Walkon Gray Gets Unexpected Chance to Shine

The redshirt freshman linebacker was called into service against Clemson because of injuries, but his sister didn't stick around to see it

Brett Friedlander/SI Wolfpack Maven

It was cold Saturday night and NC State was on the short end of a lopsided score against defending national champion Clemson.

So Abby Gray decided to call it a night early and head for someplace warm

That turned out to be a bad decision since by doing so, she missed the Wolfpack debut of her brother. Alex Gray is a walkon linebacker who never expected to get into a game of that magnitude. After all, he hadn't seen any action outside of practice all season.

But when freshman linebackers Payton Wilson, Drake Thomas and C.J. Hart all went down with injuries -- joining starters Isaiah Moore and Louis Acceus on the sidelines -- Gray was  called into emergency service.

"My sister actually left before I got in ," Gray said. "I can't blame her because it was freezing that night, but my parents stayed, luckily."

"I called her the next day. I was like 'Wow, Abby,'" he said. "She played it off like she didn't leave and then I was like, Abby, that's not what I heard. I started messing with her and stuff."

In addition to his parents, Gray had several high school friends in attendance at Carter-Finley Stadium. They were among the few that had much to cheer about during the second of of the Wolfpack's 55-10 loss to the Tigers.

And they got plenty to cheer about.

Gray made much more than a cameo appearance, playing 20 snaps against one of the nation's best teams. He was credited with four tackles, two solos and two assists, to rank ninth on the team -- ahead of several scholarship regulars.

It was an opportunity that caught the redshirt freshman from Greensboro as much by surprise as it did his sister.

"I really wasn't expecting that," he said. "I thought if there was a chance I'd get in, it would be for a frive or two at the end. When they called my number that early, I was like surprised and then it was so fun. I couldn't wait to get back on the field."

It was an experience Gray said was surreal.

"Throughout the week I was thinking to myself 'If i get in, it's going to be so crazy, because I hadn't been in yet, playing against a team like that.' I was pretty nervous. But when I got in, it was like normal football all over again, just like in high school."