It’s Academic

Punch, medical doctor and ESPN NASCAR analyst retired, recalls the day Lou Holtz recruited a benchwarmer who came to him with some very valuable talents.

“My brother was a very good athlete and played first base on the NC State baseball team that went all the way to Omaha and the NCAA College Baseball World Series.

However, my parents made me prove myself academically during the fall semester of my Freshman year at NC State. I was in Zoology in the School of Life Sciences which was a pre med major.

If I did well, they agreed to let me try to walk on for football in the spring. When my grades arrived in the mail over Christmas Break, I was given the green light to try the walk on route.

Back at school in late January, I stopped by the football office to inquire about walking on and the secretary told me I needed to meet with Coach Holtz to get the OK. I thought she meant make an appointment, but she picked up the phone and told him she had someone standing in her office and he said send him in.

I was petrified.

I walked in and he asked me why I was just coming in now instead of at the beginning of my Freshman year. I shared with him my parents mandate that I prove myself in the classroom first.

He said “smart parents”! Then he said well did you? I said yes sir. I have a 4.0 GPA my first semester. He then asked my major and I told him basically Biology/pre med.

Then he said, end of interview! Go downstairs and see Dorsey, our equipment guy, and get some gear.

As I was walking out of his office, he said wait a minute, what’s your name? I told him Punch.

And he said, I meant to ask, what position you play?

I said QB.

He said what makes you think you can play here for us? I told him, well, I‘m not sure, but I always regretted not really proving myself in high school, so I wanted to try to do it here. I’d be pleased to be a clipboard carrying benchwarmer, as long as I get my chance.

That’s all I want. He smiled and mumbled something about what I had already done in the classroom had earned this potential benchwarmer, that chance.