N.C. State QB Jacoby Brissett writes letters to each of his offensive teammates
Before his first season as starting quarterback began, N.C. State’s Jacoby Brissett found a fun and unique way to strengthen his connection with his teammates.
He doesn’t remember where the idea stemmed from, but he took it upon himself as a team leader to write and hand-deliver letters of encouragement to each of his offensive teammates.
“It just stuck with me,” Brissett told ESPN.com. “A lot of them keep the letters. I know one week I didn’t write letters because I talked to the whole offense together and everybody was curious why they didn’t get a letter. It’s funny to see they actually pay attention to it.”
Since then, Brissett hasn’t missed a week with his letters as he led the Wolfpack to a 7-5 record and a berth in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl against UCF.
The gesture sticks out to his teammates.
“For me and my roommate, it touched us both and showed us how serious he was about the games and it showed he had faith in us,” said senior wide receiver Bryan Underwood. “It was good to see he was taking another step in leadership toward the team.”
Brissett says the letters are all about showing appreciation for the work his teammates put in and being a shoulder to lean on, but it’s not always so serious.
“It’s a matter of saying I appreciate what you’ve done so far,” Brissett said. “Or if someone is going through a rough time, it’s a chance to say I’m here for you if you need me. Sometimes, you’ve got to joke with some of them. With the offensive linemen, you have to joke with them because they’re never serious, anyway.”
Brissett, a junior who transferred from Florida, threw for 2,344 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions while running for 498 yards and three more touchdowns in his second season with the program. The Wolfpack won three of four games to end the regular season and Brissett – a 6-foot-4, 231-pound dual-threat – capped off the season with a four-touchdown effort in a 35-7 win over rival North Carolina.
Brissett knows there is more work to be done moving forward to get better.
“I hold myself to a higher standard and every game, I want to make the right read, the right throw and as much as everybody says you can’t be perfect, why not? That’s always my thought process going into a game.”
For more North Carolina State news, visit TheWolfPacker.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
