NC State CB Jaren Sensabaugh met with the media to discuss returning to his hometown to play against Vanderbilt, how he dealt with his injury last year, and much more!
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the full press conference!
First of all, for you just returning back home, being back in Nashville, what's that gonna mean to you?
I mean, it means everything to me. Obviously, I'd like to thank God for the opportunity to play again. After facing some adversity last year with injury and things like that. But being able to go home and play in front of my family, who still live there, and have them in close proximity to the game is honestly just a blessing.
How many family members are you expecting to have out there?
I think around 20 or so. So I'm gonna have to work on finding tickets and things like that. But I'll definitely have some good support while we're out there.
What was it like for you last year?
Yeah, I mean, so even though I didn't have a role on the field because I was going through surgery and stuff, I got to find a role off the field, whether that be how to learn and work on my craft outside the building, whether that be recovery, treatment, hanging out with the guys, playing against my teammates outside of just being on the field.
And really just accepting that role of having to provide energy to the team. And it really humbled me. So now, whenever I go onto the field, I know the bond I have with my brothers is deeper than it was before.
How hard was it to get hurt in the first game, be right there, and then get taken away like that?
I mean, it was extremely hard. Like, that was probably one of the lowest times of my life. But as I said, I'd like to thank God for delivering me from that and bringing me into the position and opportunities that I have today.
I can't say that I regret anything that happened because I like the man that I am right now. So I'm really just appreciative of it, even though it was one of those difficult times.
In what areas do you feel you grew the most through that experience?
I would say mentally. I mean, when you're not actually physically playing, you have the chance to watch a lot more film.
You have a chance to spend more time with the guys and get to know who you're actually playing with. So I feel like, like I said earlier, whenever I go on that field, I have more awareness on the field just from watching more film. And obviously, I'm playing harder for the guy next to me because I'm learning who they are, not just on the field, but outside of the building.
Being able to grab lunch with those guys, dinner wherever it may be, and go to events with them. It's just building us to be closer as a team.
As someone who's from Nashville, did you have this game circled on the schedule?
I mean, the most important game is always the next game. So, I mean, last week, the most important game was Richmond. So I was focused on Richmond, and now I get to go back home.
So I get to play in front of my family, which is a blessing. But as I said, next week, it's not gonna be like I just played the most important game of my life because the next important game is gonna be the next one.
What do you like about playing at corner now?
Well, I really appreciate Coach Warren and playing midfield because I learned a lot about football. I learned a lot more about schemes and related topics. And then, moving back to corner, it was really good to work with B-Mitch (Brian Mitchell) because I learned how to refine my technique at corner and things like that, which I had been playing previously in my career.
But I love playing corner, and wherever they put me out on the field, that's where I'm gonna be. I'm just gonna go hard at it.
Is there more pressure playing on the opposite side of Brian Nelson II? Because teams probably aren't gonna throw his way as often.
I wouldn't say there's more pressure, because, as you said, Brian Nelson II is such a dominant corner and a great leader as well. So he's been pouring into me all offseason to make me a better corner.
So now I get to compete with him, whether that's recovery, working on the field, doing extra work, or seeing who can do our breaks better. So having such a dominant corner but also a great leader beside you makes you a better player overall.
Teams haven't really thrown a whole lot at you so far this fall. How do you stay locked in the game when there aren't many passes coming your way?
Yeah, I mean, you gotta stay focused. The most important thing to do is not fall asleep at corner. And every down, you gotta think that the ball is coming your way.
So yeah, I mean, I know that I haven't gotten tested a lot, but I gotta play each game like they're about to go at me 10 times, 12 times in the game. So yeah, just staying focused every down and not falling asleep after is what's most important.
What's the best advice your Dad has given you? And did he peek at his other two colleges on Saturday?
Yeah, so the most important advice my dad's given me is focus, fight, finish. Really, just anything that you do in life, it's most important to focus. Because if your focus isn't where it needs to be, you're not gonna be able to do anything.
So when I'm lining up, I have to focus on what's my job, what's my assignment, what's my alignment. Fight. I'm going against another human who's trying to do the exact opposite of what I'm doing. So they're trying to catch the ball; I'm trying to not let them catch the ball.
So I'm gonna have to fight to make that play. And then finish, whether that be actually finishing on the ball, finishing for my teammates, hustling to the ball, whatever it may be, or making a tackle. Just focus, fight, finish is always something that he's taught me.
He still texts me to this day before the game, "Focus, fight, finish."
Is there anything, physically or schematically, that you feel you've really improved on since last year?
I think it's more so, like I said, last year playing nickel with Coach Warren, I learned a lot about the technique. Yeah, the fits, the run fits, what the actual coverage is, and what everybody in the defense is doing. So I think now it's more so just applying that knowledge to the game and being able to play fast with that knowledge.
They're both gonna be mobile quarterbacks. I mean, how important is it for you guys to prove, after what happened in Week 0, that you can stop mobile quarterbacks?
I mean, like Coach Doeren always said, it's not about them, it's about us.
So throughout this week, we have a lot of opportunities to get better at our scheme and what we're gonna do. And obviously, coming off of the Virginia game, whenever they did have a lot of rushing yards, we didn't worry about that. We were worried about, OK, what can we do to get better?
How are we gonna focus on us? Because it's not about them. And we obviously have CJ who can run at times, so we get to work good on good all the time. And that was something that was really important, especially in that bye week, was just that good-on-good work and making sure that we're getting the right work in as well.
Do you know Jared Curtis, seven-on-sevens, camps, anywhere?
No, I was only in Nashville for one year, so I do not know him personally.
How long were you in Nashville, and how much in Knoxville?
I was in Knoxville for one year at Knoxville Catholic, then in Nashville at Ensworth, where I graduated.
How much more confidence do you guys have now after that 73-0 win over Richmond, going down to Nashville now?
We have a lot of confidence. I mean, at practice even today, our defense is out there screaming. We just kept giving up like a donut.
So then the offense is like, well, we put up 73 points, so we're going even harder in practice. And that's just making us better. So the confidence is definitely through the roof.
But also, we have to make sure we have the right confidence and don't get ahead of ourselves, and make sure that we're focused on the right things.
I know you said every game's next game is the most important for you, but is there any added motivation playing a team you were committed to at one point?
I mean, maybe a little bit, but I'd say I'm just blessed to be where I'm at, and the Wolfpack is my family. So I'm not really worried about what happened previously or anything like that. I found a home, and I love it here.
So, as I said, the next game is just the most important game, and then next week, it'll be the next game.
