Caden Fordham: "We Have The Tools"

NC State linebacker Caden Fordham met with the media at the 2025 ACC Football Kickoff. Check out what all he had to say about returning from injury, the Wolfpack's new defense, and more!

Note: Click the video above to watch the press conference.
 

Opening Comment...
I don't remember what it was, but I think it was Bobby Bowden who just got it. He couldn't deny it. He loved the culture there. He had great friends there. Leon Fowler, one of his great buddies who played there as well, they were friends. He was at Florida State at the time, so he just knew it was the spot. Plus, my mom, she went to Valdosta State, so she didn't want to be too far from her. I think that's why he chose it. And they had a great team there. I mean, they won the National Championship many times, so that's why he chose it. 

Is it weird for you? You were always a young linebacker, and now you're the old linebacker. 

Yeah, yeah, it was weird, especially when I first got here. There were so many great older linebackers. I mean, we had P-Wiz, Drake, Jaylon Scott, Zane, Vi Jones, all those guys. I mean, I couldn't have asked for a better situation to come into, especially just knowing where those guys are now, how they went about their business here at NC State, the accomplishments they've made. It was awesome, and I learned so much from those guys, and I'm so grateful for that. 

When you got hurt, did you know right away it was bad for you? 

Yeah, honestly, I did, just because I felt it in my knee. Like, I felt two pops, and I just knew that wasn't right, because I mean, I would consider myself pretty tough, and that was something different. I knew it was different. And then it swole up probably ten minutes after I made it. My knee was pretty big, so I knew something wasn't right. 

Who did you count in for advice or guidance? 

Really, my dad. He's had ACL surgeries. I leaned on Zay, Peyton, I talked to them a bunch, and Drake. They've all had ACLs as well. 

Drake did too?

Yeah, Drake had one last year. 

Oh, in the NFL? 

Yeah, and Payton's had a few, Zay's had a few. So I just really leaned into those guys. I mean, they've been through it too. I mean, I'm not the only guy, so I can't feel sorry for myself. It's part of the game, so really having them in my corner was huge. 

What's something we're not talking about about the NC State defense?
That's a good question. I would say basically just the tenacity that these guys are ready to play with. We've got a lot of young guys who are really out there trying to prove themselves. We've got a lot of young transfers who were playing great at smaller level schools, and now they've transferred out and came to NC State, which is a bigger school for some of those kids. So I think they're just really coming out trying to prove themselves, get their name out there. And we've got a lot of great kids coming in that are at NC State currently, new transfers, and I'm very excited to see them play. So just really the dog mentality that we're going to bring this year to other teams on that field, I think people need to talk about that a little more. 

Your quarterback over there, C.J. Bailey, how's he looking in practice, and how does it look going against him? 

Yeah, I mean, I believe he might be the best in the nation, so I love going against guys like that, especially in practice, and knowing they're on my team, that gives me a good feeling. But, no, he's a freak athlete. I mean, he can run. His arm is so powerful. I just know the more he gets right up here, the better he's going to get. That's so much better he's going to get because he's got all the physical and tangibles already. He's taking that next step, and I've already seen him do it, so I can't wait to see what he does this year. 

Obviously, NC State, Carolinas, it doesn't matter what, but what does it ratchet up to Bill Belichick on the December conference? 

Yeah, I mean, there's been a lot of talk about it everywhere around, and I mean, you've got to pay respect for respect, too. I mean, the dude's done it at the highest level and he's had success there, so seeing that come to the ACC is pretty cool for the conference. But overall, I mean, they're doing championships at NC State. We still want to beat them guys every time, so we're going to do it. 

What was your reaction when you saw that in December? 

Honestly, I saw it on Twitter and I thought it was fake. I was like, no way. But then, after finding out, it was real. I mean, I was kind of surprised, to be honest, but I mean, it's good for them, and like I said, it ain't going to change anything. 

What's different about this group going into this season compared to last year?
Yeah, I think a lot of the guys were coachable. There's a coachable team. A lot of the guys, they've seen how things were done before they got here. A lot of the guys have seen how NC State has been in the past and what we expect out of our team. So I just think being coachable, a lot of young guys are eager to learn from the older guys, especially, which is something we haven't really had in the past. But I just think the coachability and knowing that you're not always right, there's other answers to things. So I think that's huge and it'll help us a lot. 

This can be a top-tier defense. 

Yeah, it will. It will be 100%. I don't doubt that at all. I mean, we have the tools. We got everything we need. There's no excuses at this point. We got to go put it out on the field, and the only way to see it is put it on film. That's what we say. You got to do it on the field and make plays. And I believe we will be a top-tier defense like it was a little while ago, and we're going to get it back to where it needs to be. 

Football, obviously, is a sport of attrition. Do you have the depth if those injuries occur? Yeah, that's one of the big things, too, with all the transfer guys we've gotten in. The depth is endless, especially in the linebacker room, DBs. We got guys that can go two or three deep, for sure, that I rely on and respect to play instantly. If someone goes down, we got it written everywhere, next man up. So stay ready so you don't have to get ready is what we preach. We got a lot of young guys on the team, new transfers, and we showed them the ropes and how things are done. I believe everyone's ready to play in our depth. 

What kind of brand of football do you want the defense to play? What do you want the style to be? 

I just want it to be hard-nosed, tough football. I want people to know if you're coming to play NC State, it's going to be a battle. You better have your chin strapped up because we're going to come. We're going to hit you no matter what. We don't care who you are. We're going to play fast football, and it's going to be physical.