NC State wide receiver Wesley Grimes met with the media to discuss the upcoming matchup against North Carolina and much more.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.
On playing North Carolina…
It's a big deal and it's a big deal to this program, to the team, the players, coaching staff, so just letting that be contagious around, even for the guys that just got here. Just letting them know how big this is and taking it seriously because it's a real rivalry that it goes, history is deep. So let's say at the end of the day, it is another game and we're gonna prepare like it's just a regular game. But it's a rivalry and it's a big deal for us. Yeah.
What is it like to get those trash talking bragging rights? And obviously the UNC has turned the program massively over, but you do know Nathan Leacock.
Yeah.
So is that something where you tell you'd be having some bragging rights over?
Yeah, for sure. Growing up, it's always fun to have bragging rights when you're playing locally, against your friends, in high school, way up. Heritage versus Millbrook and Rolesville, Millbrook, just a bunch of different robberies. So having those bragging rights is huge.
And then when you're joking around with friends, you'd be like, we beat y'all last year, but we. So it's always fun just talking about that, but yeah, it's huge. And after this game, I'll be able to tell Nathan, we'll be able to joke about how we just beat them, so.
Coach said yesterday, though, one thing that makes this rivalry so special is because the teams in the triangle are literally so close. When you're out and about, how often do you interact with fans or other players from the rival schools?
For me personally, not that much because I'm not out that much, but just growing up here, there's a mix of everybody. So like, you have your Duke fans, your state fans, UNC fans. I feel like it's a good mix of everybody. So you kind of run into different people everywhere you go. So it's just always fun to see the different types of fans and interact with people. So it's all fun and games, but it is a rivalry, and we do want to win the state.
Is there a different feeling about playing a triangle school here rather than playing them when you're at Wake and just being so much closer?
Yeah, for sure. If you feel it, like the vibe just feels a little bit more intense and feels more like a rivalry. And, we know the environment's going to be back. It's going to feel more like a rivalry, so yeah 100%.
