Jordan Houston: "Everything's a Competition"
NC State running back Jordan Houston met with the media as the Wolfpack progress through fall camp in the lead-up to the 2023 season.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Houston’s interview.
On the changes with the new offense…
Some of the changes are just getting the running backs more reps, getting guys in space more often, and having a quarterback that can open up the run game more.
On being used more in the passing game…
That’ll be a big role I can play in the offense: getting out in routes and getting in space. Compared to last year, there’s going to be a lot more routes for running backs and a lot more passes caught by the running backs.
On what Todd Goebbel emphasizes…
I think he really brought a new sense of urgency to the room. He just tells us to compete in every single thing we do, whether it’s taking notes in meetings or anything else in practice. Everything’s a competition in that room.
On Robert Anae as a person…
Coach Anae is really cool. He definitely takes his job very seriously, but at the end of the day, I believe you could definitely knock on his door and talk to him, try to connect with him, and ask him anything about football.
On what he did when he found out Anae would be the new offensive coordinator…
I watched Syracuse running back film a lot whenever I heard that. I just saw the type of environment and scheme he ran.
If there was a sense of urgency once Demie Sumo-Karngbaye left…
We’ve been pretty deep in the running back room, so it wasn’t anything like that. We just knew that we have to keep doing what we’re doing.
On his chemistry with Brennan Armstrong…
It’s been pretty smooth. It’s been pretty clean. We’ve been working at it everyday, trying to build chemistry more each day. It’s been really good.
On what he learned after a four-quarterback season last year…
You definitely don’t want to have to play four quarterbacks, but I feel like, at the end of the day, if you have quarterbacks going down, at times they're going to have to rely on the run game. You just have to have the confidence in yourself and keep pounding.