Teague Andersen: "It's Been A Pretty Smooth Transition"

Offensive tackle Teague Andersen met with the media to discuss fall camp, the rest of the offensive line, NC State's offense, and much more!

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.

What's the state been like for the last seven months? 
It's been a pretty smooth transition, I feel like. As a team, they're very welcoming and it was a pretty easy transition from one to the next. 

What's your mentality as an offensive tackle and kind of what's it like playing for Coach Tujague? 
Oh, I love Tujague. He's the reason I'm here today. I love the mentality of the O-line, that's why I'm playing it. Just the mentality of knowing that we're going to be the first ones blamed and the last ones appreciated. That's what we live by. 

You may not have known that he was going to end up being your teammate again, but what has it been like to be reunited with Cian? 
Oh, Cian. Yeah, Cian's a dog. I love him so much. I'm so glad he's with the program. He's going to be a really, really good piece for us this year. Just having him again as a teammate has been a blessing. 

When skill guys reach marking numbers like 1,000 yards rushing or 3,000 yards passing, what does that mean to a lineman and do you think NC State has the skill players to do that? 
Oh, yeah, for sure. We have tons of weapons. I feel like our offense is going to be very explosive this year. I don't know, as an offensive lineman, we care about numbers, but at the end of the day, as long as we do our job and we're not getting, like, as long as we're the last ones appreciated, that's good. As long as we're not in the spotlight, it's usually a good day. 

In a sense, is that an appreciation when the guys put up those numbers? You say, okay, that's the glory I need? 
Yeah, it makes, like, when I see a guy running, like, when Hollywood his shoulder and he just, he, like, lays a dude out, that makes me want to work that much harder for him. 

How much do you care about pancake numbers, though? 
As long as I do my job, I'm happy. 

What's it been like measuring this new line? 
I love the O-line. I feel like the room's really tight in it, and, yeah, it's just been a smooth transition, I guess. 

It's been almost a week of practice now. What have been some of the memorable moments so far, offensively and defensively, for you guys? 
Yeah, I feel like guys like Joly has just gotten way better. He's like a run blocker, and you can just see guys like that, that you know what they're working on. Like, we have this, like, one more every single day, like what we want to get 1% better at, and you can see every single day these guys getting better and better.

Have you seen any of those, got to be in any of those matchups with a defensive line yet? If so, how has that gone? 
Yeah, it's been really well. I feel like we brought in some pretty good pieces, like Sebastian from Wyoming. He's been really good, but given us a hard time. He's a really explosive athlete, and it's been fun going against him. 

Coming from a different program, what's unique about the way Coach Doeren has established the culture here? 
I'm sorry? 

What's unique about the culture here at NC State compared to the past program?
I feel like it's more about family, and like, it's more about just being together, being selfless, and yeah. 

How have you and Peak kind of complemented each other? 
Yeah, I feel like I learned a lot from him. I feel like we complement each other a lot because we're very different players. Not very different, but like different skill sets. He's a really, really fast, like, quick guy. I mean, I'm fast and quick too, but I don't know, just like learning different sets from him, learning different, like, techniques from him has been a blessing. 

Did his inclusion on the freaks list surprise you? 
No, no, not at all. That guy's a monster. 

To block for a guy like CJ Bailey, what's that like, what are your impressions of him?
He's a dog. He's done a really good job stepping into the leadership role. I feel like he's not grown up, but like grown up. Yeah, he's grown up a lot and like you can just tell he's starting to mature a lot and just be smarter with his decisions and everything.