CJ Bailey: "The Fanbase Is Amazing"
NC State quarterback CJ Bailey recently met with the media to discuss his season, the upcoming bowl against East Carolina, and much more.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.
The decision to come back, what went into that? What was the whirlwind like? Other people are trying to reach out to grab you and take you away. Why did you want to come back?
I always had plans of coming back. I enjoyed my time here. I enjoyed being with these coaches and these guys and everything. The fanbase is amazing. So why would I leave? There's no reason for me to leave or go anywhere. I'm not in it for the money. I'm trying to play and win games and go to the next level. So that's pretty much my goal. That's why I'm here.
Can you explain what it's like to have people reaching out to you? What is that like?
It's good that other people have interest in me. But this is where my heart is. This is where my head is at. I love Coach Roper. I love Coach Doeren. It's where I want to be.
Have you heard or seen the reports that Bill Belichick might be the head coach at UNC?
I've seen it, man. Bill Belichick will get it, too. We’re going for five years. No matter who the coach is for UNC, we go kick them.
What would that mean to you, though, that you could potentially beat Bill Belichick?
That means a lot that I could play against Bill Belichick, meet him. So if he comes to play, we go kill him. We're going to kill him.
You went into the year thinking this would be a learning experience. You had to learn on the fly. What's the biggest thing you've learned just from playing here?
I learned a lot. I learned that we've got to show up every single day. I learned that from Grayson, really. I learned that when you're the starter and when you're the guy for the team, everybody's depending on you. So you've got to come in with a different mindset. You've got to come in every day knowing that you're the guy and everybody's depending on you. So I learned that big from Grayson and Coach Roper. So that's the biggest thing I learned.
Are you all in game prep for ECU yet?
Yeah, that's where we are. We've been looking at scouting reports, watching film. We're getting started early. We want to win this thing.
How excited are you to see Jonathan Paylor get the opportunity? Have you seen from him in practice, obviously his fans haven't gotten to see, what have you seen from him behind the scenes?
JP is explosive. I feel like everybody knows that. He's really fast. He's got great hands. Great body control. Respect a lot. JP, he's a great player. I can't wait for everybody to see him.
How important is this month of practice for you, the young guys, just to continue to develop?
Yeah, it's very important that everybody gets their reps these weeks because it's really important that those guys get a chance to see how it feels. It takes time. I know that myself. It takes time to get adjusted to everything. It's good that they're getting these practice reps and getting their reps in this game because it fuels next year. I have to learn myself. It's not going to be that easy. You've got to get the feel for it. You've got to get those reps. It's very important for those guys to get those reps because they can really help us out in the future.
When the play comes in and you know that Hollywood Smothers is going to get the ball in his hands, do you expect something big to happen?
All the time. He's really another explosive player, a great guy. Every time we get a call for him, I'm expecting him to break. That's his mentality. He will try to break every run. When I know that, I'm glad we're going to hand the ball out to Hollywood.
This is an ECU Super Bowl. They feel looked down upon by NC State. They just feel that way. You're going to face the team with a lot of emotion. Are you ready for that?
I am ready for it. A lot of people told me that this was kind of a rivalry game. I didn't know that. It's a different feeling. The practices and every week. Those guys were telling me like I was North Carolina when they told me it was a rivalry game. We just got to come to play like how we always do and show up.
You talked about learning and just growing throughout the year. At what point did it click and become easier for you to start?
After that Clemson game; Clemson was fast-paced. I had to try to adjust mid-game. Even though I came in with good intentions, I kind of wasn't ready. I wasn't ready for that. I wasn't ready for the game. Those guys came fast. I had to learn. This is a good time. I got to step up and change the way I do everything. It's ballplay.