NC State receiver Emeka Emezie is ready to turn the page

Published Mar 18, 2020

Matt Carter • TheWolfpackCentral

Editor

There are few NC State football players as willing to talk about their on-field setbacks like senior receiver Emeka Emezie.

Emezie, for instance, never shied away from answering difficult and perhaps painful questions about his fumble near the goal line in a loss at Wake Forest during his freshman year, a turnover that potentially cost NC State a win.

And similarly, on the first time Emezie talked with media members in the spring, he owned up to not having the type of junior season that he wanted.

Emezie did not have a bad campaign. He caught 56 passes for 576 yards and two scores, but those numbers were either on par or slightly down from the 53 receptions for 616 yards and five touchdowns he had the year before.

Emezie had hoped that after the early departures to the NFL of Jakobi Meyers and Kelvin Harmon after 2018 that last year would be his breakout campaign. He even changed jersey numbers from No. 86 to No. 3, which had been Harmon’s number.

This upcoming season, Emezie is back to wearing No. 86. He noted he decided, “just be myself.”

“It was my idea,” Emezie confirmed. “I just thought to myself: respect for Kelvin, he did his thing with 3. I’ll do my own thing with 86.

“I’ll do my own thing.”

The self-reflections for Emezie came as soon as the 2019 season ended, when he confirmed “for sure” that he was disappointed with how last year unfolded for him.

“I had to change my attitude,” Emezie added. "When I went over break, long break after not going to a bowl game, I had to really look at myself and say. 'You can run away from your problems, [or] you can attack it.'”

Prior to spring practices being halted by the coronavirus, Emezie was doing the latter. He and receivers coach George McDonald even came up with a little contest of sorts to help.

“He challenged me, and I challenged him,” Emezie said. “We have been trying to get into the building first. First one in the building at 5 a.m., just challenging each other.”

What Emezie learned most from last season is that an even keel through good times and bad is needed to reach his full potential.

“I didn’t have the right mindset,” he said. “You think you are ready for something, but you’re really not. … Regardless of what happens, if it’s good or bad, just come in and work. You can’t get too much into your emotions.”