Asaad Brown, Jr.: "When You Get a Call, You Just Gotta Execute the Plan"

NC State nickel Asaad Brown Jr. met with the media to discuss his new role in the defense, how the defense needs to improve, and more. 

The last two weeks, you've obviously gotten to step up and be a starter in that role. I mean, how much do you feel like you've learned from that? And how prepared did you feel like you were? 

I feel like I learned a lot. I just like coming out there, I just, it was a different speed, but I got adjusted to it real quick. I just really, Coach Doeren said, just go out there and play like you. 

You know what to do and just be confident in what I was doing. So I just really came out there, be confident, even though if I did mess up on some plays. I still, I shrugged it off and I said, next play and just keep going. 

Explosive runs have been a problem for the defense. What have you kind of seen from just watching explosive run teams ripped off 60, 70 yards runs. How, what have you kind of seen that has led to that so far? 

What I've seen was, I could just say, just people gotta just execute what the call is. When you get a call, you just gotta execute the plan, like execute the call. Like, if you got this gap and play that gap, if you see run. But I wouldn't, that's really all I can say. 

Who has maybe taken you under their wing? As you kind of stepped into, into this bigger role. 

I feel like everybody, like the leaders on the defense, especially Coach Doeren, Coach Warren, everybody in my position group, JJ Johnson, Jackson Vick, and all of them. Like, I feel like they all helped me out to, to step up and get, to be ready, step up to the plate. 

How difficult was last week with everything that happened with DJ Eliot and his family, and for you guys as a team to try to continue to play a game on Saturday too? 

I mean, it was, it was difficult, but at the end of the day, we just had to go out there and play for him, like, whatever, like, the case was. We just came out, kept his daughters in our prayers, and kept him in our prayer too.

It was just, I felt like it was just a regular week, but we just had to just pray and bow to God, just, how do you say, just be by his side, just let him know that we good, we got everything taken care of. We are just praying about you, and we just gonna play for you and your daughter. 

You probably didn’t want to find this out that way, but was part of you like, man, Sabastian Harsh was moving. 

Yeah, definitely, I was just glad he was there, because he helped me out too, because I was just coming with him, just pursuing the ball, running to the ball.