T.J. Graham had his path laid out for him.
He held the top time in the nation for the 200-meter dash, finished third nationally in the 100-meter dash at the Nike Nationals and had taken the state championship in both events. With his sister, a budding track phenom, and his mother boasting her own case full of trophies, track is in Graham’s blood.
His father, Trevor Graham, a former Olympian, coached some of the best track athletes in the world — from Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery to Justin Gatlin and C.J. Hunter. But after their successes, federal courts convicted many of his athletes with using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. On May 29, Trevor was convicted of lying to federal agents about the drugs and the BALCO case that has convicted Trevor, many of his athletes and famous baseball players like Barry Bonds.
For T.J., who was dividing his time between football and track, it was a difficult process.
“I was pretty immature when things started happening,” T.J. said. “I had a lot of pressure from the media and friends at school. So I kind of had to grow up and be strong about stuff.”
His father is still around, though. Trevor is at every game and the two talk on the phone every day.
“The good thing about [the convictions] is that they brought the family closer together,” T.J. said. “Before it, me and my Dad weren’t as close. We didn’t have that bond we do now. If we played in a college in Alaska, he would be there.”
Riding football to State
T.J. said he is always the odd-ball of the family, so track was not the route for him. He sees it as a dying sport and football represents a broader future.
“I like track, but I love football,” Graham said. “I like track because I like winning, but there are so many more challenges to fight in football and I can do everything, not just run.”
The former Wakefield High School star decided to stay close to home. Former N.C. State football coach Chuck Amato offered Graham a scholarship, but Tom O’Brien wanted to wait until Graham came to camp at State before he offered the track star a scholarship. The coaching staff knew Graham could run, but the coaches had to see if he could catch.
O’Brien had then-prospect Mike Glennon throw everything he had at Graham, and Graham caught them all.
“He caught the ball really well when we saw him and when you watch what he did at his track in high school, he certainly had the speed to run by people,” O’Brien said.
Staying in the spotlightDespite his small stature — the media guide generously lists him at 6-feet-tall, 180 pounds — O’Brien has given Graham a shot. In the team’s opening game in a hostile SEC environment at South Carolina, Graham was returning kicks and the quarterbacks were giving him shots deep.
Both Graham and O’Brien admit the young freshman struggled early on and that injuries have forced him into the front of the line, but there is no denying Graham’s talent and stable attitude.
“Like a lot of guys who looked around the whole first quarter going, ‘Wow, look at all these people,’ he finally competed and started playing, confident in his abilities on that stage,” O’Brien said. “And that transferred to [last] Saturday night.”
Against William & Mary, he had three catches for 78 yards, including two highlight reel plays with a juggling 47-yard catch and a sliding grab in which Graham had to track back to make the catch.
“My dad expected it,” Graham said of his early success. “I didn’t expect so much so early, but I’ve been able to catch up with the other guys pretty quick. My parents always tell me I’m a fast learner.”
‘Just starting to bloom’
Coaches first shoved Graham into the spotlight as a sophomore at Wakefield High School. As a 10th grader on a varsity team that went 14-1, Graham started at wide receiver and got the ball through the air and on the ground.
“He was a running the ball at times and was a big part of our passing game,” current Wakefield coach and then-defensive coordinator J.D. Dinwiddie said. “He’s always been fast and we definitely used his speed to our advantage.”
His role shrunk a bit in the next two years at Wakefield with two new coaches. The systems limited Graham’s versatility, but he kept breaking records on the track.
“He’s the fastest teenager that I’ve ever coached by far,” Dinwiddie said. “Obviously having a Dad who’s a world-class track coach helps too. But he was just born with the God-given ability to run fast.”
Dinwiddie said State coaches have found Graham’s beginning potential and are starting to tap into it. That can only means good things for Graham, and his father who plans to be with his son every step of the way.
“I don’t think he ever really met his full potential in high school, but it will happen at State,” Dinwiddie said. “He’s really going to bloom into a much fuller football player at State.”
