Work. Go to school. Raise four boys.
This was the routine for senior receiver Darrell Blackman’s mother Beverly, a single mother who taught her boys to work hard, despite struggles, and never complain.
The result: an All-ACC specialist who entered the season second in ACC history in average yards per kickoff return, and a “downfield threat” at receiver that has touchdown potential every time he touches the ball.
“He’s a big-time downfield threat,” junior quarterback Daniel Evans said. “He’s one of those guys you could throw a three-yard pass to, and it will turn into a 70-yard touchdown. Just give him the ball and it’s like a punt return sometimes.”
Blackman didn’t come to State as a receiver or a kick return specialist, however. He was recruited as a 2002 First team Parade All-American running back out of Williamsport, Pa., who spent one year at Hargrave Military Academy before coming to N.C. State.
Blackman played limited minutes his freshman season as he played behind running back T.A. McClendon.
Though Blackman began the 2005 season as the starting running back, Blackman saw his playing time dwindle with the addition of junior backs Toney Baker and Andre Brown in the Pack rotation.
When tempted to complain or quit, Blackman thought of his mother and brothers, who instilled toughness in him as a child.
“She never gave up,” Blackman said. “I never really heard her complain about anything that was going wrong. She just always made a way for herself. I kind of grew up doing that for myself playing football and basketball with my older cousins and brothers. They kind of toughened me up so I never quit. They told me never to quit and keep pushing, so I took that as a little kid and made it my point to always try harder than the next man.”
In 2005, Blackman decided to play receiver, as Brown and Baker were awarded more snaps than him at back. The change of position wasn’t easy, according to Blackman.
“It was kind of tough because I had never really played the position before,” Blackman said. “There were new things I had to learn technique wise, hand movements and things like that instead of just getting the ball handed off to me.”
Blackman’s decision to switch positions was selfless and “best for the team,” according to Evans.
“He definitely embraced it knowing it would help out the team,” Evans said. “He’s a leader for us.”
According to coach Tom O’Brien, Blackman is an effective receiver, whose ability to make a big play has opened up the receiving game for other wideouts, particularly senior John Dunlap and sophomore Donald Bowens.
“He’s done a great job as a receiver for us, and we try the best we can to get him the ball,” O’Brien said. “He’s very special, particularly in the kick return game. Certainly he gives a lot of the guys opportunities.”
Though Blackman is a dangerous receiver, he’s made his mark mostly as a kick returner. This season, Blackman ranks fourth in the ACC in all-purpose yards, averaging 133 all-purpose yards per game per game, and has scored one touchdown on a kick return.
But entering the season as an All-ACC candidate probably puts Blackman on most scouting reports, and many teams elect to kick away from him. Still, teams’ focus on Blackman has opened up the return game for other returners such as Bowens, who is tied with Blackman for fifth in the ACC, averaging 24 yards per return this season.
Blackman wasn’t much of a return man when he arrived at State, he said. But after watching and learning from former players like Lamont Reid and Tramain Hall, who helped attract him to the Wolfpack, he learned quickly.
“I was real, real bad at first catching punts because I couldn’t judge the punts,” Blackman said. “As I got more practice it just came to me.”
Maryland and State both sit at 5-6 overall and must win Saturday’s game to become eligible for a bowl game. The desire to finish the “new season” in which the Pack is now 4-1 also weighs heavily on the team, according to Blackman.
“We’ve been through a lot this first half of the season, then the second half of the season we fought back and turned things around,” Blackman said. “But we’ve got to believe in ourselves and keep making plays.”
And more importantly, the game will be the last for the seniors and Blackman, who will make his final return in Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday.
“We’re fighting to stay alive,” Blackman said. “Each team is fighting to stay alive. So we’ve just got to go out and give it all we’ve got. For the seniors, it’s our last home game, it’s our last game at N.C. State, and we’ve just got to go out there and put it all on the line.”
Though the Thanksgiving break may put some students out of town for the game, junior safety DaJuan Morgan said he is confident Pack fans will fill up Carter-Finley Stadium for the senior day game at noon.
“We have loyal fans,” Morgan said. “They travel. So I think it’s going to be a packed house.”