T.J. Graham: 'Growing Up Fast'

When T.J. Graham came to NC State, he really had no choice but to grow up fast. His speed must have been too valuable of a commodity for the NC State coaching staff to let him sit out in a redshirt season. It wasn't as if Graham's speed was a secret to anyone coming into NC State in 2008. As a Junior at Wakefield High School (Raleigh, NC), Graham placed 3rd nationally in the 100-meter dash at the '07 Nike Nationals and as a Senior he brought home the North Carolina state title in both the 100 (10.44) and 200-meter (20.82). T.J. collected these accolades despite getting a late start in his sprinting career, sprinting competitively for the first time as a Junior in high school. I guess you could say that speed is something that just runs through Graham's veins, considering the fact that both of his parents are world-class sprinters.

When Graham showed up at NC State he boasted a 4.29 40-yard dash. The coaching staff saw something in Graham that was to valuable to redshirt. They saw his raw speed and athleticism and wondered what this young man could do as a return specialist, despite the fact that he had little to no experience returning kicks in high school.

"In high school I might have had one kick return. Back then I was scared to run through the middle," Graham said. "When I came here it was something I picked up and really enjoyed. It didn't require me to learn routes. I could just run. It's just something that's very instinctive for me."

Graham didn't disappoint the coaching staff in '08, making the most of the opportunity that was placed in front of him. In fact, he did much more than not disappoint his coaches, he made NC State history as a true freshman.

His 1,028 yards in kickoff returns last year was the most by a player in a single season in NC State history. He also owns the right to the longest kickoff return in school history, taking one to the house from a 100 yards out against Boston College in '08.

"When I got here last year, I was kind of scared. Most of the time I was running on pure adrenaline," Graham said. "During the first couple weeks I got hit everyday in practice pretty hard. I think that helped get a lot of my fears out.

Graham got hit so much in those first two weeks that he can't even recall which players on defense contributed the most in literally knocking the fear out of him.

"I really can't remember. They knocked the memories out of me," Graham said. "I remember a couple of times last year going across the middle thinking it was going to be an easy catch and I was going to be up the middle...Nah, that was a big mistake on my part."

As stated earlier, Graham was put into a position where he had to grow up fast. He had to quickly learn how to overcome his fears. Playing last year as a true freshman and putting in a lot of hard work over the off-season has Graham ready for whatever comes his way in '09.

"Now things have slowed down and I'm more focused. I expect to get hit now," Graham said. "I also put on some bulk in the off-season (14 lbs), which makes getting hit a lot easier."

Graham currently sits at #5 in NC State history in kickoff return yards with 1,217 (24.8). It is extremely likely that Graham will take the #1 spot from Ralph Stringer (73-77) by seasons end. With that being said, while Graham still remains a nightmare for opposing teams returning kicks, this season has been more about him emerging as a wide receiver.

"As Coach Bible would say, this year I'm more of a veteran player," Graham said. "I'm required to make reads. I'm more of a receiver this year instead of just a return specialist. I'm able to make a bigger contribution to the offense this year."

Graham caught a career high of 5 receptions against Gardner Webb and reeled in his first career receiving touchdown in the same contest. He also stepped in for the injured Owen Spencer last week in the Pitt game and showed tremendous poise, collecting 3 receptions for 63 yards.

"Last week I took advantage of the opportunity to step in and be a contributor. The team was depending on me to step in and fill Owen's spot, who is a good receiver. So I had to step in and be just as good as Owen, or better."

T.J. believes that the Wolfpack's receiving corps is something special, and with Owen Spencer back today against Wake Forest, he believes they are ready to show everyone what they are made of.

"We always tell each other to work harder so we can be the best wide receiver corps in the nation," Graham said. "We have the tools and stuff to make that happen. Now that we are at full strength and healthy, we've just got to show it all to the nation."