In a perfect world in which the college football season goes off on time, Thursday, June 11 marks 84 days until NC State’s season and ACC opener against Louisville, a Thursday night road game that will likely be nationally televised.

Each day, The Wolfpacker will do a countdown to the season with a reflection on the significance of that number to NC State.

It’s a bit unusual but not unprecedented, for NC State football to land a recruit from the state of Texas, but in the 2004 class it won a marquee battle for Anthony Hill, who was spending a year at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va.

Hill was a native of Houston when he showed up at Hargrave and impressed scouts by running the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds at the former prep powerhouse’s combine. That was while he was perhaps generously listed at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds. Hargrave coaches noted Hill was probably closer to 270 pounds at that point.

Some wanted Hill for defense, others (including Rivals.com) figured he would grow into an offensive tackle. NC State saw Hill as a tight end.

Hill had offers from Michigan State, Ohio State and Virginia Tech, but he used his official visits to NC State, Clemson, Mississippi State and North Carolina. In a battle that went almost to signing day, Hill picked the Wolfpack despite rumors he would be going down the road to Chapel Hill instead.

Hill would prove himself to be a NFL quality tight end while wearing No. 83 for the Wolfpack. In 2006, during his junior season, he was All-ACC after catching 45 passes for 478 yards. Unfortunately, that would be the highpoint of his time in Raleigh. An ACL injury cost him the 2007 campaign, and injuries limited him to nine games in 2008. He still managed to have 19 receptions for 234 yards and four scores as a senior.

Hometown Houston Texans drafted Hill in the fourth round of the 2009 Draft after he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.81 seconds while checking in at 6-foot-5, 262 pounds at the NFL combine. He also did a 30.5-inch vertical leap and 21 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds.

Hill though never quite caught on in the NFL. He caught three passes for 19 yards in 12 games played throughout three seasons, the first two with the Texans and then a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts in 2011.

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