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The Grand Poobah
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[SIZE=+2]Wolfpack lineman felt like lone star
[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Tyler had little help in '06 after N.C. State sent six defenders to NFL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]12:07 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 3, 2007
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]By RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News
rgosselin@***BANNED-URL***
[/SIZE] DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler felt like an orphan last football season at North Carolina State. His football family up and left him.
Tyler was a member of one of college football's best defenses in 2005. He lined up at nose tackle in a unit that ranked eighth in the NCAA in defense, powering the Wolfpack to a 7-5 record and a bowl bid.
http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/nfl/draft/vitindex.html
But there was no bowl for North Carolina State in 2006. Victories were few (three) and defense was scarce.
The Wolfpack fell from eighth in the NCAA in defense to 36th in 2006. The scoring defense tumbled from 12th to 50th. The run defense collapsed from 14th to 85th.
But that was almost to be expected. The Wolfpack sent six defensive starters from 2005 into the NFL. Three of them – linemen Mario Williams, Manny Lawson and John McCargo – became first-round draft picks. The Wolfpack wasn't as imposing up front without them.
"They left me behind to clean up everything," Tyler mused.
Also departing from the 2005 defense were the two leading tacklers, linebackers Stephen Tulloch and Oliver Hoyte. Tulloch became a fourth-round draft pick by Tennessee, and Hoyte signed with Dallas as a free agent. Hoyte wound up starting six games at fullback for the Cowboys, and Tulloch started three games at middle linebacker for the Titans.
Also leaving was cornerback Marcus Hudson, a sixth-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers. In all, North Carolina State lost 500 tackles and 33 sacks to the NFL in 2006.
Williams was supposed to be there with Tyler in 2006. But he elected to skip his senior season to turn pro. It was a smart move; Williams became the first pick of the 2006 draft. Lawson went 22nd overall to the San Francisco 49ers and McCargo 26th to the Buffalo Bills.
"It was a big difference not playing with them," Tyler said. "They were some great players. But I learned a lot from them. Seeing them all go high in the first round gave me a lot of motivation. I wanted to prove I could do well without them."
http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/04-07/0404drafttyler.jpg The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer
Defensive lineman DeMarcus Tyler projects as a first-round draft pick.
Tyler did, earning All-ACC honors despite playing on a team that finished 3-9. He posted a career-high 49 tackles and finished second on the team in tackles for losses (8½) and sacks (three).
Tyler projects as a first-round draft pick. Cornerback A.J. Davis also will get drafted in April, potentially on the first day. That would be seven draft picks off that 2005 defense and eight NFL players total. Not bad.
"I won't say who the best player was," Tyler said. "But we all worked hard, we all worked together and we were pretty good. We all had the same goals, the same ambitions, the same dreams, the same work ethic. They made it, and I'm confident that I'll make it, too."
[/SIZE] [SIZE=+1]Tyler had little help in '06 after N.C. State sent six defenders to NFL[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]12:07 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 3, 2007
[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]By RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News
rgosselin@***BANNED-URL***
[/SIZE] DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler felt like an orphan last football season at North Carolina State. His football family up and left him.
Tyler was a member of one of college football's best defenses in 2005. He lined up at nose tackle in a unit that ranked eighth in the NCAA in defense, powering the Wolfpack to a 7-5 record and a bowl bid.
http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/nfl/draft/vitindex.html
But there was no bowl for North Carolina State in 2006. Victories were few (three) and defense was scarce.
The Wolfpack fell from eighth in the NCAA in defense to 36th in 2006. The scoring defense tumbled from 12th to 50th. The run defense collapsed from 14th to 85th.
But that was almost to be expected. The Wolfpack sent six defensive starters from 2005 into the NFL. Three of them – linemen Mario Williams, Manny Lawson and John McCargo – became first-round draft picks. The Wolfpack wasn't as imposing up front without them.
"They left me behind to clean up everything," Tyler mused.
Also departing from the 2005 defense were the two leading tacklers, linebackers Stephen Tulloch and Oliver Hoyte. Tulloch became a fourth-round draft pick by Tennessee, and Hoyte signed with Dallas as a free agent. Hoyte wound up starting six games at fullback for the Cowboys, and Tulloch started three games at middle linebacker for the Titans.
Also leaving was cornerback Marcus Hudson, a sixth-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers. In all, North Carolina State lost 500 tackles and 33 sacks to the NFL in 2006.
Williams was supposed to be there with Tyler in 2006. But he elected to skip his senior season to turn pro. It was a smart move; Williams became the first pick of the 2006 draft. Lawson went 22nd overall to the San Francisco 49ers and McCargo 26th to the Buffalo Bills.
"It was a big difference not playing with them," Tyler said. "They were some great players. But I learned a lot from them. Seeing them all go high in the first round gave me a lot of motivation. I wanted to prove I could do well without them."
http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/04-07/0404drafttyler.jpg The (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer
Defensive lineman DeMarcus Tyler projects as a first-round draft pick.
Tyler did, earning All-ACC honors despite playing on a team that finished 3-9. He posted a career-high 49 tackles and finished second on the team in tackles for losses (8½) and sacks (three).
Tyler projects as a first-round draft pick. Cornerback A.J. Davis also will get drafted in April, potentially on the first day. That would be seven draft picks off that 2005 defense and eight NFL players total. Not bad.
"I won't say who the best player was," Tyler said. "But we all worked hard, we all worked together and we were pretty good. We all had the same goals, the same ambitions, the same dreams, the same work ethic. They made it, and I'm confident that I'll make it, too."
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