Humbled Holt: 'I'm A Representation of All The Great NC State Receivers'
Record-setting wide receiver Torry Holt became the sixth NC State player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
In an interview prior to his ceremony at the National Football Foundation awards banquet in New York, a humbled Holt expressed his love for the Wolfpack, his respect for the wide receivers that came before him and reminisced about his favorite college game.
Here is what he had to say:
"This is a very humbling accomplishment. It's also an example of the hard work that I put in, my teammates, my coaches for beliving in me, North Carolina State University for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to pursue my dreams as a college athlete and as a student.
"To be able to do that and now years later, to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame with the likes of Darren McFadden, Terrell Buckley and London Fletcher, who's a teammate of mine, we won a Super Bowl together in St. Louis, it's a tremendous feeling. I'm very honored.
"I also happy that my pops, who's still alive, he was able to take part in this, my kids, my wife ... so it's a tremendous accomplishment.
"I'm just a representation of all the great wide receivers that came from North Carolina State University, like Mike Quick, Haywood Jeffries, Eddie Goins, Jericho Cotchery, Koren Robinson ... the list goes on and on. I'm an example of that. I'm going into the College Football Hall of Fame, but all of those guys are going in with me because they showed me how to do it the right way."
Why did you choose the Wolfpack?
"Why did I choose the Wolfpack? When I was coming out of high school, I didn't qualify academically, so I had to go to Hargrave Military Academy. So NC State said look, you've got to go to military academy, but we want you to sign you to a letter of intent. You go there, get your grades and there's a scholarship here waiting for you once you take care of your business.
"I went to Hargrave Military Academy, kept my grades up, got my SAT scores and I wanted to show that same amount of loyalty they showed to me. I signed on the dotted line, went on to NC State, had an opportunity to compete and to play and the rest is history. Just the belief that NC State showed in me, I wanted to make sure that I made them right."
What was your favorite game or favorite play that you made at NC State?
"My favorite game, I'll start there ... 1998, FSU, No. 2, No. 3 team overall in the country ... came into the Carter, sea of red, it was unbelievable. We ended up winning that game. My favorite play was in that same game. I caught a deep post, Jamie Barnette drops back, hits me and that catch, that touchdown kind of put the game away for us. So those are the two favorite moments I had at NC State.
