In May, we started a countdown to NC State football's season and ACC opener against Louisville, a game that was originally scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3.
In mid-June, the game was moved up a day to Wednesday, Sept. 2 in order to not conflict with the Kentucky Derby which was postponed from the traditional first Saturday in May to Saturday, Sept. 5 over Labor Day weekend.
Today, July 24 marks 40 days from the Wolfpack's season opener, for now.
Each day, The Wolfpacker will do a countdown to the season with a reflection on the significance of that number to NC State.
No. 40— Legendary tailback Dick Christy (1955-57)
Dick Christy was a star running back for NC State from 1955-57 and his No. 40 jersey is one of 10 numbers to be retired in Carter-Finley Stadium.
The 5-foot-11, 191-pounder was one of the nation's top college players as a senior in 1957 when he was a consensus first-team All-American and the ACC Player of the Year. He also received first-team All-ACC honors and was later named the ACC Athlete of the Year for all sports.
His most memorable performance came against South Carolina in the final game of the 1957 season with the conference title on the line. Christy scored all 29 of NC State's points in a 29-26 victory to seal the league championship for the Wolfpack. His four touchdowns against the Gamecocks set a school record for rushing scores in a single game but has since been broken three times with five-touchdown performances from Stan Fritts in 1972, T.A. McClendon in 2002 and Reggie Gallaspy II in 2018.
It marked the first ACC Championship for NC State just over four years after the league was formed and the first conference title for the Wolfpack since it won the Southern Conference in 1927.
He went on to be selected in the third round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers and later played in the AFL where he was named an AFL All-Star in 1962 as a member of the New York Titans, who are now known as the Jets.
After an eight-year pro career, Christy tragically died in a one-vehicle car accident in 1966 at age 30.
Christy's No. 40 was retired in Carter-Finley Stadium in 1997 and he was later inducted into the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
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