NC State head football coach Dave Doeren once took a helicopter to watch Lexington (N.C.) North Davidson High play a game.
NCSU sophomore kicker Christopher Dunn was a sophomore at North Davidson when the moment happened, and he’s also the player from that game that Doeren is coaching. North Davidson was hosting Asheboro High on Sept. 5, 2014, with the visiting team featuring current Auburn defensive end Nick Coe. However, the helicopter trip wasn’t for Dunn or Coe, but for North Davidson defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, who ultimately picked Tennessee.
Dunn said he hasn’t reminded Doeren yet that he’s the player that resulted from the “helicopter game,” though he was the extra point kicker and punter that night.
“That was pretty wild when he landed down on the practice field,” Dunn said. “I was at the game watching on the sideline and I was on the varsity. He probably didn’t know who I was at that time, but I went to their camp the next summer.
“I thought it was pretty cool that my future head coach came in on a helicopter and that he watched me before he knew who I was.”
Dunn had another teammate that year who also went on to play high major college football — West Virginia senior running back Kennedy McKoy. Dunn and McKoy will face each other today at 12 p.m. in Morgantown, W.Va., thrilling the folks at North Davidson High.
Dunn joked that Lexington is now known for more than barbeque and sweet tea, but added there hasn’t been any trash talk with McKoy leading up to the game.
“Not between us [has there been talking], but we have mutual friends,” Dunn said. “I haven’t really reached out to him or him to me, but our high school coach will probably wish us both good luck and might be at the game.”
NC State had also offered McKoy, but filled up at the running back slot when he came down to picking a college. He’s had a solid college career at WVU with combined 21 touchdowns — 19 rushing and two receiving — but he has found running room limited through the first two games this season.
The 6-foot, 204-pounder rushed 145 times for 802 yards and eight touchdowns, and caught 17 passes for 224 yards and a score last year, and has 1,882 career rushing yards. McKoy has tallied 18 carries for just 12 yards and eight receptions for 19 yards behind West Virginia’s rebuilt offensive line.
“He really was our star running back in high school and he was fortunate to go to West Virginia, and I was fortunate to come here,” said Dunn, who has made 19 consecutive field goals dating back to last season.
Dunn said having McKoy and Tuttle reach their football dreams, it gave him hope that he could do the same out of Lexington.
“That was something that I wanted to be like,” Dunn said. “I’d pass them in the hallways and teams like Clemson, West Virginia, Florida, NC State would be in the hallway talking to him [Tuttle]. That kind of motivated me from a young age.
“Seeing them before me definitely gave me hope I could be the next person to come through my high school. I was really hoping that Doeren would bring that helicopter for me, but I never got that love. It’s all good.”
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