In May, we originally 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.

In late-July, the ACC scrapped its original football schedule to create a new 11-game model due to challenges presented from the coronavirus pandemic. A week later, NC State learned the dates of its new schedule which will begin Saturday, Sept. 12 in a road game against Virginia Tech.

Today, Aug. 20 marks 23 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.

The greatest to wear No. 23 at NC State is very simple: College Football Hall of Fame running back Ted Brown.

Brown, who played for the Wolfpack from 1975-78, still holds the ACC rushing record with 4,602 yards. Brown remains the only four-time first-team All-ACC selection in the league's history.

The rushing record has stood an impressive 42 years despite numerous challenges along the way, and it is facing its most serious threat this fall if a season is played. Clemson senior Travis Etienne, who chose to return for one last year instead of turning pro, needs just 565 yards to surpass Brown’s mark.

It is important to note that Brown, unlike Etienne, was not allowed to count postseason statistics accumulated in bowls, conference championships and the playoffs, towards his career totals. Thus Brown played in officially just 43 games and rushed 860 times (5.4 yards per rush average). He had an additional 399 yards in bowl games, which would bring his career total to 5,001 yards if he was allowed to count that towards his career numbers.

The High Point, N.C., native was named the ACC Freshman of the Year in 1975 after he ran for 913 yards and 13 scores on just 142 carries (6.4 average).

Brown would eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in each of the next three seasons, and never average less than 4.5 yards per tote. He also totaled at least 11 touchdowns and 160 yards through the air in each campaign, and wrapped up his career with 51 touchdowns, which is another school record.

His 49 rushing scores stood as an ACC mark until Pittsburgh’s James Conner passed him in 2016. Etienne has since eclipsed Conner with 56 scores himself.

When he finished his playing career in Raleigh, he ranked fourth on the NCAA Division I rushing list, trailing only Tony Dorsett, Archie Griffin and Ed Marinaro. His No. 23 jersey was the second football jersey retired at NC State. He was in the school's inaugural Hall of Fame class for athletics.

Brown earned consensus first-team All-America laurels as a senior and went on to play eight years for the Minnesota Vikings.

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