NC State football countdown to 2023 kickoff: 12

The NC State football season opener for 2023 is at Connecticut on Aug. 31 — or 12 days away. TheWolfpacker.com’s countdown for the season looks at the significance of the number 12 in Pack history.

NC State Football And The No. 12

• One of the more intriguing options in the defensive secondary for NC State football is fourth-year junior Devan Boykin, No. 12 on the roster.

Boykin is a versatile, athlete performer who was pressed into action in 2020 and made one start in his rookie campaign. He made noticeable strides a year later and earned five starts, making 24 tackles, including four pass breakups, and also returned a bobbled punt for a touchdown at Boston College.

This past season, Boykin started three games at nickel and also played safety, finishing with 20 tackles, a a pass breakup and his first career interception, a pick late in the fourth quarter to preserve a 17-16 home win over Florida State.

Boykin, who played for his father Johnny Boykin at Ragsdale High near Greensboro, N.C., is a potential starter at strong safety this year but can also fill in at nickel if needed. The fact that Boykin is showcasing his versatility is unsurprising. As a junior at Ragsdale, Boykin was his conference’s Offensive Player of the Year. A season later, Boykin was the Defensive Player of the Year.

• In the line of former NC State football stars that make up the pipeline of QBU, one that often times may get overlooked is Erik Kramer, who played two seasons in Raleigh and wore No. 12.

Despite playing just two seasons in Raleigh, he is still 10th all-time in NC State history with 4,602 passing yards and 30 touchdown throws, and his 209.2 passing yards per game ranks sixth highest. Kramer is also 11th among all NC State quarterbacks in career passing efficiency at 123.96.

Kramer was the 1986 ACC Player of the Year and Offensive MVP of the Peach Bowl that season, leading head coach Dick Sheridan’s first team to a surprising 8-3-1 record. The year before, he had become the first NC State quarterback to throw for 300 yards in a game on multiple occasions and was selected first-team All-ACC.

Despite his on-field success, Kramer went undrafted and signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons. He started three games as a rookie but struggled, completing 48.9 percent of his passes and throwing more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four).

After three years in the Canadian Football League, Kramer returned to the NFL in 1991 with a three-year stint as a successful part-time starter with the Detroit Lions, going 10-5 in the regular season as a signal caller when lining up first string.

That led to a contract with the Chicago Bears in 1995, where Kramer enjoyed his best successes. In year one, he set a franchise record with 3,838 passing yards and 29 TD throws. Ultimately, Kramer would play 10 years in the NFL following his NC State days and threw for 15,337 yards and 92 touchdowns.

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