Less than two years ago, sophomore Taylor Gentry was finishing up his senior season of football at Leesville High School. Gentry played both linebacker and wide receiver in high school and had a successful year statistically gaining 1,183 receiving yards, scoring 21 touchdowns and racking up 125 tackles on the defensive side.

Everything seemed to be on track for Gentry to play football at the collegiate level. However, by the end of the season, Gentry’s recruitment was not going as planned and he had a choice to make at the end of that year regarding his football future.

“I had no full rides to any Division 1 schools,” Gentry said. “I had full rides at smaller schools, so it came down to coming to N.C. State as a walk-on or going somewhere smaller and having a full ride.”

Gentry settled on his first option and came to State as a preferred walk-on last year. Trying to do whatever he could to make the team, Gentry first tried to play as a tight end, but after coaches watched him practice during his freshman year they saw his rough side and decided a switch to fullback would be the best for him and the team.

“I played a lot of defense in high school, and when I came in I told them I wanted to play tight end,” Gentry said. “But once practices started, coaches saw I enjoyed playing physically so they moved me to fullback, so I had to get used to that position.”

Even though Gentry was only a walk-on, he made his presence felt, playing on special teams throughout the season. Gentry played in 184 special team’s snaps, fourth most on the team and halfway through the season he began to see regular playing time playing fullback. By the end of the season, Gentry had became the Pack’s starting fullback and ended the year with seven catches.

To reward Gentry’s play throughout the season last year, he was offered a scholarship, giving him the honor he was overlooked for by so many teams just a year earlier.

“Well, he got this spot because he played well last year,” Coach Tom O’Brien said. “He earned his scholarship, which we gave to him.”

Gentry admits having the scholarship does not affect his mentality, but he said there is still something about being overlooked by so many teams during high school and finally knowing he is able to play at the collegiate level that is rewarding to him.

“Coming in, you feel overlooked and you second guess yourself at whether you can compete at this level or not, you wonder if you can play with D-1 athletes,” Gentry said. “When you get here and you finally prove yourself it feels good because guys look at you as one of them and you are now a part of a team of scholarship athletes.”

The fullback position is not a very flashy job like the quarterback, running back or wide receiver due to the lack of touches, whether it is carrying the ball or catching it.  But, it is instead focused on blocking people and opening up holes for a running back or blocking for the quarterback, and according to redshirt senior running back Toney Baker, there is no one better than Taylor at opening holes.

“He is a monster,” Baker said. “Pass protection, run protection, I have all my faith in Taylor and he is going to be my lead guy.”

Fellow redshirt senior running back Jamelle Eugene also stressed how important it is to have someone like Taylor, who is able to set the tone for the running game and help open up running lanes in the defense.

“He is a smash-mouth guy,” Eugene said. “It is very important to have a smash-mouth guy, especially with a team that wants to establish a running game. Fullbacks are some of the best blockers on the team and they go out there and do the dirty work.”

Like every player on the team, Gentry cannot wait for the season opener against the University of South Carolina and is hoping things go a bit different for the team than they did last year.

“I remember last year – my first game – was in South Carolina, and it was a bit intimidating,” Gentry said. “But this year they are coming to our house and it’s our fans, our people and its going to be a sellout crowd, ESPN sky camera overhead. I just can’t wait. With that first kickoff I know the stadium is going to be rocking.”