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Beaufort boys primed for Pirates’ football season
By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — One is a mountain of a man, standing 6-foot-4 and tipping the scales at 271 pounds. The other is short and compact, checking in at 5-foot-10 and weighing 220 pounds.
One made an immediate impact as a true freshman. The other will enter his first season as a walk-on.
One is looking to make his mark on the ECU record books. The other is just looking to get on the field.
They’re both Beaufort County boys, but C.J. Wilson and Gerald Lawrence have taken completely different paths to East Carolina University.
But, no matter how different they may be, Wilson and Lawrence share one common goal: helping the Pirates win the 2008 Conference USA Championship and getting ECU to a third straight bowl game.
“We’ve got high expectations,” Wilson said. “We all just want to win a championship and get back to a bowl game. We know it takes everybody on this team to win a title. We all got to be on the same page.”
Wilson, a 2006 Northside High School graduate, will enter his third year as a defensive lineman at ECU.
Wilson burst onto the scene as a true freshman, making four starts for the Pirates and leading all defensive lineman with four sacks in 2006.
Last season, he progressed even further, leading the team with seven sacks and recording 36 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss.
This year, he expects those numbers to increase even further.
“I’ve been working hard on the little things all spring,” Wilson said. “Everyday I’m getting better. I’ve got high expectations for myself as well as the team. I’d like to at least double my sack and tackle production from last season.”
He’s also not ruling out an assault on Roderick Coleman’s team record of 15 sacks set n 1997.
“My first worry is helping the team, but (the record) is something I think about from time to time,” Wilson said. “Winning comes before personal accolades, but the sack record is in the back of my mind. It’s something I’d love to break.”
While Wilson is expecting a monstrous year when the 2008 season gets underway, Lawrence is just hoping to make an impact.
“I’m hoping to do anything I can to help this team win,” Lawrence said. “Whether it’s filling in at linebacker or covering kicks on special teams, I’ll do anything.”
After a season at Elizabeth City State University, Lawrence, a former Washington High School star, accepted an invitation to walk-on at ECU this spring. And it has been a big adjustment.
‘I can’t believe the size of the play book,” Lawrence said with a chuckle. “Other than that, I’d have to say the speed is different. I mean it’s fast at Elizabeth City, but Division-I is a whole new level. It’s been an adjustment, but I think I’m doing well this spring.”
Lawrence also finds that he has to make adjustments because of his size.
“I’m a little undersized for a linebacker, so I have to work twice as hard as anyone else,” Lawrence said. ‘Especially in the weight room. My strength makes up for my lack of size.”
One guy that Lawrence has leaned on to make the transition to Division-I ball is his cross-county pal.
“C.J. has been a big help,” Lawrence said. “I lean on him for advice all the time. We talk about home town stuff and making the jump from high school to this level. He’s been through it, so he knows what I’m going through now.”
Wilson says that he enjoys helping a fellow Beaufort County star.
“He’s my teammate and a home town guy, so I’ve I kind of taken him under my wings,” Wilson said. “I try to show him the ropes, and give him encouragement whenever I can.”
Now that Wilson has completed his third spring football season, and Lawrence has made it through his first, both are looking forward to August, when the Pirates will don the pads once again in preparation for the season-opener versus Virginia Tech on August 30 in Charlotte.
“Our team has improved a lot this spring, but we’ve got to keep working hard in the weight room this summer and get ready for August,” Wilson said. ‘Before you know it, we’ll be on the field again, trying to win a Conference USA Championship.”
One made an immediate impact as a true freshman. The other will enter his first season as a walk-on.
One is looking to make his mark on the ECU record books. The other is just looking to get on the field.
They’re both Beaufort County boys, but C.J. Wilson and Gerald Lawrence have taken completely different paths to East Carolina University.
But, no matter how different they may be, Wilson and Lawrence share one common goal: helping the Pirates win the 2008 Conference USA Championship and getting ECU to a third straight bowl game.
“We’ve got high expectations,” Wilson said. “We all just want to win a championship and get back to a bowl game. We know it takes everybody on this team to win a title. We all got to be on the same page.”
Wilson, a 2006 Northside High School graduate, will enter his third year as a defensive lineman at ECU.
Wilson burst onto the scene as a true freshman, making four starts for the Pirates and leading all defensive lineman with four sacks in 2006.
Last season, he progressed even further, leading the team with seven sacks and recording 36 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss.
This year, he expects those numbers to increase even further.
“I’ve been working hard on the little things all spring,” Wilson said. “Everyday I’m getting better. I’ve got high expectations for myself as well as the team. I’d like to at least double my sack and tackle production from last season.”
He’s also not ruling out an assault on Roderick Coleman’s team record of 15 sacks set n 1997.
“My first worry is helping the team, but (the record) is something I think about from time to time,” Wilson said. “Winning comes before personal accolades, but the sack record is in the back of my mind. It’s something I’d love to break.”
While Wilson is expecting a monstrous year when the 2008 season gets underway, Lawrence is just hoping to make an impact.
“I’m hoping to do anything I can to help this team win,” Lawrence said. “Whether it’s filling in at linebacker or covering kicks on special teams, I’ll do anything.”
After a season at Elizabeth City State University, Lawrence, a former Washington High School star, accepted an invitation to walk-on at ECU this spring. And it has been a big adjustment.
‘I can’t believe the size of the play book,” Lawrence said with a chuckle. “Other than that, I’d have to say the speed is different. I mean it’s fast at Elizabeth City, but Division-I is a whole new level. It’s been an adjustment, but I think I’m doing well this spring.”
Lawrence also finds that he has to make adjustments because of his size.
“I’m a little undersized for a linebacker, so I have to work twice as hard as anyone else,” Lawrence said. ‘Especially in the weight room. My strength makes up for my lack of size.”
One guy that Lawrence has leaned on to make the transition to Division-I ball is his cross-county pal.
“C.J. has been a big help,” Lawrence said. “I lean on him for advice all the time. We talk about home town stuff and making the jump from high school to this level. He’s been through it, so he knows what I’m going through now.”
Wilson says that he enjoys helping a fellow Beaufort County star.
“He’s my teammate and a home town guy, so I’ve I kind of taken him under my wings,” Wilson said. “I try to show him the ropes, and give him encouragement whenever I can.”
Now that Wilson has completed his third spring football season, and Lawrence has made it through his first, both are looking forward to August, when the Pirates will don the pads once again in preparation for the season-opener versus Virginia Tech on August 30 in Charlotte.
“Our team has improved a lot this spring, but we’ve got to keep working hard in the weight room this summer and get ready for August,” Wilson said. ‘Before you know it, we’ll be on the field again, trying to win a Conference USA Championship.”
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