It was no surprise that all the cameras were on Ryan Finley and Germaine Pratt, who were representing the Wolfpack at the annual ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte on Thursday. They answered plenty of questions and discussed a lot of football with the media but among the more important topics were one fashion statement both made -- their shoes.
The starting quarterback showed up in none other than a fresh pair of crocodile skin cowboy boots that he snagged in El Paso, Tex. during the Sun Bowl. I bet if you ask him how many times he has worn them, he could count on one hand, so I am sure this was a good excuse for him to pull them out of the closet.
But ask Germaine Pratt who won the shoe game between him and Finley, his answer is “of course me" -- with zero hesitation. The linebacker showed up in a bright pair of red loafers. Deja Vu? The real question might have been whether or not Pratt’s red loafers were more stylish than Jaylen Samuels' red loafers last summer donned in Charlotte.
JaySam showed up last year to the 2017 ACC Football Kickoff with an almost identical pair to Pratt’s. There was even a twitter created in honor of the shoes called “@JaySamsRedShoes.” Initially, Pratt denied that he was inspired by Samuels' shoes, but quickly went on to admit “that’s my guy so I’ll give him a little credit, yeah he inspired me to do it.”
Between the crocodile skin cowboy boots and the red loafers, NC State came home with none other than the “All-Shoes Team” for the two ACC Media Days. This award was jokingly given out to the Wolfpack by the ACC moderator himself, unofficially marking the second year in a row a Pack player has taken the award home.
How in the world do shoes and football go hand in hand, you ask? If you ask Germaine Pratt, his answer is simple.
“It goes to show that we always think about stuff before we do something," Pratt quipped. "So we just think about competing. Which I compete in everything we do. So if we have to come best dressed or best shoes, we'll take it.”
Preparing to compete, a true example of what these two NC State leaders are all about.
Pratt returns to NC State as the fourth leading tackler without even starting in a game last season. He will be a role model and teacher for a defensive line populated with young talent. Rotating between two senior starters in 2017, Pratt has the confidence in what it takes to help the defense bounce back quickly after losing all of their starters.
Finley is not only an offensive leader, but arguably the team leader. After being projected to go high in the 2017 NFL draft, Finley returned for a simple reason. "College football is just a special opportunity and I wasn't ready to let it go, I just wanted to enjoy it one last time," stated Finley. His humble personality and intelligence, on and off the field, make him a natural leader for the team's 2018 success.
LINK TO ARTICLE ON 247SPORTS: https://247sports.com/college/north-carolina-state/Article/Ryan-Finley-Germaine-Pratt-make-ACC-Kickoff-fashion-statement-119944656/