november 2011 www.wakeforestsports.com

in control

GROWING TOGETHER

Quarterback tanner Price learns from last year’s losses to lead deacons to surPrising start

deacon basketball team uses military workouts to bond

f i V e i n d u c t e d i n t o W a k e H a l l o f f a m e

ORTHOPAEDICS | Call 336-716-WAKE for an appointment.

This should not be

the most difficult part

of your workout.

WakeHealth.edu/orthopedics

If decreased range of motion and knee pain are keeping you from

enjoying the activities you love, you should see an orthopaedic

specialist. At Wake Forest Baptist Health, our experienced physi-

cians and advanced technology mean less invasive procedures,

less pain and shorter recovery times. Call 888-716-WAKE today

for a free information kit and to make an appointment to see a

Wake Forest Baptist orthopaedic specialist.

contents // november 2011

the wine that’s perfect for any occasion!every

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ORTHOPAEDICS | Call 336-716-WAKE for an appointment.

This should not be

the most difficult part

of your workout.

WakeHealth.edu/orthopedics

If decreased range of motion and knee pain are keeping you from

enjoying the activities you love, you should see an orthopaedic

specialist. At Wake Forest Baptist Health, our experienced physi-

cians and advanced technology mean less invasive procedures,

less pain and shorter recovery times. Call 888-716-WAKE today

for a free information kit and to make an appointment to see a

Wake Forest Baptist orthopaedic specialist.

eDItor

Jim Buice

PHotoGrAPHer

Donnie Roberts

WrIters

Jay Reddick, Sam Walker, Stephanie Hudson

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BUILDING A HALL OF FAME CAREERFive former student-athletes are inducted into Wake Forest Hall of Fame.

TOGETHER AS ONEMilitary exercises emphasize teamwork and discipline for Wake Forest men’s basketball team.

ON CENTER STAGE“Necessary Roughness” star Marc Blucas reflects on friends and memories made on the Wake Forest basketball court.

// 6

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// 24

4 from the a.d.

16 100% cotten

20 inside the deacon club

22 donor profile

26 where are they now?

27 calendar

Presented by American Premium BeveragevoL. 21 // IssUe 3

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ON THE COVERQuarterback Tanner Price listens to coaches in the press box during Wake Forest’s victory over Florida State on Oct. 8. See story on Price, Page 10. (Photo by Donnie Roberts)

Former Wake Forest basketball players who are currently playing or once played in the NBA receive recognition during the Florida State football game. See Barry Faircloth’s column about the basketball festivities during Varsity Club weekend on Page 20.

november 2011 3

acc strengtHened by adding PittsburgH and syracuseSince the last Gold Rush was published a few weeks ago, the

ACC has expanded to 14 schools with the addition of Pittsburgh

and Syracuse. The ACC is strengthened by the addition of these

two schools, and they will be an excellent “fit” for our conference.

The most obvious criterion that was evaluated was the strength

of their athletic programs, and they both bring very good and

traditionally strong teams in many sports to the ACC. They also

are a good match for the ACC academically (yes, academics

are important in potential schools). Geographically, adding

schools in the states of New York and Pennsylvania gives us

the opportunity to expand our football footprint and brand while

remaining an East Coast conference.

The ACC athletic directors are beginning the process of

making decisions about future ACC schedules for all of our

sports. Important considerations will be the number of games

played in each sport; what sports should end their season

with an ACC tournament and how many teams are invited to

the tournament; and, if divisions are used, should the divisions

remain the Atlantic and Coastal, as we currently have, or split

the conference in geographically based divisions (north and

south)? At our ACC athletic directors meeting earlier this month,

we made progress but have not finalized anything yet. We will

continue to discuss all of these matters and anticipate making

decisions next spring.

As you can imagine, there are many scheduling models that

could be adopted depending upon the decisions about the

factors listed above. An extremely important factor for us is

to play the other North Carolina schools as often as possible.

The ultimate scenario would be to play them every year in all

of our sports. Whether that is possible remains to be seen, but

it is something that we have discussed amongst the athletic

directors and will continue to consider seriously as we go

forward.

At this point, we are uncertain as to when Pittsburgh and

Syracuse will be coming to the ACC. They are required to remain

in the Big East 27 months after they notify the Big East that

they are departing. The ACC simply needs to be in position to

absorb Pittsburgh and Syracuse whenever they are permitted

to come. Of course, we hope that it will be sooner than the 27

months, but that is entirely up to the Big East.

I will be communicating with you through various media

about progress that we are making in all of these matters. In the

meantime, I look forward to seeing you at BB&T Field to cheer

the Deacs on to victory!

Go Deacs!Ron Wellman

ron WeLLmAn

DIrectoroF AtHLetIcs

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP is proud to support the WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY athletic program.

Whether on the court or in the courtroom, in the classroom or the boardroom, we understand the vision, dedication and teamwork that it takes to win.

Go Deacons!www.kilpatricktownsend.com

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From tHe A .D. // ron WeLLmAn

Today, Neil Covone is a successful attorney in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But during his soccer career, it wouldn’t have been wrong to call him a construction worker.

After all, he was in on the ground floor for the rise of two major soccer organizations: Wake Forest and the U.S. men’s national team.

He was on the Americans’ 1990 World Cup team, the first U.S. team to reach soccer’s biggest stage in 40 years — every team since then has qualified for the event.

And he starred for the Deacons’ first three NCAA tournament teams, beginning a trend that has culminated in four College Cups and an NCAA championship.

For those accomplishments, Covone was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 8.

“That’s something I really take pride in — I was there when Wake started its ascension and the men’s national team as well,” Covone said.

Covone, 42, has been a practicing attorney in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area for the last 12 years. He is currently a partner with Hinshaw & Culbertson, specializing in product liability and personal-injury defense.

“What I learned at Wake Forest prepared me to be a success in the corporate world,” Covone said. “I can’t say enough about how special a place it is.”

When head coach Walt Chyzowych and then-assistant Jay Vidovich came to Wake Forest in 1986, the team had won six ACC games in six seasons. Chyzowych had been a national-team coach, and the Deacons needed to make a splash to become relevant on the national scene.

Enter Covone.“He was the first blue-chip recruit to join the

program,” Vidovich said. “We hadn’t won anything, and all of a sudden, Walt’s bringing in a national youth-team player? It made a big statement that Wake Forest was going for big things.”

Covone’s freshman team in 1987 finished with a 5-13-2 record, but the Deacons jumped to 11-5-4 with an NCAA tournament bid in 1988.

“I went there knowing we needed to build something, and we did,” Covone said. “A lot of great recruits came after me, and that helped the team blossom into what it became.”

Covone made his debut with the U.S. men’s national team in the summer of 1989, months before beginning his junior year at Wake Forest.

Over the next year, he spent a good bit of time away from Winston-Salem traveling with the U.S. team but never slacked off on his schoolwork. He credits the staff and the university for that.

“I can’t say enough about Wake Forest during that time,” Covone said. “They knew I was going to represent my country and represent the school, so when I went to professors and said, ‘I’m going to be away X amount of time, can I fax back papers?’ they were helpful and cooperative.”

After two more NCAA bids and an ACC championship, Covone continued his soccer career with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the American Professional Soccer League. After two seasons, he decided it was time to start the next chapter of his life.

“I decided, ‘Let me use my Wake Forest degree for something good,’” Covone said. “So I enrolled in law school at Florida State, came back here and started practicing.”

Covone has been married to his wife, Kristi, for 11 years and has three children: Matthew, age 10; Joshua, age 7; and 1-year-old Ella.

But if work and family don’t keep him busy enough, even now, there’s always soccer. Only now, that means either coaching his two boys in youth league, or playing in a local rec league for players over 35.

“If I can get out and touch a ball once a week, that’s a great thing,” Covone said. ■

by Jay reddick

T

Building a Hall of Fame career

former soccer star neil coVone Was tHere WHen it all started

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WAke Forest AtHLetIcs

The five new inductees into the Wake Forest Hall of Fame stand

at midfield during halftime of the Florida State game. Pictured are

(from left) Randolph Childress, Neil Covone, Paul Kiser, Janelle Kraus-

Nadeau and Dr. Alan White.

Building a Hall of Fame career

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november 2011 7

Randolph ChildRessIf you spotted an extra sparkle around campus after the Hall of Fame ceremony, you weren’t imagining things: It might have been Randolph Childress (class of 1995) celebrating his induction.

“I might find me a gold thrift-store jacket,” Childress said in the days leading up to the ceremony. “Something I can write on, or put letters on, and write ‘Hall of Famer’ on the back. If I had one, I’d walk around campus all week. What are they going to do, laugh at me? They can laugh — I’m in the Hall of Fame.”

Beyond his joke, Childress took serious pride in the honor, especially now in his new position as assistant to the athletics director.

“I couldn’t have written this script any better,” Childress said. “It’s a tremendous honor. It’s almost like I never left, the way I hold this place in such high regard. I never dreamed of any of this.”

paul KiseRWhen Paul Kiser (class of 1987) first heard about his Hall of Fame selection this spring, he didn’t tell a bunch of people in his neighborhood or around the office — he headed for his computer. Other than a few family members, the first people to hear about it were his former teammates.

“There’s a number of guys I stayed in touch with, maybe 15 or 20 of us who stay in touch fairly regularly,” Kiser said. “We probably send 10 or more emails a week between us. To this day, my best friends are people I met at Wake Forest. I’ve known them for almost 30 years — they’re my second family.”

Kiser works in corporate security for Finra, a stock-market regulatory firm, and lives in Gaithersburg, Md. He tries to come back to Winston-Salem for a game once a year but said this time around was special, for reasons obvious and not so obvious.

“The Hall of Fame was special — I didn’t think it would be as big a deal as it was,” said Kiser, an offensive guard who was voted the ACC’s top lineman in 1986. “I was more emotional than I thought I would be. But being down on that field, when they unveiled the new video board, then the motorcycle led the players out — I had cold chills, wishing I was out there playing again.”

Janelle KRaus-nadeauThe Deacons’ most decorated women’s track athlete, Janelle Kraus-Nadeau (class of 2001) has enjoyed a life as an educator, but now she’s getting an education of a different sort. Her first child, Josephine, was born in June, just after she moved with her husband, Bill, from New York to the Connecticut shoreline.

With so much going on, Kraus-Nadeau had planned to take time away from teaching — she taught high school history and social studies before the family relocated. But she found she couldn’t stay away, signing on as a volunteer assistant coach for the cross country team at Hopkins Prep in New Haven, Conn.

“We’ve had a lot of excitement and taken on a lot in the last several months,” Kraus-Nadeau said. “But it’s all been worth it.”

The four-time All-American and five-time ACC champion raced competitively long after her time at Wake Forest was done, attempting to qualify for the Olympics in the marathon in 2008. Now she describes herself as a casual, social runner, but she hasn’t ruled out returning to hardcore training at some point in the future.

“I think I may try to run another marathon at some point,” she said. “After having a baby, I know I’m not in control anymore.”

alan WhiteDr. Alan White (class of 1962) is associated more with Elon, where he served for 27 years as athletics director, than he is with Wake Forest, but he still credits his time in Winston-Salem for much of his early professional development.

For example, the former running back says his senior-year head coach, Bill Hildebrand, helped him make the connections for his first job, as an assistant coach at Mississippi State. The man who hired him at Elon, school president Dr. Fred Young, was a Wake Forest alumnus whose wife was White’s classmate.

“They opened some doors for me,” White said. “Those connections you make along the way are certainly important and helpful.”

However White got in the door, he certainly improved things once he entered. Under his leadership, Elon grew from an NAIA school into an NCAA Division I university, produced four national championship teams and overhauled its on-campus facilities.

“I had great professors there, particularly Dr. Harold Barrow (physical education department chairman) and Dr. Gene Hooks (athletics director). Those two guys’ mentorship and example of professionalism contributed to anything I was able to do,” White said.

Four other former Wake Forest stars, representing more than 40 years of history, joined Covone in the class of 2011. Here’s a look at what the honor meant to them:

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WAke Forest AtHLetIcs

november 2011 9

Tanner Price hasn’t forgotten the start of his football career at Wake Forest, and that’s probably helped define the success he is now enjoying. There are no parallels to the start of Price’s career and his predecessor at quarterback, Riley Skinner, who led his team to an ACC Championship, an Orange Bowl berth

and broke practically every passing record at Wake Forest. Skinner came out of the gate winning games. Price was thrown into the fire as a true freshman and started nine times on a team that went 3-9, with nine straight losses.

Price, as the guy who inherited the job of following arguably the most decorated, popular and successful quarterback in Wake Forest history, never thought about what Skinner meant to Wake Forest football. He was smart enough to know that that was nothing but detrimental to a career of his own. He even wore the number 11 jersey (Skinner’s number) before switching to 10 this season. So Price has never felt he has to fill Skinner’s cleats. He is Tanner Price, he understands who he is and that this is a new era of Wake Forest football.

“I got his tape, and I thought this kid was pretty good,” quarterbacks coach Tom Elrod said when discussing the recruitment of Price. “I went and saw him and still thought he was pretty good. Their high school had a coaching change, and they went to the state championship game his senior year. But Tanner is a mature kid, and everywhere he went to camp he got offered. He went to Stanford and got offered, he went to Northwestern and got offered. I told him we were close to offering him and what would it take to get him to camp, and once he got to camp, we offered him. We talked a couple more times over the summer, and he committed over the summer. He made good grades and wanted a school like a Wake Forest. We got to watch his games his senior year and then when he got here, he was everything as advertised.”

Price played at Westlake High in Austin, Texas, a 5A school of about 2,500 students and the same high school that produced New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. So Price came from a place with certain expectations and standards of success. He was used to pressure.

Last year, Price was a true freshman who was good enough to drop into the mix with three other players to battle for the starting quarterback job at the start of the season. Playing as a true freshman is a seldom occurrence in Jim Grobe’s program, but Price had the acumen and the physical tools to win out the starting spot by the third game of the season.

Unfortunately, it was a rude start to collegiate career for Price as it started a nine-game skid on a team that finished 3-9. But looking back, Price remembers more about those losses and the lessons they taught him, than he does about a solid end of season performance in a victory over Vanderbilt when he went an accurate 10 of 14 for 73 yards. It was a win the Deacons could take with them into spring workouts and build upon for this season.

Price vividly recalls what each of the losses to Stanford, Florida State and Virginia Tech taught him and the changes he made to improve and become the mature sophomore signal-caller that is leading a potent offense that ranks sixth in the ACC in total offense (after six games) and is averaging 31.7 points per game through six contests.

“He came in, was 17 years old, competed and moved right up the depth chart, and the first three games he started were at Stanford, who was arguably the best team in the country last year…” Elrod said. “His second start was at Florida State and the third start was at Virginia Tech. It was a tough way to start a career.”

At Stanford, Wake Forest was walloped 68-24 and Price was repeatedly hit, knocked down and battered. The Cardinal had five sacks that day. But Price

Failure fuels emergencesoPHomore Quarterback tanner Price learned Valuable lessons from His first season as a deaconby sam Walker

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november 2011 11

learned a lesson that day he has carried with him ever since. “My first start was against the number two team in the nation,” Price said. “They were a big, physical team and played fast, so it was a big adjustment coming out of high school. They spanked us that game. All those games, the bad ones stick out the most, but they’re the ones where you learn the most. They’re necessary and stepping stones to where I am now.

“At Florida State, I had a concussion and got knocked out in the third quarter. But Florida State was more just about the atmosphere and playing at a school that has such tradition and great fans. You understand you have to be calm in a crowd and cool and collected. Virginia Tech was another one where I completed just three passes, and the real reason was I just had sloppy mechanics. It taught me I needed to get back to fundamentals and footwork. Without good mechanics you’re not going to be a good quarterback.”

At Boston College, Price threw four interceptions in a 23-13 loss, but he was determined not to stay discouraged. So with each passing loss came an opportunity for growth, an exposure of a weakness and a plan to correct mistakes. Elrod said Price did most of this work of his own accord over the summer months, and the results are obvious. He looks natural running the offense and has become the catalyst on a team that can score.

Through six games, the Deacons were 4-2 overall and 3-1 in the ACC. Price ranked second in the league in passing average per game at 267.7 yards per contest and played an almost flawless game in a 35-30 victory over Florida State Oct. 8, completing 21 of 35 passes with no interceptions and three touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, Price showed what kind of determination this team has when he spun away from a Seminole tackler, broke a second tackle, stepped outside the pocket and flipped a pass to fullback Tommy Bohannon for 15 yards and a first down. The drive ended with Jimmy Newman

kicking a 32-yard field goal to give the Deacons an 11-point lead with 6:27 left in the game.

The victory not only made history for Wake Forest with three straight wins to open ACC play, but further validated that this team is more than capable. So is the quarterback.

“He is immensely talented, a great kid, and has probably as big an arm I’ve ever coached,” Elrod said. “He takes great pride in his work and works very hard. And he’s a unique kid because he comes from a big high school that’s very similar to a college with expectations where he would be criticized if they lose and good things said about him if they win. But he works very hard and has a level of respect from the whole team, and he earned that early on. The receivers immediately saw this guy can flip it around pretty good.”

Price knew what being a quarterback was all about. His father, Steve Price, played quarterback at Southwest Oklahoma State and actually tried to play in the NFL for the Denver Broncos, attending camp. Unfortunately, John Elway was starting his second season with Denver, and another guy by the name of Gary Kubiak was on the team when his father came into the picture.

Now Tanner, the youngest of three children to Steve and Stacey Price, is enjoying college football and college life. He has yet to declare a major but is looking seriously at an economics major with a possible minor in entrepreneurship. He has never shied away from a challenge. His middle sister Hayley will soon attend nearby Elon University, so he’ll have family close by.

The Wake Forest football program is now miles away from a season ago, much more disciplined, more cohesive and quite determined. The results speak for themselves. And if one had to pick a quarterback to follow the likes of Riley Skinner, Tanner Price couldn’t be a better pick. He was fully aware of what happened before him, what happened to him his freshman year, what steps he

would have to take to avoid a repeat of that this season, and he took steps to do something about it.

Price is a humble young man who said he lives by the Bible verse Proverbs 16:18 that is commonly quoted as, “Pride comes before the fall.” Translated, the verse refers to following being full of arrogance, the next step may be falling flat on your face. Price seldom talks about himself but speaks in terms of team, and what “they” want to accomplish. He knows what his role (and the enormity of it) is.

There’s still a lot of football yet to be played, but Price has proven to be as talented a quarterback as there is in the ACC measured by his importance to the team. With a solid start, anything is possible. It’s not like a young quarterback hasn’t led Wake Forest to success before. ■

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Name: Tanner Price

Year: Sophomore

HometoWN: Austin, Texas

PositioN: Quarterback

major: Undeclared

CHose Wake Forest beCause: “I really wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school. Not a lot of Texas schools were looking at me so I kind of did my own recruiting. I sat down and thought about the schools that had a genuine interest and what I was looking for was a school that had great academics and great football. For awhile I looked at the Ivy League schools, but I got the impression that Texas football was actually bigger than Ivy League football. So I wanted to play D-I and looked at Rice, Tulsa, Stanford and Wake. That’s what I was looking for. I went to those camps and started talking to those schools, and Wake ended up being the school I was most comfortable at.”

toP atHletiC aCHievemeNts: Set school records in completion percentage (58.6), passing yards (1,349), pass attempts (241), pass completions (137) and touchdown passes (7) by a freshman QB; helped Westlake High to the state 5A Division I championship game; led Westlake to a 13-3 record as a senior, including a 41-38 overtime loss in the 5A state championship game to USA Today No. 23-ranked Euless Trinity; threw for 250 yards and rushed for 92 yards on 20 carries in the championship game

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FootbALL // tAnner PrIce

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The men’s basketball team spent two days in September exerting themselves physically and mentally, together as a unit, while fighting extreme stress and exhaustion.

Sounds an awful lot like life in the ACC, but no one picked up a basketball.

Instead, the players were being led through calisthenics and other drills by former military officers as part of “Judgment Day,” a two-day course administered by The Program, a Massachusetts-based company.

The Deacons’ trainers from The Program were a former major in the Marine Corps and an ex-Navy SEAL, and the workouts were styled after military training.

“It was a different approach to learn about leadership and teamwork,” said coach Jeff Bzdelik, a former Air Force coach who spent six years in the National Guard. “They were put in physically and mentally stressful situations from which they had to accomplish a task together under extreme duress.”

On the first day, at Wake Forest Baseball Park, the team did hundreds of push-ups, jumping jacks and other exercises, with one catch: the entire team had to perform the tasks together, to a sharp cadence set by a player. If one player mistimed a kick, or didn’t get all the way down on a push-up, or didn’t encourage his teammates loudly enough, the entire exercise started over. And the players would hear about it.

“If I would mess up on one thing, (the trainer) would get in my face and start yelling,” said freshman Chase Fischer, who volunteered to lead the first drill. “(I’d reply) ‘Sir, yes sir!’ One time I messed up the same thing twice, and he yelled, ‘Chase! Do you know what the meaning of doing the same thing twice and expecting the same result is? Insanity!’ ‘Sir, yes sir!’”

Because of all the restarts, a set of exercises that was meant to take 11 minutes took an hour and 15. But after a break, the team started over from the beginning and finished the whole thing in 15 minutes.

“Toward the end, we were 100 percent focused because we didn’t want to do it again,” said senior Ryan Keenan.

But that was only the beginning. Then came a series of 40-yard sprints carrying heavy sandbags, in which the handoffs from one teammate to the next had to be just so, and more calisthenics.

The second day was even more grueling, according to the players. After a 4 a.m. wake-up call, the teams reported to the pool at Reynolds Gym, where they swam and did calisthenics while wearing heavy wool sweatshirts.

But the days were about much more than getting sweaty. Several players led drills and were asked to get out of their comfort zones to be vocal leaders. The precision of the exercises demanded that players instruct and encourage each other. And lessons about teamwork were sprinkled throughout.

“Our players exercised for about 45 minutes straight,” Bzdelik said, “and the military officer said,

together as oneMilitary exercises eMphasize teaMwork, disciplineby Jay reddick

T

In one relay-race exercise at Wake Forest Baseball Park, players hold a heavy log overhead while waiting for a teammate, carrying a heavy sandbag, to return. The bag had to stay aloft and the log remain level, so communication was required to ensure smooth passes.

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november 2011 15

I’m expecting.I remember when I heard those words

for the first time from my wife. I was thrilled but scared. Excited, yet worried. And all at the same time. Many of you have been there and know exactly what I’m saying.

Expecting brings with it powerful emotions that will be there to accompany you on an incredible journey. And whether you are talking babies or football, emotion is a huge ingredient in the recipe.

But some of the emotions felt with a baby on the way are no where to be found when the expectation is of a football program that is turning around. Being scared or worried doesn’t compute.

A young man was down on Baity Street recently listening to our pregame radio show prior to the Deacs’ kickoff against a very solid Virginia Tech team. The sign he held with pride and a smile read simply: I Believe. And I think he really did.

Former quarterback Riley Skinner was a guest on the show, and he was explaining how he had a good feeling about the Deacs’ chances that night against the Hokies, despite Tech’s national ranking

and favored status. The young man began to nod in agreement, a nonverbal amen to what appeared to be the young man’s idol was preaching.

Expectation is a powerful thing. It’s a fuel that burns with efficiency. It’s a way to explain the otherwise unexplainable. And it can drive a team on to achieve and attain what many think is out of reach.

Ask the 2006 Deacons. Or just ask Skinner, the redshirt freshman who came off the bench and led that team to a title and the Orange Bowl. Most expected nothing from that team. But those who did made the almost impossible happen.

And after a season in 2010 that left a lot of folks down on the Deacs, the more mature 2011 version of Wake football is back to making believers out of the naysayers. Even though the Deacons were picked to finish last in the ACC’s Atlantic Division, through three ACC games the Deacs were one of just three conference teams without a loss and were a twisted knee from being 5-0 on the season. Still, the 4-1 record going into the matchup with the Hokies had folks buzzing about the Wake team that was back. And after

a 10-0 start against Tech, a few began to dream a little bit. Prematurely perhaps, but there were no dreams in 2010.

Who knows what the second half of the season will bring. Each week will present its own set of challenges and hurdles. The non-conference game with Notre Dame is much anticipated. But when you speak with the Deacon players and coaches, they all tend to wind up at the same place. They say they expect to win. Regardless of the opponent or the situation. And they mean it. The words have weight. They’re not empty. And the validation comes with the way they play.

Could this season be special? At this writing yes. It could be a lot of things. There’s a long way to go. But a team that takes the field expecting to win is a dangerous one. No matter the odds.

As the young man’s sign said … I Believe.

Translation: I’m expecting.

stAn cotten

voIce oF tHe Demon DeAcons

Expectations

TORI BOYSEN, BrokerChairman’s Circle Gold Winner2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008

OAKWOOD OFFICE336.659.3239 / 336.345.3499tori.boysen@prucarolinas.com www.prucarolinas.com

TORI BOYSEN

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PROUD TO BE ADEMON DEACON !

Member, Women’s Golf ACC& East Regional

Championship Teams 1994 & 1995

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100% cotten // stAn cotten

Wake Forest University does not condone arson in any form; this ad is intended to ignite an emotional fire only.

‘Tony Chennault, come over here, i want to explain to you what we’re doing next. The rest of you can go get water.’ And when they came back, the officer said, ‘Hold it, Tony. Wait a second. Did any one of your teammates bring you a cup of water? No. You’re all hydrated now, but you forgot about your teammate who doesn’t have a chance to get water.’

“The officer kept bringing up, in an ingenious way, examples of how they totally forgot their teammate,” Bzdelik said. “I thought that drew our guys together and made them think about each other.”

The players learned about The Program at the end of the 2010-11 season, so they had the summer to build their preparation...and their dread.

“It was brutal,” said Fischer, who guessed he did 500 push-ups during the two days. “We didn’t know what was coming, so the unknown scared us. The guys couldn’t stop talking about it this summer.”

When it was over, there were two overriding emotions: soreness and satisfaction.

“It brought us together simply because we hated it while we were doing it,” Keenan said, “but at the end, it was, ‘Look what we just did! We completed it as a team, everything we thought would be terrible, we’d never get through it, that sort of thing, and we did it.’ You’re tired, but it’s more excited energy because you’re done.”

Bzdelik said he brought in The Program because he thought the concept of togetherness, of working toward one common goal instead of individual goals, was getting lost in recent years. He was

pleased with the way the team responded to the exercise and looked forward to seeing its lessons applied on the basketball court.

“Teamwork is powerful,” Bzdelik said. “A collective unified team of great-character young

men that cut hard for one another, play hard for one another, screen for one another, communicate on defense, are willing to pass the ball to one another, are willing to give up an open shot for a player who might have an even greater open shot ... wins.” ■

From MILITARy PAGe 14

During a day of grueling water exercises, players remove their drenched wool sweatshirts, a challenge in itself, and prepare to put their shirt on a teammate. Like many exercises in The Program, it emphasized working together while undergoing physical and mental duress.

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First Class

november 2011 19

Former basketball players return in memorable weekend

During the weekend of Oct. 7-8, we had the opportunity to welcome back more than 300 of our former student-athletes for our annual Varsity Club Weekend festivities. In addition to honoring the 40th anniversary of women’s varsity athletics at Wake Forest, we also made a special effort to get our former men’s basketball players reconnected with our program, introduced to our current team and coaches, and engaged with our fans. For some, the weekend marked the first time they had returned to campus since graduation, while others have become regular fixtures on campus over the years. The turnout was fantastic, and it was a great pleasure to see so many familiar faces back on campus. From key role players, to walk-ons, to NBA all-stars, it was quite a homecoming for the Wake Forest Basketball family.

Instrumental in the success of the weekend was our very own Randolph Childress who rallied the former players to return and encouraged them to get involved with the basketball program. The festivities began in the Joel with an impromptu pick-up basketball game featuring former players versus our current team. The remarkable alumni starting lineup included former greats Chris Paul, Ish Smith, Josh Howard, Tim Duncan and L.D. Williams. It was inspiring to see the intensity with which the former players treated this game. Needless to say, the alumni won the game from a scoring standpoint, but with the lessons those NBA guys demonstrated with their flawless play and passion for the game, I would venture a guess that the true winners were our current players.

After the game, it was on to the Varsity Club dinner and Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It was a pleasure to spend time with hundreds of former student-athletes, Hall of Famers and their families, and then celebrate the induction of Alan White, Janelle Kraus-Nadeau, Paul Kiser, Neil Covone and Childress into the Hall of Fame.

The induction of Childress was a very special moment for him and for his many teammates in attendance. It was clear that the bonds he formed during his time at Wake Forest had only strengthened over the years, and the pride he felt in being part of the Wake Forest basketball family was evident. The passion that Childress exhibited during the ceremony, and his dedication to doing his part to reconnect our alumni and return Wake Forest basketball to prominence was felt by all.

But Childress was not the only person that evening who was relishing his role as part of the Wake Forest basketball family. Paul, who grew up idolizing Chldress, was absolutely glowing after being introduced to his childhood hero. The opportunity to meet him and be a part of such a special night, combined with the experience of getting back on the Wake Forest court with former and current Demon Deacons, led Paul to declare that the events of that day were second only to his experience playing in the Olympics.

The festivities continued Saturday with an alumni brunch held on campus in the Miller Center. The event

drew a great collection of former players, both young and old alike. The former players in attendance represented decades of Wake Forest basketball. It was an amazing sight to see guys such as Hall of Famer and 1961-62 ACC Player of the Year Len Chappell and 1957 Team MVP Jackie Murdock interacting with players like Skip Brown, Sam Ivy, Robert Doggett, Josh Shoemaker, Chris Paul and Ish Smith, who all helped carry on the tradition of Wake Forest basketball throughout the decades. They were able to swap stories, share their experiences and talk about the future of the program they helped build. They were also treated to a tour of the facilities, including the newly renovated locker room, which prompted several laments about “why didn’t we have this when I was here.”

After enjoying an afternoon at BB&T Field, which was highlighted by the unveiling of the new videoboard and an exciting win over a ranked Florida State team, former players, students and fans convened in Reynolds Gymnasium for Black & Gold Madness, the culmination of an already memorable weekend. With a packed house, the 2011-12 men’s and women’s teams were introduced to the excited fans before turning over the court to the alumni. In an all-star alumni scrimmage, the Black Team, coached by Tim Duncan, faced off against the Gold Team, coached by Josh Howard. The game was action-packed with endless great shots, exciting dunks and a truly impressive hook shot from beyond the arc by Ernie “Twig” Wiggins. The entire event proved to be an exciting and memorable one that our students, alumni and fans won’t soon forget.

All of us at Wake Forest Athletics are so appreciative of the many alumni who came back to make the reunion weekend so special. Their involvement and support of our program will be a key factor in our success moving forward, and if this weekend was any indication, I think we have a bright future ahead of us. And while we are truly grateful to so many members of the Wake Forest family, I wanted to extend a special thank you to Chris Paul, not only for his generosity, but also for his humble nature and his genuine enthusiasm for being a part of the Wake Forest family. During the football game, he presented Wake Forest with a check for $150,000, bringing his total contributions toward the Nathaniel Jones Scholarship Fund to $560,000, which will go a long way toward enabling us to continue to provide opportunities for talented student-athletes. He also returned the following weekend to play as a celebrity in the 2011 Wake Forest Golf Pro-Am, which supports the men’s and women’s golf programs. In appreciation for his support of all aspects of Wake Forest athletics, we presented him with his very own WFU golf bag. I guarantee that if you happen to run into Chris Paul around town playing golf, his new found passion, he will no doubt be proud to show off his new Demon Deacon golf bag. I will warn you though, he is not quite as good at golf as he is in basketball … yet.

bArry FAIrcLotH

AssocIAte AtHLetIc DIrector For externAL

oPerAtIons

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InsIDe tHe DeAcon cLUb

Keep up with the Deacon Club on Facebook & TwitterFor the latest news and information from the Deacon Club and to connect with other members, be sure to find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook.com/DeaconClub

@WFUDeaconClub or @DeacOnTheRun

Wake Forest athletics would like to thank all of the men’s basketball alumni who joined us for the reunion, and helped make the entire weekend one that will not be forgotten. the impressive list of attendees included:

Scooter BanksCharles “Red” BarhamDave BuddJerry BraswellSkip BrownCharlie CarpenterRichard CarmichaelLen ChappellRandolph ChildressCharlie DavisCraig DawsonRobert DoggettTim DuncanAbe ElmoreMurray GreasonDerrick HicksDavid HedgecoeJosh HowardBill HullSam IvyRichard JoyceStan KingJoe LaddRusty LaRueRoger MayhewAl McCotterDerrick McQueenPhil MedlinPete MilnerJack MurdockDavid Odom (former coach)Trelonnie OwensChris PaulRicardo PeralJay RandellDavid RasmussenJohn ReedTony RutlandTodd SandersJerry SchellenbergAlan ScottAntwan ScottNewton ScottJosh ShoemakerRobert SilerIsh SmithCal StampCameron StanleyTrent StricklandCarl Tacy (former coach)L.D. WilliamsErnie “Twig” Wiggins

Men’s Basketball season tickets are on sale nowBasketball season is here! Season tickets and half-

season ticket packages are on sale now, so order yours

today. Season tickets start at $220. Half-season ticket

packages start at $150. The Black package includes

Loyola Maryland, NC Central, Gardner-Webb, Yale, Virginia

Tech, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Boston College.

The Gold package includes Georgia Southern, Richmond,

UNC-Wilmington, Wofford, NC State, Florida State, Clemson

and Duke. For more information, please call the Wake

Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-DEAC(3322) or visit

WakeForestSports.com.

Chris Paul presents a check from his CP3 Foundation to fund the Nathaniel Jones Scholarship Fund.

november 2011 21

InsIDe tHe DeAcon cLUb

deacon club photos

1 Hollis and Blake Daniel, granddaughters of Deacon Club member Loyd

Daniel show their spirit wearing Black and Gold.

2 Caren Grice and her daughter Emery get ready to cheer on the Deacs.

3 Grandaughters of Deacon Club member Carl Hoffman, Caroline and

Ella Marie show off their adorable handmade Wake Forest outfits.

4 Suzanne Campbell and her daughter Davis Lauren show their love for the Deacs from the football field.

1 2 3 4

The Wake Forest Athletic Department continues to strive to create a competitive advantage for our student-athletes with a commitment to continual capital improvements. Specific plans and projects are in place for baseball, golf, football, tennis and soccer. The Deacon Club Board will continue to challenge our Athletic Development office to increase funding for athletic facilities. Below is a recap of each of those projects:

baseball ProjectWe have made a number of upgrades to this newly

acquired venue, including renovating the locker room, aesthetically upgrading the outfield wall and building a new indoor hitting facility. Phase 2 of the project, which consisted of the installation of artificial turf, was completed in the fall of 2010. Future enhancements will include a new scoreboard, improved restrooms and concessions and reconstruction of the seating bowl.

Golf ProjectWake Forest Athletics has used the land previously

occupied by Hooks Stadium to expand the on-campus golf facility. Last year, construction was completed on the state-of-the-art Dianne Dailey Golf Learning Center. The practice facility is equipped with the most up-to-date technology and sets the Wake Forest Golf Complex apart from other institutions. Funds are now being raised for the construction of the Golf House, which will provide a true home for the golf programs, including locker rooms, additional meeting space and an area to showcase the rich tradition and heritage of Wake Forest golf.

Football stadium renovation Project

We are currently raising funds for Phase 5 of this project, which has been transforming the look and feel of

BB&T Field over the past few years. This phase includes our new, state-of-the-art video board. Additionally, future plans for this project include renovating Bridger Field House, concession renovations, North End Zone seating opportunities and enhanced tailgating areas.

tennis ProjectThe inaugural Winston-Salem Open, an ATP 250

tournament, was a success. The initial phase of this project consists of the construction of 13 outdoor courts, including one stadium court and two show courts. Temporary seating was erected for the tournament and future phases will involve the construction of a permanent stadium. We now have a great facility for our men’s and women’s tennis teams, plus we will be able to host NCAA regional and national tournaments.

soccer ProjectOver the years, the facilities at W. Dennis Spry Stadium

have experienced the expected wear and tear caused by the use of two successful and nationally recognized programs and now are in need of improvements and renovations. The goal is to provide our student-athletes with first-class training facilities and our fans with the best possible game day experience. Plans include complete resurfacing of the practice fields and game field, installation of a new, safe irrigation system and renovations to the Polo Road hill, which is a popular game-watching location for many fans.

After reviewing these projects, decide which one is right for YOU. Our goals are high and so are our expectations. Call and meet with your Wake Forest Athletic Development officer and make a pledge to one of the many important projects that will make us proud of our continued efforts to make Wake Forest No. 1 for student-athletes and fans.

We Have a ProjeCt For You!

J Immy strIckLAnD

PresIDent DeAcon cLUbboArD oF

DIrectors

Deacon Club members are encouraged to submit photos for publication in the Gold Rush. Send your photos in digital format to deacclub@wfu.edu. Submission of a photo does not guarantee that it will be published. Thanks for showing off your Demon Deacon pride!

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From tHe DeAcon cLUb boArD // J Immy strIckLAnD

It is an understatement to say that Bob McCreary has made a significant impact on the Wake Forest football program. His generosity and support over the years has led to a total transformation in the way Wake Forest football is

experienced at BB&T Field.

Born and raised in Caldwell County, McCreary was the son of a factory worker and the oldest of four boys. He came to Wake Forest on a football scholarship in the fall of 1957 and embarked on a journey that helped shape the man he is today.

“The only way I would have gone to college was with the football scholarship that I earned at Wake Forest, and there’s no question about it, my years at Wake Forest were incredible and were some of the best years of my life and very instrumental in shaping my future,” he said.

After college, McCreary was chosen as the 64th selection in the 1961 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers and began a brief professional football career that also included stints with the Dallas Cowboys and the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. A few years later in 1965, he joined Bernhardt Furniture as a sales trainee. After 20 successful years in sales, marketing and management in the furniture industry, he founded McCreary Modern in 1986. The company now employs 800 and operates six manufacturing facilities in Catawba and Caldwell Counties.

McCreary credits Wake Forest with playing an integral role in his success, and states that it is an honor and privilege to give back to the University that gave so much to him.

“Coming from where I came from to have what I have today, I am incredibly blessed to be in a position to give back,” he said. “The scholarship that was provided to me and the education I received enabled me to succeed in business and life, and I don’t forget the people or the institutions that were responsible for my success.”

And give back, he has. As the original member of the Moricle Society, the highest level of annual giving within the Deacon Club, McCreary has given hundreds of thousands of dollars for student-athlete scholarships through his support of the Annual Fund. In addition, he continues to be a leader in supporting key capital initiatives. Thanks to his generosity, the Bob McCreary Strength Complex in Manchester Athletic Center was dedicated in 2000 and continues to serve as the primary strength training facility for Wake Forest student-athletes. In 2007, McCreary made a significant commitment of more than $2 million toward the construction of Deacon Tower. That gift, along with a $300,000 investment in premium seating, made his the largest gift in the history of the athletic department. His support during that critical time enabled the department to move forward with the construction of Deacon Tower and helped transform BB&T Field and the football game-day experience in a tremendous way. Most recently, McCreary

recognized another opportunity that would further change the way that fans experience Wake Forest football when he generously committed $1.5 million toward the construction of the new state-of-the-art video board at BB&T Field.

“When you make an investment, you look for returns,” McCreary explained, “and nowhere in any of my investments can I remember returns being any more gratifying than on Deacon Tower, and I’m sure the video board will prove to bring the same kind of gratification.”

This year McCreary celebrated his 50th reunion, and as a result, he chose to pay homage to his classmates by naming the new video board in honor of them. The “Bob McCreary Video Board Honoring the Class of 1961” debuted to much fanfare on Oct. 8 and was officially dedicated with an on-field ceremony during the Homecoming game on Oct. 15. McCreary, along with members of the Class of 1961, was greeted with cheers and a standing ovation from thousands of appreciative fans.

Just like Deacon Tower before it, the new video board has already proven to be a transformational part of the game-day experience that will be enjoyed by countless Demon Deacon fans for years to come, and no one is more proud of it than Bob McCreary.

But even with the beauty and comfort of Deacon Tower and the unmatched entertainment provided by the new video board, McCreary’s “Deacon Pride” is most evident when he talks about the impact that the athletic programs, and particularly the football program, have on the development of Wake Forest student-athletes.

“We do it the ‘right way,’ ” he said. “I think that’s one of the great things about Wake Forest today. We bring in young men, many of them we build into great athletes, but more importantly, we build young men with character and integrity that go on and make a significant contribution to our society. I think Wake Forest should be very proud of that.”

Clearly, Wake Forest should also be very proud of Bob McCreary. His success and generosity are true testaments to the character and integrity instilled in him during his own years at Wake Forest, and his contributions will undoubtedly continue to have a significant impact on the Wake Forest community for years to come.

I

november 2011 23

Donor ProFILe // bob mccreAry

To many Wake Forest fans, Marc Blucas is known as a member of one of the greatest recruiting classes in the history of the basketball program, a leader in the locker room and on

the court, and the guy who led the ACC in 3-point shooting percentage his senior season. But to thousands of fans who may not be as familiar with Wake Forest, Blucas is widely recognized for a variety of very different roles … from Riley Finn in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” to Rodney, the firefighter ex-boyfriend of Cameron Diaz’s character in “Knight & Day,” to his latest role, Matthew Donnally, a former college hoops player turned athletic trainer for the New York Hawks, a professional football team, on USA’s summer hit, “Necessary Roughness.”

While filming the season finale of “Necessary Roughness,” Blucas took some time to reflect on his time at Wake Forest, what led him to acting, and the many memories and friendships he made as a Demon Deacon.

Q. How did you get into acting? A. Like a lot of people, just by accident. I was set

to go to law school, and one day John Justus, former Wake Forest SID, called and said, “Hey, they’re filming a movie in town and they need a white kid that can play basketball.” (I know all the guys I played with are going to say, “Then why did they call you?”) So I went down, I auditioned, I got a job. It was the summer before law school started, and I thought it would be a fun thing to show my kids one day and say, “Hey your old man was in a movie once.” And then the cliché happened … I caught the bug, and I found myself feeling about acting like I

did about basketball. I loved to practice, and I wanted to get better. I liked being a rookie again. So even though the law school “path” was laid out in front of me, I knew that when your head, your heart and your gut are all telling you that you need to follow something, that’s when you find the courage to listen and go for it.

Q. Do you get to show off any of your basketball skills in your new show?

A. Because of my background, the creators of the show did change my character (Matthew) slightly to make him a basketball player, so I do have some basketball scenes. It’s funny though … everyone in the acting community is always saying, “Oh it’s so great to know that you played, that’s not CGI, you can actually make those shots.” At the same time, all of my basketball friends are saying, “How many takes was it before you made that shot? … thank goodness for editing … they can do anything with special effects these days.”

Q. Do you ever talk about your Wake Forest basketball days when you’re on set?

A. Everyone from my basketball life wants to hear about the Hollywood life, but everyone in my Hollywood life loves the fact that I played basketball for Wake Forest, so it does come up. You spend a lot of hours on set and on almost every job, I end up going down memory lane. The first thing people always want to know is if I ever got “dunked on.” Thankfully, I can say no — never in a game. I did, however, get dunked on in practice once. It was like a SportsCenter

play of the week, up for an ESPY dunk. It was my freshman year and we were doing a 4-on-4 defensive drill. Rodney Rogers was left-handed, and he was on the left wing. Stan King was guarding him. I knew Rodney was going to go right around Stan at 7 feet tall, and I was the guy playing help defense. I told myself, ‘Marc, get over there, he is going to go left-handed on the base line.’ So I went all the way over and planted my feet outside the lane line. Rodney drove and went up off two feet, and I thought, ‘OK, well he can’t dunk it from here.’ Well he kept going, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘To hell with this, I’m not letting him dunk it on me.’ So I grabbed him around his waist like I was tackling him. I felt my whole body get lifted off the ground, and he dunked it with two hands. He’s swinging on the rim, and I’m swinging on him, and he looks down at me and says, ‘Marc, you can’t get in the way,’ and he’s laughing and has this big grin on his face. I’m looking up at him, in reverence, thinking that that was one of the most ridiculous physical feats I had ever seen in my life. Not only is he 6-7, 250 pounds, taking off eight feet away from the rim, but I weighed 200 pounds, and he lifted me off the ground. But while it was physically the most violent “dunking on” that anyone has ever taken in the history of the game, it was also one of the sweetest moments, because he had fun with it without belittling me for it. Rodney was never the guy to stand over you and gloat and pound his chest. That’s just Rodney at his core, and even with all that he has been through these past few years, he still has that smile.

T

ON CENTER STAGE“necessary roughness” star reflects on friendships and MeMories Made on the wake forest BasketBall courtby stephanie Hudson

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AtHLetIcs // mArc bLUcAs

Q. You and Tim Duncan are still very good friends; what was he like in college?

A. When he came in as a freshman, he was a quiet, innocent, 215-pound tall drink of water. But he was a sponge … that was the big difference. Randolph, Rodney and Tim are all considered to be some of the “greats” of my era, and they were all such extremely different personalities. Rodney was very laid back, but when he got on the court, he was such a phenomenal, dominant and intimidating presence. And Randolph was as competitive as it gets … losing was not an option. And at 17 years old, Tim was such a student of the game. You saw desire, and you saw that he was a winner. It’s so much fun for me and for the rest of the Wake Forest family to witness the success of this 17-year- old kid that no one else recruited. For Wake, it’s like winning the collegiate PowerBall lottery … you land a guy that no one knows about, and he ends up being the No. 1 pick of the NBA draft and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But no one deserves it more than Tim. No one is more unassuming about his success. Only because the guy is 6-11 do you even know he’s a basketball player. He has no posse, no jewelry; he married his college sweetheart. His story doesn’t grab headlines, but it’s just how it is supposed to be.

Q. Yours is considered by many to be one of the best recruiting classes Wake Forest has had. What do you think made that class so special?

A. Here’s the thing … what Coach Odom and his staff did that first year, which I thought was very smart and very calculated, was to go out and recruit winners. His first recruiting class — Rodney Rogers, Randolph Childress, Trelonnie Owens, Stan King, Robert Doggett and myself, included three state champions, and all six of us came from very successful basketball programs. Trelonnie won a state championship; I won a state championship; Robert Doggett came from a very successful high school basketball program, Randolph was obviously at a huge nationally recognized high school, and Rodney was a country-wide recruit who had obviously had a ton of success. So suddenly, out of your group of 15 guys, 40 percent of them are very used to winning. Heck, I lost six games in high school … SIX! I knew I’d lose more games my first year at Wake Forest than I ever lost in high school! I also knew I was going to sit the bench, which was not going to be fun, but the winning thing was a mentality that I think ended up permeating the entire team and was definitely the start of something. It took a minute, but the coaching staff knew that they needed to mix us all together so that our attitude and our commitment, the idea of taking responsibility for losses and the attitude of “failure is not an option” was able to infiltrate throughout the team. It’s not like the guys before us were losers … because they absolutely were not. But they had been in a program that had been struggling at the time, and sometimes you need a new shot of life and a new mentality … kind of like a restart. I think that more than anything else, is what made our class so special — it was our attitude.

Q. Your recruiting class was the first in the history of Wake Forest basketball to make it to the NCAA Tournament all four years. Is there one team that stands out for you, and what did you feel was your role on that team?

A. Over the four years I was there, we had two other teams that were much more talented, but I feel like my senior year was our best team. It was tough because Rodney had left, and there was all this pressure that we put on ourselves to succeed. We had to redo the offense a little bit and began running a 3-guard offense. We were also tiny — we were so small — with Charlie Harrison, Randolph, myself, Tim as a freshman at 215 pounds and Trelonnie. For me, that meant in the ACC that year, playing the small forward, I’m guarding Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse, Bob Sura — go down the list of small forwards in the league that year, and I’m going to get killed! But I think that I was a decent leader, I think that I brought an attitude and intensity. Given my physical limitations, I was a good defender, but I was good on defense because of heart and because of my head. I’d watch tape, I’d know all the plays of the other team, and I’d know that Grant Hill wanted to go left, so I’d stand there so he couldn’t — I would just get in his way. It was just me being mental more than me having all of the physical gifts. But as a team that year, we were just all on the same page — running that 3-guard offense. It’s a guard-driven game; guards dictate pace, they dictate tempo, they have the ball in their hands 95 percent of the time. So, when someone like Randolph is at the helm, it really works. And Randolph

and I were always in sync with what we were doing on offense and defense — even though Randolph didn’t play defense — please quote me on that — Randolph couldn’t stop a parked car in college — quote me on that, too – I’m begging you!

Q. What is your favorite memory from Wake Forest? A. It’s like sensory overload, when you ask that question. I have at least 10

different things that come up. Like any experience, the relationships you make are always going to be the take-away. Obviously, my friendships with Tim (Duncan), Emily (Giffin), Coach Wainwright and the rest of my teammates are very special, but I also remember two fans that I got to be really close with — Bob Reed, and Rick Trainer, who has since passed away. I remember seeing them before every game — I always knew where to find them. During warm-ups, I would throw Rick the ball and he’d throw it back, and I would always have to hit a three from the corner where he sat. Whenever I was introduced as a starter, I would find Bob and make eye-contact, and give him a little nod. It’s things like that that are so memorable. The wins and losses all kind of end up blurring together, but I will admit it was great sweeping Duke my junior and senior years and being able to say I never lost at Cameron. I remember the game my junior year when we beat Duke by 12 or 13 points … it was like a funeral in there … dead quiet. Rodney killed ‘em … he had around 35 points, and for me, I had a great game. I remember running off the court, celebrating and someone grabs my jersey. I turn around and it was Coach K. He points to me and says, “You were the difference in the game tonight, son.” I looked around and thought to myself, ‘Say it again…did anyone get that on tape?’

“Necessary Roughness,” which aired on USA Network, was recently renewed for a 16-episode second season and will return next summer. If you missed any of the first season, you can see Blucas in his new role by watching full episodes online at www.usanetwork.com. ■

november 2011 25

When did you graduate from Wake Forest?I graduated in 1980.

What was your major and/or minor?I had a double major in mathematics and Greek.

What does being a Demon Deacon mean to you?I am very proud to be a Demon Deacon and thankful for all the opportunities that my Wake Forest experience opened up for me. The Atlantic Coast Conference helped pay for a part of my law school education, and I have no doubt that my athletic experience and my connection to Wake Forest helped me obtain employment here after law school. I have met many wonderful people through my association with Wake Forest, and our student-athletes continue to amaze me regularly with their talent and accomplishments.

Why are you still involved with Wake Forest Athletics?I believe that Wake’s leaders (in administration and in coaching positions) support and encourage the best in college athletics. Especially because I live here in Winston-Salem, I get the treat of seeing our teams compete regularly, and I have been very fortunate to meet and interact with many people in athletic administration through serving on the Hall of Fame Selection Committee and the Deacon Club Board of Directors. At a time when the challenges facing college athletics are many, I am firmly convinced that Ron Wellman and his staff, with the support of the entire University community, are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our sports programs.

Why do you feel it is important to give back to the University?I benefit every day from my education and experience at Wake Forest, and I want to do whatever I can to support the young people who are seeking that experience at Wake Forest now.

What is your current occupation?I am a partner with Robinson & Lawing, LLP, a law firm located in downtown Winston-Salem. My practice is in civil litigation, with a focus on representation of businesses in employment and workers’ compensation disputes.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Wake Forest?There are many, but they include: every moment attending a class taught by Dr. Carl Harris; travelling with my teammates and coaches; Christmas Lovefeasts in Wait Chapel (which I still enjoy); and running in Reynolda Gardens in the fall.

What makes you most proud of Wake Forest?Its spirit of intellectual curiosity, giving and community — hard to describe, but to me embodied in people like Dr. Ed Wilson, Dr. Carl Harris and Coach Tom Walter.

When you come back to Wake, you always...I am lucky to live here in Winston-Salem, so I have a chance to attend many games, but I never tire of experiencing ACC basketball in person.

I was there when...The first Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament was played.

Who is your favorite Coach at Wake Forest, past or present? My coach for three of my four years was Barbara Warren, and Dot Casey was director of Women’s Athletics at that time, and I am afraid that it was not until some years later that I had any real appreciation for how hard it must have been for them to try to get a women’s program started at a time when the support was very limited. I have also always admired and respected Dianne Dailey – she is a great representative of Wake Forest.

In each issue, Where Are They Now showcases a former Wake Forest student-athlete. This issue highlights Jane Jackson, a former women’s

basketball player. Jackson was the team’s leading scorer during all four seasons at Wake Forest and became the first women’s basketball player to record 1,000 points. She served as the team co-captain for two seasons and was a NCAIAW Division I All-State selection in 1979. Jackson was the first female athlete to be elected into the Wake Forest Hall of Fame in 1995 and was the inaugural Wake Forest Outstanding Female Athlete recipient in 1980.

I

Jane Jackson

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WHere Are tHey noW? // JAne JAckson

COACHES’ LUNCHEONThursday, November 3, 201112 Noon – Bridger Field HouseFeaturing Coach Jim Grobe & Coach Jeff Bzdelik$12/personCall (336) 758-5011 for information or reservations

HOLIDAY SCHEDULENov. 24-25, 2011 - Wake Forest Offices will be closed

Deacon Club membersat or above the GoldenC level may present their11-12 membership cardsfor free admission toOlympic Sport events(immediate family only).Olympic Sport singlegame tickets and seasonpasses are available atWakeForestSports.comor by calling(336) 758-3322.

SPORTS MARKETING(336) 758-5011

TICKET OFFICE(336) 758-3322

GROUP TICKETS(Football & Basketball)(336) 758-4030

DEACON CLUB(336) 758-5626

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01 NOV.M.Bball - vs. Ferrum College 7pmW.Soccer - ACC Champ Semifinals - Cary, N.CVolleyball - vs. V.Tech 7pm

M.Bball - vs. Loyola (Md) 7pm M.Soccer - ACC Champ Semifinals - Cary, N.CVolleyball - vs. Florida State 7pm

Volleyball - vs. Miami 5pm

Volleyball - vs. Virginia TBA

W.Bball - vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Exhib) 6:30pm

Volleyball -vs VCU 7 pm

W.Bball - vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Exhib) 6:30pm

W.Bball - vs. Minnesota 6:30pm

M.Bball - vs. Richmond 1pm

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F.Hockey - ACC Champ

W.Soccer - ACC Championship Match – Cary, N.C.

M.Soccer - ACC Championship Match – Cary, N.C.

M.Bball - vs. North Carolina Central 7pm W.Bball - vs. Kansas 2pm

W.Bball - vs. Delaware 2pm

W.Bball - vs. Mercer 12pm

W.Bball - vs. Radford 12pm

W.Bball - vs. Jacksonville 6:30pm

Football - vs. Vanderbilt TBA

W.Bball - vs. Monmouth 6:30pm

M.Bball - vs. Georgia Southern 7pm

W.Bball - vs. Coppin State 6:30pm

Football - vs. Maryland TBA

W.Bball - vs. Tusculum (Exhibition) 6:30pm

M.Soccer - ACC Championships Quarterfinals – TBD

F.Hockey - ACC Championships – College Park, M.D., 11/3 – 11/6

Three days of abundant sunshine served as the backdrop for a perfect Wake Forest Golf Pro-Am weekend. One of the many highlights of the weekend was the naming of the on-

campus golf complex in honor of Demon Deacon legend Arnold Palmer.

The weekend kicked off Saturday evening at the Wake Forest football game against Virginia Tech. FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas was on hand to serve as the “Open The Gate” honoree. Haas then joined the Demon Deacon as the two led the football team out onto the field on the motorcycle.

Prior to Sunday night’s reception and golf complex dedication, renowned short-game guru Stan Utley gave a tremendous clinic for more than 50 people at the complex. The reception then opened with remarks from Dianne Dailey and Jerry Haas followed by Wake Forest President Nathan Hatch. Athletic director Ron Wellman then introduced Palmer to the crowd. He shared a few stories about how he became a Demon Deacon and his first encounters on campus and then acknowledged how appreciative he is to have the complex named in his honor.

Monday provided an absolutely beautiful day for golf at Old Town Club. A total of 13 teams competed in the event with one pro paired with four amateur partners. The list of pros included Bill and Jay Haas, Webb Simpson, Scott Hoch, Billy Andrade, Kyle Reifers, Jay Sigel, Robert Wrenn, Laura Diaz, Morris Hatalsky, John Maginnes, Stan Utley and “celebrity pro” Chris Paul.

Based on how the golf season has gone so far, no one was surprised that Webb Simpson and his team took the title. Simpson, who was joined by John Spanos, Todd Goergen and Pete and Burney

Jennings, won the event with a net score of 44.5. The team shot an actual 16-under 55.

A special thank you goes out to everyone who participated in the Wake Forest Golf Pro-Am. ■

2011 wake forest golf pro-amT Wake Forest Pro-am “at a GlaNCe”

■ The first Wake Forest Golf Pro-Am was held in September 1978, Homecoming weekend, at Old Town Club, in Winston-Salem.

■ The Pro-Am began as a way for Wake Forest golfers to give back and help raise funds to support the golf program.

■ Since 1978, with a few exceptions, the Pro-Am has been an annual event and has brought some of the biggest names in golf back to Wake Forest.

■ Pros such as Arnold Palmer, Jay Haas, Curtis Strange, Lanny Wadkins, Len Mattiace, Leonard Thompson, Bob Goalby, Joe Inman, Jay Sigel, Scott Hoch, Billy Andrade and Gary Hallberg have regularly been a part of this popular event.

■ For the first 20 years, almost all of the pros were on the regular PGA tour, but today our professional touring pros represent four different tours: LPGA, PGA, Nationwide and Champions, exhibiting the diversity and wider range of golf today.

■ Over the years, the Pro-Am has generated thousands of dollars to help cover the costs of day-to-day operations for the golf program and assist with facility maintenance and enhancements, making this event a vital part of our fundraising efforts.

Arnold Palmer was front and center during Wake Forest Pro-Am Weekend as the on-campus golf complex was named in honor of the Demon Deacon legend.

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WAke Forest AtHLetIcs

DeacTowerGoldRush.indd 1 8/15/11 12:16:08 PM

november 2011 29

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To listen go to www.hmc-partners.com and click LISTEN LIVE!

With the holiday season fast approaching, many

of us will soon be looking forward to some nice

home-cooked meals. For many student-athletes,

however, home may be several hours away, and

the opportunities for more than fast food may be

few and far between. In fact, there are a number of

international student-athletes who can only travel

home once a year, if at all. So with this being the

case, is it permissible to invite these students into

our homes and provide them with a free meal?

Yes, NCAA rules do allow this to occur under the

following specific circumstances:

1) Student-athletes can only be given a free meal

on an occasional basis, which is defined as

four times per semester.

2) The meal must take place either at the

home of the representative (provided the

representative lives within 30 miles of

campus) or at a facility regularly used by

the institution for competition (e.g. Deacon

Tower). Such a meal should not take place at a

restaurant or at any other location.

Because the NCAA limits the number of

occasional meals that may be provided to

student-athletes, it is extremely important that

the Athletics Compliance Office be notified PRIOR

to each meal so as to ensure that the limit is not

exceeded. Further, it is important to remember

that no additional benefits may be provided in

conjunction with the meal.

For questions regarding occasional meals or any other compliance-related matter, please feel free to contact Todd Hairston at hairstct@wfu.edu or (336) 758-4243.

toDD HAIrston

AssocIAte AtHLetIc DIrector, comPLIAnce

Occasional Meals

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