The most significant returning starter for N.C. State is Dana Bible, the offensive coordinator whose life changed Nov. 20, when he checked into the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center the day before State’s game at Virginia Tech.

Bible had the full-throttle work ethic of many football coaches, overlooking any aches and pains. But he knew something was wrong, and he went to see coach Tom O’Brien the Friday morning before the game at Tech. “From the time he walked into my office at 11 am until when we headed to Blacksburg, he looked terrible,” O’Brien said.

Bible had acute promyelocytic leukemia, and needed treatment immediately. At one point in the treatment, O’Brien said, “We almost lost him. But he made it through it and he made it through this whole thing.”

Bible is eager to be back in his familiar role, but O’Brien is approaching this with caution. As O’Brien quoted Bible as saying, “I’m not like you. I don’t have an immune system.”

For one, O’Brien wants to make sure he has a backup plan in case Bible isn’t available to call plays. O’Brien did it last year once Bible was gone, including the 28-27 win over UNC, but wasn’t thrilled with his effort.

“I made some bone-headed calls against Carolina and Russell [Wilson] made some great plays and made me look good,” O’Brien said.

So the plan, for now, is to have Bible as engaged as possible, but lighten his load and make sure others can back up as needed.

“We’re going to piece things out,” O’Brien said. “[Bible] has got to give up some of it, the game planning and scripting of plays.”

But the fact that Bible is back is, well, amazing. And you can bet his Wolfpack players are inspired to see him back.

“What I took from it,” receiver Owen Spencer said, “is if you love something, you won’t ever stop loving it.”

OK, one last post and that’s it for the night, but take a few minutes to see this wonderful piece by Todd Gibson of NBC-17 on N.C. State’s hunt for its athletic memories.

Tim Peeler, the managing editor of GoPack.com, is digging through the bowels of Reynolds Coliseum to find old trophies and artifacts and is trying to organize it all for N.C. State. Gibson has some cool video of the project.

The Carolina Panthers reported for duty Wednesday, with Jimmy Clausen signed and team regulars like Julius Peppers and Jake Delhomme no longer in the fold. This is a younger, and probably not better, Panthers team than the one that finished 8-8 last season.

The major storyline hanging over this season is the future of coach John Fox. Fox is a bright, sincere coach who wants to do things the proper way. He has won in Carolina, but from a distance you get the feel that his time there is running out.

Fox has only this season remaining on his contract, and an issue to watch is whether Bill Cowher returns to coaching – and goes to Carolina. When I interviewed Cowher for WRAL back in February, he had an interest in returning “if it were the right situation.”

You can’t help but feel for Cowher in light of the death of his wife, Kaye. They went to N.C. State together, and she was from Bunn. Moving to Raleigh, and leaving the NFL, was an important decision for their family. I wouldn’t begin to predict how a devasting loss like that would impact Cowher’s future.

Where Cowher takes his career remains to be seen, and that’s certainly not at the forefront of his mind now. Bbut his youngest daughter is already at Wofford, where the Panthers hold training camp. Cowher is a tough, smart, but quite compassionate coach who’d be a great fit with Jerry Richardson if he wanted to consider Carolina.

I couldn’t help today but think of the irony of the Panthers, and Cowher’s daughter, heading to Wofford – and wonder what that might mean for future developments.

A sign of the UNC program’s progression under coach Butch Davis, the Tar Heels landed five defensive players on the ACC’s preseason all-conference football team, which was released on Wednesday.

Defensive end Robert Quinn, defensive tackle Marvin Austin, linebacker Quan Sturdivant, cornerback Kendrick Burney and safety Deunta Williams were all selected. The team was voted on by the media attending the ACC Kickoff press conferences in Greensboro Sunday and Monday. North Carolina had the nation’s No. 6 defense last season.

By comparison, Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder, the preseason pick for league player of the year, is one of two Seminoles on the team.

Also on the offense, Duke wide receiver Donovan Varner and N.C. State tight end George Bryan were the lone Triangle players picked.

How good is defensive end Robert Quinn? So good the UNC coaching staff essentially had to tell him to “take a knee” in the spring football game, coach Butch Davis said. Quinn was so dominant the Tar Heels couldn’t block him, which meant they couldn’t practice their offense.

Quinn, a junior, ripped off 11.0 sacks in 2009, and if you watched Carolina play at all you couldn’t help but be stunned by his development. He came into the spring even better. “He wanted to dominate every drill,” Davis said with a smile that suggested he had seen something special.

Quinn is an unusual player. He survived brain surgery as a high school senior and you figured it was a cool story that he was in college and playing at all. He also has an almost childish exuberance when you’re around him. Hewore four SillyBandz on his wrist to the ACC Football kickoff this week, and it’s not often you see 270-pound NFL prospects wearing the same bling as elementary school kids.

That gentle off-the-field nature belies a player who could be one of UNC’s best. He doesn’t have the nasty streak of Lawrence Taylor but he has a burst and overall game that reminds you of that former Tar Heel great. Taylor had 16.0 sacks as a senior in 1980, which remains a school record. But it was how he got those sacks that made Taylor so great – he didn’t just come around the edge, he roared around it with an intent to destroy.

Quinn says he wants to get 20 sacks this season, a figure that makes you want to chuckle – at least until you hear Butch Davis talk about him. You can be confident Quinn won’t be taking a knee against Carolina opponents this fall.