Much has been said about the accident that Nate Irving had last year, and also about its effect on the NC State defense in 2009. While we cannot overlook the leadership skills and playing abilities of Irving, all too often we overlook on the effect that Nate’s accident has had on him personally. Put bluntly, he is lucky to be alive, much less preparing for his senior season in a Wolfpack uniform. While it has taken some time for him to get back into the flow of playing football, almost every report is saying that he is still the all-out player that he’s always been. That’s good news for NC State football, and better news for Nate Irving, human being.
Tim Hall of WRAL Sports filed this report: Irving’s Comeback Is One We Can Root For
One football injury and one near-fatal injury ago. With one ill jerk of his steering wheel his SUV could’ve hit that tree off of I-40 a little differently, and that could have been it. A football career that for a moment looked so promising could have ended. His life could have ended. As Nate Irving slowly makes his way back with the N.C. State football squad this spring, it’s hard not to hope. It’s hard not to root for this to have a good ending.
Irving’s story has a chance to turn into one heck of a comeback story, one of the better ones Triangle sports has seen in some time.
Last June Irving skirted death when he decided to hop in his SUV and head back to Raleigh from his hometown, Wallace. While traveling down I-40 after four in the morning, he dozed off at the wheel. A horrible mistake. His car struck a couple of trees and was crippled beyond recognition. He still looks at the pictures from the wreck to remind himself what almost happened. He was charged with careless driving for that incident but the case was dismissed. Luckily he survived, and no one else was involved in the crash.
His penalty – miss a whole season of football.
It’s a great story and one well worth the time it takes to read it.
