How former NC State S Jarius Morehead carved out a key pit crew role at Hendrick Motorsports 

Jarius Morehead found himself nearly 4,000 miles away from his hometown of Whitsett, N.C., in Le Mans, France two summers ago. The Northwest France destination was a far cry from his small town upbringing that featured just under 600 people living in the area. 

But here Morehead was as he prepared to be a part of NASCAR’s Garage 56 entry in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most prestigious automotive races in the world. 

The former NC State safety traded his pads and football helmet in for a fire suit and a pit crew helmet just two years prior. He quickly ascended the ranks to being a key piece of Hendrick Motorsports’ entry in the 100th running of Le Mans — a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” 

The experience was one Morehead could never have imagined. He believed he would play in the NFL when his college football career was over, but instead he was an integral part of one of NASCAR’s most ambitious feats. 

“I would say that’s one of the most-amazing moments of my life,” Morehead said in a recent phone interview.

So how did Morehead, a standout Wolfpack defender, find his way onto the NASCAR scene? The COVID-19 pandemic and a chance to prove himself powered Morehead to being among the elite pit crew members in all of racing in just a short period of time.

The path to NASCAR

A three-year starter in NC State’s secondary, Morehead thought he would be able to at least be able to earn an NFL training camp invitation once his senior season concluded. He racked up 225 total tackles with five interceptions and 10 passes defended during his five seasons with the Wolfpack, enough to position himself in front of one of the 32 NFL teams. 

But once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, just under two weeks before NC State’s pro day, that seemed to halt Morehead’s opportunity to earn a spot in the NFL. Teams didn’t hold their routine rookie mini-camps that spring, taking what would have been a prime opportunity away. 

For Morehead, that meant moving on in life. He entered the workforce to drive trucks to make a living.

“I didn’t want to be that guy that was chasing that dream that probably wasn’t going to open because of what was going on in the world,” Morehead said. 

But Morehead continued to work out. That paid off as he ended up on Hendrick Motorsports Developmental Pit Crew Director Keith Flynn’s radar. Flynn, who makes a usual spring recruiting round through the Carolinas, talked with Henry Trevathan, the Pack’s director of high school relations, to see if NC State had anyone that could possibly be on a pit crew. Trevethan recommended Morehead as a possible fit. 

Flynn took Trevathan’s suggestion, while he also heard rave reviews from head coach Dave Doeren and Director of Strength and Conditioning Dantonio “Thunder” Burnette, to invite Morehead to a one-day combine. That went well, which led to a spot at a three-day training camp in the Charlotte area before he was one of the less than 10 new additions Hendrick signs each year.

“His coaches kept saying that they recruited better athletes, but those athletes could never beat Jarius out because of his preparation, extra work in the film room and his ability to manage the defense,” Flynn said. “All of those attributes turned into exactly the same thing here at Hendrick.”

Upon Morehead’s arrival to Hendrick as a tire changer, he wasn’t sure what to expect. But as an inexperienced pit crew member, he leaned on what helped him turn into a key cog of NC State’s defense. He wasn’t going to be outworked.

“I have a competitive mindset,” Morehead said. “When I came in, I didn’t know anything about NASCAR, so I took it as a chip on my shoulder. ‘I need to learn this, need to learn that, and I want to be the best that I can be as a teammate, player and pit guy.’ I just wanted to be that guy they can call on for anything.”

It didn’t take long for Morehead to accomplish the goal he set for himself.

Leading the way

Although Hendrick believed Morehead would be the one with the gun in his hand changing tires on a stop, his worth ethic had Flynn and others look for a quicker path to a better car on race day. That led to Morehead becoming a tire carrier, which earned him a spot on a car in each of NASCAR’s top three circuits: Rajah Caruth’s No. 71 in the trucks, Nick Sanchez’s No. 48 in the Xfinity Series and Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 in the Cup Series. 

Morehead went from a wide-eyed pit crew member to one of the more experienced members of his team for the 2025 season. He’s in charge of the five-man crew on each day of a busy and hectic weekend. 

But the traits that Flynn identified in Morehead as a football player have been easily transferred to NASCAR. 

“Jarius is a leader,” Flynn said. “He takes charge of the whole group and holds them to a very high standard. He holds himself to a high standard. … He’s the dream athlete to have on your team.”

Morehead has embraced being the go-to part of the pit crew. He seems to carry himself the way a coach would as he finds ways to motivate his teammates, while also looking to improve on every pit stop during each race. 

In all honesty, he wants his team to experiment. That’s the only way they can learn together. 

“You can’t be scared to fail,” Morehead said. “I tell my guys all the time, ‘if you’re not failing, you’re not trying.’ You can’t succeed unless you fail in life. If you mess up on pit road, that’s OK. We’ve got a next stop and we’re going to learn from it.”

Morehead’s approach has been beneficial for his team, which also features former NC State defensive back Rod Cox as the rear tire changer. They set the NASCAR Cup Series record for the fastest pit stop in history with an 8.29-second time on Hocevar’s No. 77 at Miami Homestead International Speedway last year. 

“You have to enjoy the competition on pit row,” Morehead said. “You want to be that organization that’s beating everyone on pit road. When you finish a stop and the other guys are still doing theirs, it’s a beautiful feeling.”

The rush of adrenaline when the car enters the pit box, especially under a green flag, isn’t one that Morehead ever thought he would feel. But ever since he was introduced to the profession, he has more than enjoyed it. 

Morehead’s professional football career never came, but his life as a professional athlete has continued. The chance that appeared shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic was one that he will never take for granted.

“I never heard about NASCAR, I never pitted a car,” Morehead said. “I didn’t know anything about cars. But when I got done with football, I was asking God for another opportunity. I just wanted an opportunity, it might be walking in a blind door, not knowing what it was going to be.”

As it turned out, NASCAR brought more to Morehead’s life than he imagined. Now, he wears a smile on every race day as he looks to beat those in the pit boxes to his left and right. He’s exactly where he was meant to be.