It’s been a long time coming for NC State’s senior cornerback Chris Ingram. Serving as the Pack’s de facto secret weapon in the secondary, Ingram is in a good position to turn heads this year in his first game time since the 2019 season. He’s spent the greater part of the last two seasons recovering from a devastating injury suffered midway through that season’s game against Syracuse.
Because of the injuries to Ingram and others in the secondary, the Pack gave significant playing time to a whopping 10 players last season. Many of those players were underclassmen, save junior nickelback Tyler Baker-Williams and junior safety Tanner Ingle. But now, Ingram is back and ready to give the Wolfpack a much-needed boost at a position that has been a weakness for NC State for several years.
“It’s an amazing feeling, man,” Ingram said. “Like I’ve been saying, it’s been a blessing. It’s been a long time. Just to be able to be back around the team and with my guys on the field. It’s really been an honor.”
Unfortunately, the Wolfpack faithful hasn’t been able to see what Ingram’s potential could really be. After a promising sophomore season, in which racked up 39 tackles and an interception in 12 games, Ingram broke out in 2019, on pace to break those numbers through just six games before his injury. In those six games, Ingram had already notched 32 tackles, two interceptions and three pass deflections in half the games of his prior season.
But then, tragedy struck for Ingram.
“I just remember the game was going pretty well, it was right before halftime,” Ingram said. “I could have put myself in a better position where I wouldn’t have gotten hurt. But we can’t get that back. So it’s just something I learned from; it was a learning moment.”
Down but not out, Ingram was critical in keeping the Pack’s secondary afloat last season, even if he wasn’t physically on the field. With so many underclassmen taking significant reps, it was imperative for Ingram to step into a leadership role, something that came naturally to him.
“My favorite part of football is the classroom and knowing the schemes,” Ingram said. “So being involved in that meeting room, when we meet as a unit and as a position, being involved, giving my input, watching the film like, ‘Okay, you could have done this better’ or, ‘Next time, read this and then go here.’ Basically reiterating what the coaches are saying from the field. That was part of what I do already on the field, like even when I’m playing, I feel like I was still part of the team.”
Having been on the sideline last season, Ingram still figured out a way to become one of the coaching staff’s go-to players.
“Chris is one of my favorite guys on this whole football team and, leadership-wise, brings energy to practice, is very smart, knows the scheme and can help bring that secondary together,” said defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. “He’s almost like a comfort blanket back there for a lot of guys. Everybody looks to him in the back end. Extremely, extremely happy to have him back and look forward to him having his best year.”
The recovery process for any athlete is long and strenuous. For skill position players especially, there’s no guarantee that they can come back anywhere close to the same level they played at before the injury because those positions rely so much on athleticism and speed, both of which are affected by lower-body injuries. But Ingram said he doesn’t think his game is going to see any sort of decline in the upcoming season.
“I worked on my mental so much,” Ingram said. “Once you’re mentally tough I feel like football shape is gonna come straight to you. Once you get out of here, you push yourself. All you gotta do is push yourself. It’s all about the mental.”
While he made a significant impact on the Pack’s performance last season from afar, Ingram is anxious to get back onto the field. In his fifth season with NC State, Ingram is confident that the Wolfpack’s secondary will reach new heights this season.
“You want that separation, but at the same time, I don’t want too much separation from the first guy or the last guy,” Ingram said of the cornerback room’s competition. “That’s because I feel like if it’s a job, if somebody goes down, God forbid something happens, somebody’s tired, we could put the next guy in. I like that depth in the corner room. That’s why I’m so excited to work with those guys because it’s so much competition. It’s been the best group I’ve been able to be around since I’ve been at NC State.”
Playing football is like riding a bike, Ingram said. This year, he’s going to enjoy the ride.
“I’m changing gears; I’ll pop a wheelie,” Ingram said. “Like, I feel like it’s just fun, man. Like I’m out here. I feel like a kid again. Man. I wasn’t able to be I wasn’t able to play football. So you know, once you’re out there, it’s full go.”
