Daylan 'Hollywood' Smothers: "Everybody Knows the Standard"
NC State running back Hollywood Smothers met with the media as the Wolfpack prepares for its 2024 season opener versus Western Carolina.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Smothers’ interview.
On Western Carolina testing NC State…
Hopefully, they try to test us on all levels for our first game so we can get better going down the road. I feel like we practiced every situation and stuff like that: how could they come at us or any other team could come at us. We prepare for every test, honestly. We've just got to execute it when they come to Carter-Finley.
On the running backs…
Jordan [Waters] is an older guy. He’s been an All-Conference player, and he's been doing it the right way. He's someone we can learn from. You see him do it, so everybody does the right thing every day. When the next guy's up, there can't be any drop-off. It just goes all through the room. The room sets the standard, like Coach [Todd] Goebbel said. This is how we're going to run things, and everybody is on board with that. From Jordan Waters to any freshman coming in like Duke Scott, who’s doing a great job. Everybody knows the standard, and we just need to execute.
On Goebbel…
He’s a great coach. He really breaks the game down to help make the game slower so you can make plays. It’s hard for a playmaker to make plays when you’re constantly thinking. He does a really good job of breaking things down to help you get an understanding of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Coach Goebbel’s been a great coach in that part of it.
On what stood out about NC State…
It always stood out to me. I grew up right around the corner, so I've been here a lot of times. It wasn't a hard decision when I did hit the portal. Once they contacted me, I was able to talk to Coach [Dave] Doeren. It was really the same thing from when I was in high school: the same love, the same staff, and most of the people were still here. It wasn't really a hard decision for me. I knew what I was coming into and what position I was putting myself in. It felt like I was right back at home, honestly. It’s been a great decision for me.
If there were any moments that reaffirmed his decision…
Honesty, my first day. I’ve been happy since I’ve been here. I’m just blessed to have the opportunity to be here.
On teaming up with K.C. Concepcion…
I was at Oklahoma just seeing my dude make plays that I saw him make back in high school, and I just had to text him after the game, but now I can see him make that play on the field and run 30 yards down the field to celebrate with him now. It's definitely a great feeling to be back out there with him. When you’re out there with guys you love and have good relationships with, it makes the game more fun. You really want to try harder for those guys. You want to do all you can so they can have as much success as possible.
On having a 60-yard touchdown run in the recent scrimmage…
Really, I’m just working on my game, get prepared for next week. I feel like we've been working all fall to try to execute our run game. In the scrimmage, we had a couple of good, explosive plays. I was able to hit the seam on one of the runs and be able to get down the field. I feel like the O-line has been getting more comfortable with the blocking scheme.
On clashing with the Catamounts…
I can't wait [for the Western Carolina game]. Shoot, it’s the first game; football season is back. That’s enough hype right there to be ready, and then it's in Carter-Finley. We're all back, and we've been prepping. We're going to treat it like any other game. We're tired of hitting each other in practice all the time. It's our first time going against a different colored jersey. We just can't wait to be out there to show what we can do.
On returning to the gridiron after redshirting at Oklahoma…
It’s going to be a whole lot of fun. I can't wait for y'all to see the show. I've got a lot to unleash, I've got a great team around me, and we believe in each other. We’re going to make a lot of things happen. They've helped me get back in my game, get into a rhythm of things, and boost my confidence up. I feel great going into the game and getting back on the field.
On the offense’s explosiveness…
Like I said, we’ve got tons of guys that can make plays. Grayson [McCall] is going to get the ball to the right person at the right time. No matter who gets the ball, in this offense, anybody can make a play. I’ve seen everyone make one. I just feel like we're blessed to have that much depth as we do in every position. As long as we keep the ball in [McCall’s] hands, he’s going to put it in the right spot. Like Coach Doeren said, we need those explosive plays, and we definitely have the players to make them.
On transferring back to the state of North Carolina…
It means everything for us. I'm one of the guys that went out of high school, trying to go out of state to find somewhere to try and find success. Coach Doeren told me, “Why go somewhere far from home when you can succeed and execute your dreams close to home where your family can come see you?” It made so much more sense because I’ve got so many connections, exposure, and stuff out here. I can do the same thing as I tried go out and look for anything, and I’ve got it all right here in my own backyard. It's great for the guys like me that grew up in this area. We know each other. We all stayed home. K.C. Concepcion stayed home and showed what he can make happen. I just can't wait to show other kids in high school that you don’t have to go too far from home to make things happen.