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NC State Football Recruiting

Thomas: "This Was The Best Fit For Me"

June 1, 2018
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Heritage (NC) linebacker Drake Thomas‍ answered questions from the media shortly after announcing his commitment to NC State.


How hard was this decision for you?
It was extremely hard. I had a lot of great opportunities, and they were all blessings. I'm thankful for every single one of them.

When it came down to it I felt like this was the best fit for me and my family.

When did you know? 
I've probably known for a couple of weeks. I talked with my dad about it and told him I was ready to make my decision. That was it from there and that's when I announced I would be committing.

What other school made it difficult to pick NC State?
I'd say Clemson was right up there with NC State for a long time.  I wasn't sure for a while, but it came to me. I want to go to NC State.

Will you be enrolling early?
Yes sir. I'm going to be graduating early and enrolling at NC State in January.

Your older brother is there, which one kind of was on you the hardest?
I'd say my brother.

Payton, he's like a friend first. He told me the whole time that he would support me regardless of my decision. We knew we wanted to play together, but I needed to make sure I knew where I wanted to go before I made a decision.

Has the recruiting process been everything you thought it was?
I've enjoyed every second of it, and it's all been a blessing.

Have you told coach Doeren?
I haven't told coach Doeren.  I'm probably going to call him right now.

What do you think his reaction will be?
I hope he'll be pretty happy.

What is your relationship like with Joe Scelfo?
Coach Scelfo was my dad's college coach, Joseph Scelfo's father.  He's kind of been around all the time since I was little.  He's made a positive impact on my life.

Are you happy to have your decision out of the way?
I'm relieved to get it over with now. I can focus on my senior year and having a good senior year and going out the way I want to go out.

Did you always plan on enrolling early?
I always had a plan to go into school early, wherever I was going.

Was it important to announce now?
Yes sir, I wanted to focus on my senior year and enjoy it... not worry about where I was going to school.

Any words for the Wolfpack fans?
It's going to be a good four years.

How big is it to have teammates there and close friends?
It's a big deal. Whenever I'm there I feel comfortable. I know the guys... with my brother on the team I've met other guys there... I have a home feeling and I feel comfortable there.

How much does it mean to be close to home?
It means a lot to me especially because I'm playing with my brother. I know they'll be at every game.

What are your academic plans?
I'm planning on probably going into business.

Do you want to go in and earn a spot as a freshman?
That's my goal. I would like to go in there and try to play right off the bat, compete for a spot.

What's it mean to have Thayer earn a scholarship?
I know how hard he's been working and how much he deserves it. It meant the wolrd to us because he really deserved that scholarship.

How is he as a recruiter?
He's stayed quiet. I feel like if I would have chose someone else he would have been disappointed.

How were coach Hux and coach Kitchings throughout the process?
Those are my favorite coaches in the process.  Coach Hux has high energy, he knows the game, and he's been around it.  

Coach Kitchings is a down-to-earth guy. He's real genuine. I've developed a great relationship with him. I've been developing a relationship with him since my freshman year.

Which players are you going to recruit?
I'm coming for Savion Jackson, Josh Harris, CJ [Clark]... that's all I can think of now... I got to get the defense right.

How geeked are you to play with Payton Wilson?
It's going to be fun. Our relationship is already pretty good.  Having it grow and get stronger it's going to be great.

In your heart when did you know you'd be a Wolfpack guy?
Just recently. I really felt like I needed to make my decision and commit to NC State.

How hard was it to say No to Clemson?
Hard, I like it down there too [at Clemson]. They have a great program and the coaches are good guys.  It felt right at NC State.

Did the NFL draft get your attention at all?
Yes sir.  That has to get your attention. I think seeing that shows that it's possible that they are producing those kind of players.

Some of your teammates are in college now. What do you want to get better at?
A lot of new faces. I think that can be good for me, stepping up to be more of a vocal leader.  I'll lead by example and push all my teammates up.

What do you think it will be like wearing the uniform in Carter-Finley?
I'm looking forward to it. I think I'll be fun.

Why is 32 special to you?
My dad wore 32 in high school. I wore this necklace it's the same thing he wore in high school. My grandma wore it for a long time and she passed away. That's why I keep it on. I keep it close because it means a lot to me."
 

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Thomas: "This Was The Best Fit For Me"

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