Jalen Grant: "It's Been Intense"
NC State offensive lineman Jalen Grant recently met with the media to preview the start of the season, discuss his development, and much more!
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.
On his nickname...
My momma gave me that nickname when I was a baby. I did a couple things. I played baseball and everybody on the team had nicknames. And the baseball coach gave me choo-choo. But then my momma really made it stick. Like everything from baseball to wrestling to high school football, she's in the stands supporting me and calling me choo-choo. So, it stuck from there.
Obviously, you made a transition where you had to go from Bowling Green to Purdue. Did that help at all in any way the last few weeks of going from Purdue to here?
I mean, yes, sir. Like just playing on different teams, being around different people, different atmospheres, different environments. It allows you to be able to gel with everyone. So, coming down to North Carolina wasn't really a big adjustment for me. I just feel like I just picked up where I left off, trying to get to know the guys and become a part of this team.
How intense has the center battle been?
It's been intense. Everyday I try to go out there and put my best foot forward, try to get better every single practice and try to dominate my competition so we can go out there and dominate the competition on Saturday this coming fall.
Bowling Green had a basketball player come here. What is it about their athletic department that they pick up the kind of diamonds and the rough guys that can visually move up like that?
Oh, it's just something about Bowling Green, Ohio. I don't know. Just something out there. I think it's something in the water out there. I'm not sure. But definitely, once you're a Falcon, you're always a Falcon. I still love my Falcon family out there. AZ is over, but I'm at North Carolina State right now, and I'm happy to be a Wolfpack.
As a graduate of Bowling Green State University, welcome.
I actually graduated from Purdue. I graduated from Purdue, but I went to Bowling Green for three years, and I finally got a piece of paper from Purdue. Yes, sir. You already know.
How has your experience helped you adapt to a new system like Purdue?
Just playing a lot of different systems, a lot of different play calls, different plays, different schemes. You know what I'm saying? It allows you to be versatile, especially when, what I'm saying, it's a new coordinator here. It's my first time here too, so everything's new for everybody. So we are all on the same level playing field. No one's ahead knowing more than anything. So it's just picking up the offense, things like that. So going from Bowling Green to Purdue, I have to learn two different offenses. Coming here, I have to learn another one.So it's not – it actually helps me. I feel like it advances the knowledge of football for me. Like the knowledge of the game, being able to know what's going to happen before it happens.
So I kind of like it. How are the older guys doing? Because, like you said, it's the new coordinators this year. How are they adapting to it?
I guess it is good that everybody's learning the same thing. They're adapting to it well. It's like we always have constant conversations. Like coming off the field, we always talk about what we're seeing or what we could have done better. Because it's not like no one knows something more than anything else. Like I try to know what everyone's doing, but at the same time, we are all still learning right now. So there's constant conversations I have with my teammates coming off the field and seeing what they see and learning from what they learn.
What do you like about this team? I know you're new here, but what do you like about this team? What do you see about this team?
I like how everything – like the standard is the standard. Like what the set standard is, that's what it's going to be. Like no deviations from that. Like you've got to come here and you've got to put your work in. Like Coach Thunder doesn't play. Like when you come here, you've really got to work for what you want. Nothing's going to be given to you. You just got to go out there and take it. And I kind of like the environment. Cream rises to the top, so you've got to put that work in to get what you want anyway.
What's it been like seeing Spike out there? Obviously, competing with him, but just seeing him pick it up?
Yeah, I love Spike. I love his energy. I love just how he is. He's a very knowledgeable person. He loves – he wants to learn all the time. Like just in his meeting rooms, how he responds to coach. Yes, sir, no, sir. Like he wants to learn. So I feel like Spike has a great future ahead of him. He's going to be a dog one day. He's a dog right now, too.
I'm guessing you played a lot of games Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Maybe at Bowling Green, did you have a lot of Saturday games?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Did you have to get used to Saturday games last year?
Oh, no. I played Saturday games. I played – high school, I played Saturday games. But at Bowling Green, the MAC action? Yeah. Nothing beats MAC action. You're playing on a Tuesday and Wednesday night. You know what I'm saying? On the game, on TV. You ain't had class today. You were in a hotel on a Tuesday. Now you're playing on Wednesday. So MAC action is definitely something – I'm not MAC action. MAC action. MAC action is definitely something you have to get adjusted to. You're playing on Saturday.