Renté Hinton: "It's An Opportunity"

NC State safety Renté Hinton met with the media to discuss spring practice, his development, the opportunities ahead for him, and much more.

NOTE: Click on the video above to watch the interview.

In many ways, this last six months has been huge for you because of the junior college ruling, having this huge opportunity to play, and getting new coaches. What is this, how have you wrapped your brain over all the changes that have just happened to you personally, basically since December? 
I've just kind of been blessed with opportunities from an extra year to a new coaching staff. I get to restart.

What's it been like kind of getting to know Coach Warren and seeing him out there on the field? 
Coach Warren got, he got a, I don't know what the word I'm looking for, he just got, he brings a lot of energy. So it's like, with him, you never know what to expect, but he's a good coach. 

What's been that process of getting to know him, kind of getting to trust him, build trust, and now kind of be able to use that on the practice field now? 
He actually started out, he actually brought us to his house a couple days ago, had a cookout, so he didn't get any noise, like, kind of warm welcome.

He said, when asked who one of the leaders was on this team, he pointed towards you, saying you were one of the first ones to come to him and want to talk to him about what's going on with the system, along those lines. How much have you taken that, kind of personally, to be one of the leaders on this team, and in the second year in particular? 
I've always been attached to that leader. I feel like I always had it in me, but when the people left, like, it kind of brought that out of me, and it's just been rolling. 

He talked about, but there's all the jobs that are up in this spring, going into the fall, and how much does that fuel you knowing that you could possibly be starting next year? 
It's an opportunity. Gotta make the most of your opportunities for everybody. 

Defense has always been such a big deal in this program. It didn't do as well as I know y'all would have liked last season. What are you looking to change or improve going into the fall? 
I actually like how the coaches came with new techniques, and we got simulated pressure, so we changed everything up. What we're scheming up is kind of different from last year, so I feel like that's a better opportunity for us to make more plays and come back in. 

So new is good? 
Yes.

Is this your third defensive coordinator, or have you had more? 
Junior college; I probably had more. 

You probably had one at junior college? 
Yeah.

So you're used to change. 
Yeah. 

How do you kind of roll with things when new people come in? 
I was talking to Coach Doeren about this. You gotta have a warm welcome. You can't just be closed-minded because you got a new person. You gotta welcome everybody with the same person you welcomed with last, you know what I'm saying? It's the same thing we do sometimes.

Some guys view leadership as being vocal, some with their play on the field. How do you view yourself as a leader, and what type of style do you have? 
I like to try to represent by playing on the field, but I'm trying to step up in a more vocal leadership role this year. So that's what I'm trying to do right now, but usually I try to be laid-back and make plays and lead from there. But Coach Thunder said I gotta be more vocal, so I'm trying to roll with it. 

You said you're a little bit more of a coach on the field as well. I mean, how much have you tried to lift up some of the younger players as well to get them up to date on what you guys are doing?
I try to do it every day. The next play, when you mess up, you gotta go to the next play. You see it right there, I'm doing another play, another play, it's going to happen to me. 

What have you seen, obviously you're going against the offense, what have you seen different from them as you're trying to compete? 
I see different routes, I see different plays, different screens. I like what they're doing over there, too. They got some quick over there, too. 

What's it been like having, you guys have a lot of new faces on the DBs, what's it been like to see them out there? 
It's amazing to see new faces, new players, people making plays, I guess. It's good. 

Seeing any new guys and young guys stand out to you? 
Seeing any young guys stand out to me? J.J., new safety from Georgia State, he's standing out to me. Caden; there's a lot of young people that are standing out to me right now. 

What do you like about being a safety compared to being a corner? 
Being a safety, you get more plays, you get more blitzing, you get run fits, you can get in the pros, get a fit. I like being a safety.