Zeke Correll: "Now It's Time To Keep Improving"
NC State center Zeke Correll met with the media after practice to discuss the start of fall camp, his early thoughts on playing for the Wolfpack, and much more.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.
What was it like when you got here?
Open arms; they were very supportive in me getting here. And I kind of earned their respect just by, I have a lot of experience. I have football knowledge of the play. It’s my sixth year of college football. But that’s obviously earned, it’s never just given. And they’ve been great in pulling me in and now we’re all ready to lead the charge, so.
What’s wearing that NC State jersey mean to you?
It means a lot. I was thinking yesterday, it’s the first time in my entire football career since I was five years old, I started playing football, that I’ve had my name on the back of my jersey. But it’s way more important to me the name on the front. And the great culture that’s been built here by Coach Doeren.
Is that legacy, is that important to you to raise the standard to lead it better?
Yeah, I think it is. I think it’s important to me to lead the offensive line room better than when I got here, and to me that’ll mean that I actually made a meaningful change and impact on the guys around me. And in order to raise a culture, you have to do things you’ve never done. You have to be willing to do things that you haven’t done before. And I think this season we’re really excited, because we put in the work and now it’s time to keep improving.
So for the Alpha Wolf Award, what goes into that?
Yeah, it’s a leadership award. I’m a center, so obviously I have to communicate well. I have to have a loud voice, you can’t be meager and be a good center. And for me, it was this summer really just becoming a better leader and bringing guys along and also just pushing the standards, so.
Grayson said he’s bringing the mullet back and he said you’re joining him on that, so what’s that like?
Yeah well, I got the cut, I don’t quite have the length yet. I’m getting there, but once the season starts, who knows, I might get a perm, let it flow out the back of the helmet. No, but yeah, the more mullets we get on this team, the better we’ll be.