Wake Forest Magazine, March 2007 - Past Issues - Wake Forest ...

©BRIAN WESTERHOLTconference teams. “There’s been nothinglike this in my forty years at WakeForest,’’Cook said.“Nothing even close.’’There was a feeling around WakeForest that the Deacons—after fiveyears of patiently redshirting 114 oftheir 123 freshmen recruits to defertheir eligibility—might be pretty goodin 2006. But as of last July that sentimenthad not spread to Jacksonville, wherethe ACC media picked the Deaconsthe events that were soon to unfold atWake Forest, where naturally, nothingever comes easy. Benjamin Mauk, ajunior who had been groomed forthree years at quarterback, broke hisarm and dislocated his shoulder in theopening game against Syracuse. Hisreplacement, Riley Skinner, was a redshirtfreshman who received the finalscholarship to be offered to his recruitingclass. Skinner, the son, grandson,©BRIAN WESTERHOLTRedshirt freshman quarterback RileySkinner (top), pressed into actionafter a season-ending injury to starterBen Mauk, responded by leading theDeacons to the Orange Bowl. Juniorrunning back De’Angelo Bryant findsa hole in the Louisville defense in thefourth quarter.to finish last in the Atlantic Division.“I was a little miffed honestly backin July,’’ Grobe said months later. “Wehad eighteen starters coming back.I’m not sure we didn’t belong last inthe division because we hadn’t provenanything. But I had a sense that wewere going to be a better football team.’’Even Grobe admits his optimismwould have been severely strained byand nephew of college athletes fromJacksonville, Florida, had never playeda down in college.His first snap, called prematurelyfrom a shotgun formation, hit receiverWillie Idlette in the shoulder as IdletteMARCH 2007 9