Not every journey to the largest HBCU is the same, especially for the student-athletes at N.C A&T, whether you commit to A&T out of high school, transfer and get another chance to play a sport.

Cameren Dalrymple, a redshirt sophomore running back, is part of the latter group.

The Wallace, North Carolina native’s path to becoming an Aggie was set into motion because of a heart condition.  Coming out of high school, Dalrymple was a two-time state champion and two-time all-state player at Wallace Rose-Hill High School in Teachey, North, Carolina. 

Dalrymple took his talents to the United States Naval Academy and wanted to pursue a career in engineering. But, before he could even suit up and take any snaps for the Naval Academy, he passed out during basic training and was rushed to the emergency room. 

He would find out he was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart condition that people are born with but can show up later in life. This syndrome affects one to three of every 1,000 people worldwide.

In Dalrymple’s case, the syndrome almost ended his football career and, more importantly, his life. Nearly four years later, he is back playing the game he loves in his home state, but the recovery process was not easy.

The doctors advised Dalrymple not only did he have to stop playing football but he also couldn’t work out like he had before the diagnosis. It took him months to start working out and years before he could get in football shape and return to the field. 

“My family was the big reason I continued to play,” said Dalrymple. “I wanted to prove to myself that I could actually play in college and that I wasn’t just a great high school player.”

Some days, he thought about quitting the sport entirely, but his faith, a few people in his corner, and his belief in himself kept him motivated to return.

“I actually thought about giving up football and just becoming a regular student,” he said. “My high school teammate Nick Dobson talked with the coaches here at A&T and put in a good word and I was able to walk on.”

Dobson and Dalrymple have been teammates since little league and reunited at A&T. Dobson plays tight end for the Aggies.

“I’ve always knew Cam had great potential since high school,” said Dobson. “He just needed a shot, I knew what he could bring to the team and off his effort alone he could work his way up the depth chart.”

Being able to play back at your home state’s HBCU, which happens to be the largest in the nation, isn’t a chance that everyone gets, and Dalrymple isn’t taking his second chance for granted.

“It means a lot because everyone doesn’t get a chance to play college football after high school,” Dalrymple said. “Also getting another chance after entering the transfer portal, I just want to make sure l’m making the most out of my opportunity because many would want to be where I’m at.” 

As a walk-on, Dalrymple wasn’t going to get on the field right away or even get some of the backup carriers. The A&T backfield returned four top-leading rushers from the 2023 season. Kenji Christain rushed for 718 yards, Wesley Graves for 397, Kevin White for 272, and Shimique Blizzard for 113 yards.

Dalrymple bet on himself. Going into the season, he was at the bottom of a stacked running back room.

“Coming into the season I knew we had Kenji and Wes and the rest of the running back room,” Dalrymple said.  “It was going to be really deep, really challenging for me to keep working. I came in and worked my way up and I’m happy for this opportunity I got now.”

The opportunity came when all three of the leading rushers from 2023 went down with season-ending injuries. It was Dalrymple’s time to step up and prove to himself that he was ready for his moment. 

His first start came in a big rivalry game against South Carolina State. In that game, he was the leading rusher, running for 93 yards on 11 carries. It was clear he was ready for his moment and took full advantage of it. 

With the running back room filled with injuries for most of the year, Dalrymple flashed his talents, racking up 265 yards on 61 carries, and with one game left, he could eclipse 300 yards in his first year back playing football.

Dalrymple and the Aggies take on Elon at 1 p.m. Saturday for Senior Day. Cameren will not only celebrate his senior teammates, but his first full year back playing the game he loves.