When NC State sophomore running back Zonovan Knight was a baby, his mother put him in a play pen surrounded by toys. Apparently, Knight was fond of banging his toys in the pen.
Thus is the origin of his nickname, “Bam.”
“As my uncle walked by, he said, ‘That’s all you hear, bam, bam, bam,’” Knight retold. “So it kind of stuck after that.
“It was actually Bam Bam, but over time I guess people dropped off that second Bam, so it’s just been Bam.”
It was a family nickname at first for Knight, but when he started playing football in the fourth grade his teammates caught on.
“I guess it’s easier to pronounce than Zonovan, but I kind of like it,” Knight admitted. “I like the feel.”
When it came time to make his high school highlight film for recruiters and evaluators on the video hosting platform site Hudl, Knight included his nickname in quotations in it. He figures that's how it continues to stick.
If Knight has the year he hopes to enjoy, the country will get to know Bam.
He feels good after missing out on spring practices rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Expectations are high after Knight was the leading vote-getter among running backs for the preseason All-ACC team. Knight currently has the top yards per carry average (5.49) in NC State history among runners with at least 200 carries.
Knight was third-team All-ACC in 2020 after running 143 times for 788 yards and 10 touchdowns and also returning a kickoff for a score. His production came while splitting the reps at running back with junior Ricky Person Jr.
From Knight’s perspective, his long-term future will benefit from having Person in the running back rotation.
“That’s something that me and Ricky both kind of know the situation,” Knight explained. “You look at guys in like the SEC, they’re getting 30-40 carries a game. They’ll essentially be burned out by the time they get ready for the next level because of the wear and tear from all the hits … We will essentially be fresh, or I guess you could say have tread on our tires by the time we get ready for the next level.
“It’s something I look at as an advantage, as far as looking at the next level.”
Like all college football players, Knight’s ambition is to be a NFL running back. Thus he takes to coaching well, like advice he first received when he showed up at NC State and was coached then by running backs assistant Des Kitchings, now with the Atlanta Falcons.
Knight played in a Wing T offense at Southern Nash High in Bailey, N.C. Kitchings had to tell Knight to slow down a bit. Knight’s initial reaction was, “Coach, I’m going at it half speed, what do you mean I’m too fast?”
In time, Knight saw what Kitchings was preaching.
“I was too fast in everything I did because of the wing T everything is downhill, kind of attacking the ball, so I had to slow down my read keys,” Knight noted.
This year, Knight is hoping to show NFL scouts a new dimension: improved pass blocking.
“It’s something I have to focus on putting on film this year,” he added.
With a complete game, it may not be long before even the pros are familiar with Bam.
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