NC State LB Popo Aguirre met with the media to discuss transferring to NC State, spring practice, and much more!
NOTE: Click the video player above to watch the full press conference!
On transferring to NC State...
Man, it's a process, of course, I talked with Coach Doeren, of course, and see the facility. I've always loved this place, really, man, it was just a great process, coming here, meeting some of the players, and now I'm just here, excited.
What's the motivation to go from Miami over here?
Oh, man, definitely just, to win games, have a chance to fight for that natty, most important to get over here and meet the guys, as we're doing very good right now, getting to know them and, basically just installing, that demeanor that, it's winning, nothing but winning and that starts every day, how we practice, how we eat, how we sleep, all that, all those things.
Did you ever come in with Gino during the recruiting process?
I didn't get a chance to, but honestly, man, I'm very close with him, so based on all those things when he was here and I've been knowing Duke Scott since he's been here, since I was younger, I played high school ball up in Georgia, so and I've been knowing him since I was 10, he was a little younger and I've been just knowing some of the guys, so I've always loved the area, loved some of the players from here.
When did you first talk with Gino about being teammates? Was it during the Miami season?
Honestly, it was, it was it was kind of a playoff, it was working towards that, man, but most importantly, man, it was just mainly just getting around the program, I was excited to, you know, see the program and I was at Miami three years ago where we came, our freshman year, we lost it, 2023, so I got to see, this was one of the loudest stadiums I've ever played in, really, and just the environment, I remember that, so I wanted to be a part of that too.
Harvey talked about you taking out the nature goal as you wanted to transfer here, how much, and how important it is to you as a middle linebacker.
It's great, man, we got, we got, we got some dollars on this team, especially Harvey, we got, we got some guys just coming in, and they're just buying in, biggest thing is, it's just, just buying in, whoever would have thought Indiana would have made it to the national championship, a whole bunch of guys just bought in, so yeah, all that stuff is good and all, but right now it's focused on the little things, coming to work every day and doing my stuff so people can see and hopefully, we all follow those things and being able to help any other young guys or anything like that and what's important, wins the games.
There's a pretty good linebacker history here.
Yes, sir.
Yeah, you know about that, and then was that maybe one of the reasons you might have wanted to come here?
Absolutely, man. I've actually came my freshman year and played against Payton and I was, I started all special teams up for my freshman year and played a little bit towards the end of the season, but I came here and seen Payton Wilson, I was every step, everything, even him drinking waters on the sideline, I was looking at everything he did, man, because he was, he was a dog and then also meeting Drake here and actually meeting him and speaking to him and all that and telling him and watching him in the Super Bowl, man, so it's a great, great program, great linebacker history.
Most importantly, my inside linebacker coach has been doing a great job as he played with those guys and just pushing, not just me, really the whole linebacker group. Like I said, it's not, this is not about me whatsoever. It's about the team, and we're doing a great job of developing everybody and getting to that point.
Did you have a pre-existing relationship with anybody on the staff, and what has it been like to know Coach Moore?
Just getting to know him, no, not really, but getting to know Coach Moore was great. Speaking to him a lot on the phone, Coach Eliot is great too, wonderful, and Coach Doeren also, so the coaches, of course, are showing me a very warm welcome.
Most importantly, just the players, man, that's been the life, man, just coming in, being welcomed by these guys. As I said, I know a lot of these guys, Bullet, Davion Gause, and, knowing Jojo, of course, back in Miami, and just CJ and all that, as those guys play a little league ball close to me, so I'm kind of familiar with them. It was just exciting to be here.
How much did that experience kind of change the level of expectation you bring to knowing, like, okay, this is what it takes to get there, like this is how you can kind of get a good show of the guys here?
Consistency, man, that's the biggest thing. As I said, it's an everyday thing. Everybody's going to practice every day. What are you going to do? What is, what are we going to do to make our practice different, and it's about doing those little things right. Everybody always talks about the little things, right, but it's actually me.
Coming here every day, as I said, taking care of your body, doing all those things, and just, it's going to get boring. How many games were there last year? 17 games? It's going to get boring, but it's consistency, and that's what it takes to learn, so.
What should Pack fans expect from JoJo and Chance Robinson? What have you seen in the last few years?
I'm not going to say too much, man. I'm just going to say that they got some dogs, and most importantly, they got some players who are coming in ready to work. I've seen it. Coming in ready to work, and some really good teammates.
I think that's the biggest thing about this team. Got really good players and all, but you got guys, good people too. That plays a big role when you're trying to get to where you want to go.
What did Drake and Payton say? What was their advice to you, maybe?
So, I was speaking with Drake just on how he played, man, asking a little bit about just run fits, specifically just from a football standpoint, how was it here? He told me he played with Coach Morris, so he was giving me advice on that, too, and I actually got a chance to speak with Caden yesterday, two days ago, Caden brought him here, and I actually liked some things he did last year.
So, it's an honor, man, to be around those guys, him, Sean, and come in here and watch them, and just be, watch their film all the time, because I'm learning their plays and all that. Just tagging in and teaching me some things off the field, on the field, and, man, just exciting, man.
How much difference is it for you to have a position coach that's, you know, four years you've been playing, you can maybe relate to a lot more than...
I think that's one of the biggest differences, having a linebacker coach that just got done playing, you always see things as a coach sometimes, but he sees it as a player, as a player and as a coach. So, most importantly, it's great. I've been able to learn, honestly, it's a long, long list of things I'm still going to be able to learn, but he's doing a great job of making sure not just me, everybody is tagging along, because we got a couple of new guys. So, yeah.
