receptions . Holt played with the Jacksonville Jag- uars in 2009 and the in 2010 JIM RITCHER (OL) before announcing his retirement . He has served At NC State: 23 as an analyst for the NFL Network after retirement . Jim Ritcher is TED BROWN (RB) one of three At NC State: Atlantic Coast Ted Brown is 77 Conference inarguably the players to win greatest run- DENNIS BYRD (DL) the Outland ning back to At NC State: Dennis Byrd was a dominating pres- Trophy, award- play for NC ence for the Wolfpack’s famed “White Shoes” ed annually to State, if not in defense, com- the nation’s the Atlantic peting on the premier line- Coast Confer- defensive line man . A two- ence . A native of for NC State time consensus High Point, N C. ., from 1965-67 . All-American, Brown rushed An adept pass Ritcher won the for a school rusher who award as a Wolfpack senior in 1979, when he liter- and ACC record combined size, ally cleared the way for NC State to win the ACC 4,602 yards agility, strength Championship . Still an active member of the Wolf- from 1975-78 . He scored 51 touchdowns during his and a desire for pack family, Ritcher, whose sons John and Harri- career, which stood as the top mark in ACC history hitting, Byrd son both played for NC State, thrived in the NFL until 2005 . His jersey was retired during pregame was the Pack’s for 16 years, playing in four Super Bowls with the ceremonies prior to his final home game on Nov . first consensus . Ritcher’s No . 51 was retired on Feb . 8, 18, 1978 against Duke . He was a first-round draft All-American, 1987 . He was inducted into the College Football pick of the Minnesota Vikings where he enjoyed earning honors Hall of Fame in 1998 . an all-star career . in 1967 . He was In the Professional Ranks: A first-round draft In the Professional Ranks: Brown starred for eight also the first three-time All-ACC player in league choice in 1980, Ritcher went on to play 16 sea- seasons in the NFL as a member of the Minnesota history, earning accolades all three years that he sons in the NFL, splitting time with the Buffalo Vikings squad from 1979-86 . He scored 53 career lettered . As a junior, he led the voting for All-ACC Bills (1980-93) and the (1994-95) . touchdowns (40 rushing and 13 receiving), the lineman and after his senior campaign, partici-

102 2015 PACK FOOTBALL 2015 NC STATE FOOTBALL / WOLFPACK LEGENDS

pated in four college all-star games . Byrd, who retired before his final home game, Nov . 22, 2003 . sacks in a single game . He has been named first or passed away in July of 2010, was inducted into the In the Professional Ranks: A first-round draft second-team All-Pro four times, and has also been National Football Foundation’s Hall of Fame in De- choice, Rivers was selected by the New York Gi- selected to four Pro Bowls . cember of that year . ants with the fourth pick of the 2004 NFL Draft In the Professional Ranks: Byrd was a first-round and was traded to the San Diego Chargers minutes draft pick of the Boston Patriots of the American later . He has been selected to the Pro Bowl four Football League in 1968 . times . *16 63 RUSSELL WILSON (QB) BILL YOEST (OG) At NC State: Wilson was the first quarterback in At NC State: A consensus All-American guard, league history to earn first-team All-ACC honors Bill Yoest lettered for the Wolfpack from 1970-73 as a freshman and also won the ACC Rookie and was the recipient of the 1973 Jacobs Blocking of the Year award in 2008 . He was a two-time Trophy . A Pittsburgh native, Yoest won All-Amer- Academic All-ACC performer and set an NCAA ica honors from the record for consecutive pass attempts without an Associated Press, interception with 379 . He ranks in the top three UPI, Football Writ- in NC State career history in passing yards, pass ers, Football Coach- completions, pass attempts, passing touchdowns, es, NEA and Walter 300-yard passing games, total offense and touch- Camp that season . down responsibility . Yoest was selected In the Professional Ranks: A third-round draft for two postseason pick of Seattle in the 2012 NFL draft, he led the all-star games, the Seahawks to victory over Denver in Super Bowl ‘74 Hula Bowl and XLVIII . He holds the NFL record for most victories the East-West Shrine by a quarterback in his first two seasons with 28 Game, in which he and was a Pro Bowl selection in each of his first was elected co-captain of the East squad . His No . two seasons in the league . 63 was retired at halftime of the North Carolina game, Sept . 27, 2003 . In the Professional Ranks: Yoest played a short stint with the Orlando Blazers of the World Foot- ball League and then returned to Raleigh, where he started a financial services business . 17 (QB) At NC State: The 2003 ACC Player of the Year, Phil- ip Rivers started all 51 games at quarterback for the Wolfpack over his four years, an NCAA record . Rivers rewrote the record books for both NC State and the ACC in every passing and total offense category . Rivers ended up the second-leading * - Wilson’s No . 16 and Williams’ No . 9 will continue to be passer in NCAA history with 13,494 career passing worn by standout Wolfpack players . In the future, any yards and 13,582 career yards of total offense and player designated by the head coach to wear those num- finished tied for fifth in NCAA history with 95 ca- bers will also wear a patch honoring Wilson or Williams . reer TD passes . The Athens, Ala ,. native capped off his marvelous career with a stellar senior season in which Rivers led the nation with a 72 0. com- pletion percentage and 170 49. pass efficiency rating . Rivers became the first QB in ACC history and only the seventh in NCAA history to throw for 3,000 yards in three different seasons . The MVP of Winning Super Bowl QB Russell Wilson’s jersey was honored the 2003 Tangerine Bowl with his fifth 400-yard at the 2014 Kay Yow Spring Football Game . passing day of the year, Rivers was also named the MVP of the . His jersey, number 17, was *9 MARIO WILLIAMS (DE) At NC State: Williams Williams was the first player in ACC history to be selected as the first pick in the NFL draft, as he was taken as No . 1 by the Houston Texans in 2006 . He was named a first-team All- American by Sports Illustrated in 2005 and was a second-team choice by Walter Camp after setting the State single-season tackles for loss (27 .5) and sacks (14 .5) records . A two-time All-ACC perform- er, he also holds the school career records in both categories . In the Professional Ranks: Williams has recorded 91 career sacks in his NFL career . Now with the Buffalo Bills, he set a franchise record with 4 .5

2015 PACK FOOTBALL 103