Before the preseason hype of a reformed football team under coach Tom O’Brien, and the uncertainty as to who would start at various positions, the tight end position was already set in Stone.

With senior tight end Anthony Hill sidelined with a knee injury, redshirt senior tight end Marcus Stone was forced to quickly adjust to a new position and transition from safely throwing in the pocket, to the physical grind of the offensive line.

“The main thing is probably the physical part of it,” Stone said. “Going from not hitting at all, and being protected, to protecting the guy that I used to be, and hitting everyday.”

In the shadow of Anthony Hill last season, Stone saw limited playing time. This season Stone has caught 16 passes for 234 yards, including a career best 74 yards last week against East Carolina.

Having started every game this season, and showing his big-play potential last week, Stone said he has become comfortable with his new position, yet tries to learn every day.”Once that changed, it started getting a lot better, and right now the hardest thing is just steps and fundamentals,” Stone said. “It’s like any position, you’ve go to work your steps and your footwork and that’s going to make you a better player.”

Stone said his knowledge of the offense as former quarterback helped smooth the transition to tight end.

“I think I study the offense as if I were going to be a quarterback, it makes it easier knowing what everyone’s going to do,” Stone said. “It’s not overwhelming. But, everyday I try to learn something new that can make myself better.”

Stone began his career at State as quarterback, where he was recruited as the No. 33 ranked quarterback in the nation out of high school, according to Scout.com.

Stone’s time as quarterback was constantly under scrutiny in a battle for the starting position, first in taking the starting spot from Jay Davis in 2005, then losing his position to Daniel Evans in 2006.

Though Stone finished the 2005 season 5-1, including a bowl game win over South Florida, losses to Akron and Southern Miss in 2006 lost him the starting position.

Instead of letting the loss keep him down, Stone moved to tight end where he felt he could best help the team.

“I just want to play,” Stone said. “Wherever that may be, I just want to be on the field.”

Stone’s selfless decision and positive attitude made a statement to his team, according to O’Brien, and is a major reason the team looks to Stone as a leader and voted him a captain.

“I’ve talked before about Marcus’ selflessness, and the things that we want this team to stand for,” O’Brien said. “So, I think it’s good that the football team recognizes those traits.”

According to Stone, he learned “everything” about the game, as well as overcoming adversity from his older brother Dave, who was also a quarterback, but was hearing impaired.

Stone practiced with his brother daily and even helped interpret for Dave’s high school team as a ball-boy. So when Dave graduated from Bishop McDevitt High to play college football, Marcus quickly filled in and took the starting job. Dave’s inspiration as a player and a brother, according to Marcus, has helped him in his adjustments and adversities at State.

“He’s been my biggest inspiration growing up,” Stone said. “It’s a long story. He’s got a hell of an arm. He had some hardships growing up and didn’t get some fair shots, but that’s how life goes.”

Using that inspiration, Stone has adjusted well at tight end, according to redshirt junior quarterback Daniel Evans. Evans noted the fact that Stone has great hands, hands Stone jokingly states are the best on the team.

“He’s athletic and big. He’s gained 20 pounds since the end of last season. He definitely put on muscle, and he’s a big threat for us,” Evans said.

“He’s always said that [he has the best hands on the team] since I got here and he was still playing quarterback. He [has] good hands, I don’t know if they’re the best. He does a good job catching the ball.”

And though Stone has found success at tight end this season, he attributes a lot to his predecessor, Hill.

“There’s no way you can compare and contrast me to a guy like Anthony Hill,” Stone said. “He’s just a well put, all around tight end. If I could be just half of the guy he was going to be with us this year then I’d consider it a job well done.”

Though Stone’s move to tight end freed him from the quarterback controversy this season, he has tried his best to offer help to both Evans, and redshirt sophomore Harrison Beck.

“I’m going to do my best and try to help teammate out if I see he’s down or upset about a thing and I have some positive insight, I’m definitely going to say something about it,” Stone said. “For the most part I try to stay out [of] it, unless they came to me with questions and I would try to answer them, but other than that I tried to stay out of it.”

This week Stone and the Wolfpack will face off against the Cavaliers (7-1, 4-0 ACC) and will need a lot of blocking, according to Stone, to contain standout defensive end Chris Long, who he described as a “great player” that may require attention from multiple offensive lineman.

Stone said his team feels confident in an upset on homecoming, and that the team will continue to build off the East Carolina victory in what the team is considering a “new season.”