GARNER — When Garner (N.C.) High senior running back Nyheim Hines talked about his decision to attend NC State as a family agreement, he wasn't kidding.

Hines and twin sister and track standout Nyah Hines both picked NC State in front of friends and family Friday at the Garner High auditorium. Their father Darrin Hines was as proud as he could be, knowing his children would be close but still relatively out on their own next year.

"I'm relieved and we made the right decision," Darrin Hines said. "I'm very happy and it has been a long road here. We made our choice and that is what we'll stay with."

The Hines family has pondered numerous scenarios over the last few months. It kept going back to the same thing of having Nyheim and Nyah attending the same school, and within the state is an added bonus. NC State, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech, were the final choices, with all three willing to take the twins. Nyheim also strongly considered Duke, West Virginia, and Ohio State. North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and East Carolina, among others were under consideration.

Darrin Hines enjoyed getting to know NC State head coach Dave Doeren and his staff, and simply found him sincere with his plan for Nyheim.

"Coach Doeren is a very special guy," Darrin Hines said. "He seemed like a loyal guy, and to this day, I know he is. The whole coaching staff did a tremendous job. They not only recruited the kids, but they recruited me. What they did was tremendous."

Nyheim Hines and the family met Sunday night following an official visit to Virginia Tech. The Hines' felt strongly about NC State prior to going to Blacksburg, and the feelings remained. Doeren and his staff's in-home Dec. 10 had won everyone over.

"We told NC State we were coming there after the in-home," Darrin Hines said. "It was a big relief for the kids. That was the first time I had seen my kids eyes glow, like it was Christmas time again. Everybody was happy.

"Seeing the vision for the offense was the deciding factor, and what they are bringing to the table. I think my son will fit in well."

Nyah Hines had love at first sight with NC State. She went out to see a track practice during the fall of 2013, and she knew by Thanksgiving of that year, where she wanted to attend college. Then the question became was whether Nyheim would share the same vision. Nyah was a pretty good recruiter.

"I'm really thankful for Nyheim for giving me more opportunities," Nyah Hines said. "I'll be there supporting him and I'll be excited. NC State always felt like home to me, but I needed to make sure it was, and also for my brother too. That is what took so long for the decision."

Nyah Hines could see her brother start to turn the corner on attending NC State.

"I was like, 'So when are you going to make a decision?'" Nyah Hines half-joked. "I'd also go, 'Can you give me your top three or top five?' He'd always say, 'I don't know, I don't know.' It was kind of hard. It takes him forever [on decisions] because he is an over-thinker. I would say the in-home visit is when we felt it the most and knew it would be home."

The Hines family will have one more event to celebrate in the next five months. Darrin Hines and his fiancé will be getting married May 24. Then things will kind of return to normalcy, and everyone will look forward to cheering on the Wolfpack next fall.

"I have always been an NC State fan and Nyheim grew up one," Darrin Hines said. "Nyah was not so much, but she was on board first. There was just uncertainty with Nyheim, but then we looked over the offenses and made this choice."