NC State football: Five best cornerbacks
Some history could be made this fall in NC State football. Dave Doeren is six wins away from setting a new school record for most victories.
How many of Doeren’s players over the past 10 years would rank among the best in their position groups? During the month of July, TheWolfpacker.com is ranking the top five at all spots on the field in NC State football history.
At the cornerback position, all the players on the list pre-dated Doeren.
Woodrow Wilson, 1977-79
Wilson finished his career with 12 interceptions, which remains tied for fourth most in NC State football history. In 1978, Wilson led the ACC with five picks and earned the first of back-to-back first-team All-ACC honors. He was a defensive captain on the 1979 squad that claimed NC State’s last conference title.
Wilson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers and played multiple seasons in the Canadian Football League.
Sebastian Savage, 1989-92
Savage was a second-team All-American in 1992 after he had an interception and 11 pass breakups while forming arguably the greatest cornerback duo in NC State football history (see later on this list). The year before saw Savage pick off five passes, one of which he returned 99 yards for a touchdown against North Carolina in what remains the fourth longest pick runback in school history.
He was twice named first-team All-ACC. After being drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round, Savage played parts of four seasons in the NFL.
Lloyd Harrison, 1996-99
In 1998, Harrison set a NC State football record with 23 pass break ups. That same season, Harrison picked off a league-high seven passes, at the time the most among Wolfpackers in the ACC era. One year later, Harrison broke up 15 passes, still seventh most in the school’s annals.
Harrison’s 12 career interceptions are tied for fourth most at NC State and his 40 passes broken up are third most. He is also the only two-time All-American cornerback in Wolfpack history.
Harrison was drafted in the third round by Washington in 1990 and played three seasons in the NFL.
David Amerson, 2010-12
Amerson’s legacy at NC State is largely built around his remarkable 2011 season, when Amerson set an ACC record with 13 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. After that season, Amerson won the Jack Tatum Award, which is given to the nation’s best defensive back. He was also named first-team All-American by Walter Camp and ESPN.
Amerson has the Wolfpack school mark for career picks with 18 despite the fact that he turned pro after his junior year. The two-time All-ACC choice was picked in the second round by Washington in 2013 and spent six seasons in the NFL, picking off nine passes and deflecting 65 more while scoring a pair of defensive touchdowns.
Dewayne Washington, 1990-93
Washington’s stats at NC State were relatively modest, nine interceptions and 22 pass breakups, the latter of which is tied for 14th most in Wolfpack history.
However, his talent was obvious, and the NFL spotted that right away. Washington was a first-round NFL Draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 1994, the first and to date only secondary player in NC State history to be chosen that high.
Washington is also the only Pack Pro to be named the NFL Rookie of the Year, the start of a 12-year NFL career during which Washington picked off 31 passes, five of which were returned for scores.
The team award for most valuable defensive back is now named after Washington.
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