ACC KICKOFF: Ryan Finley, Germaine Pratt Q&A
NC State's Ryan Finley and Germaine Pratt answered a few questions from the media at the 2018 ACC Football Kickoff.
NC State Senior QB Ryan Finley
You've had some big words to say about your receiving corps, just what you can say about them going into the season and how excited you are for the weapons that you have to go a little bit deeper into those weapons.
Yeah, real excited about that group. Obviously led by Steph and Kelvin and Jakobi, in my opinion the best trio wide receiving corps in the country. Just can't speak enough words about how hard they work and just kind of how they approach the game and the level of preparation they put into the game and obviously very talented.
And then behind them with Emeka and CJ and Thayer, just kind of guys chomping at the bit to get in. The depth at that position is really special, and the talent from those guys and the experience and kind of the level of trust we've been able to kind of get with each other, and obviously Coach McDonald has done a great job with that group.
In your decision to come back and play, obviously made a lot of statements about that, but I just want to know, as far as the University and the football team, what's your number one reason for wanting to come back?
I think college football is just such a special opportunity, and I wasn't ready to let it go. So many relationships and friendships I've made in Raleigh and on our team that were just too special to me. I just wanted to enjoy it one last time. I think that's what college football is all about.
I had somebody close to me tell me that they'd give their right arm to play another college football game, so I took that to heart, and that was one of the big things for coming back. Just everything it stands for, just the day-to-day stuff throughout the year as a student-athlete, and just with so many of your different friends, it's just -- there's really nothing else like it in life, and I just wanted one more chance.
Ryan, what area has Coach Drinkwitz challenged you to sharpen up the most going into this year?
Yeah, I like the word you just used, sharp, I like that a lot. Just staying sharp, staying mentally sharp as a quarterback, I think, is important for my performance. As far as on the field, just kind of some pocket toughness stuff, just learning how to keep manipulating the pocket and just moving within the pocket and just making plays when stuff breaks down.
Not everything goes as planned. I need to be able to show my athleticism a little bit more, kind of something I've been working on. I don't always show my athleticism in my play. So just kind of when plays break down, making things happen.
Ryan, I don't have the numbers in front of me, but my strong impression is that you made a lot of improvement as a team in red zone offense last year. What are the keys to scoring in the red zone, and what do you need to do even better this year?
Well, red zone is a huge emphasis for us because we're down there a lot. As an offense we tend to have long drives. We're kind of a ball control offense, so we spend a lot of time in the red zone, and if you spend a lot of time in the red zone, you've got to work on red zone. We work on red zone.
Obviously we have Coach Drink, we have some stuff that we kind of emphasize in the red zone, like touchdown, check down, no negative plays, no penalties.
But our main philosophy in the red zone is we've got to run, run to win. You get in the red zone you've got to run to Brock. That's the band of brothers and the offensive line, that when we get down there, they know it's on. We're running this thing in. And whether the defense knows it or not, they know we're going to run the ball and we've got to do it successfully. Just a quick shout out to the O-line, Garrett, Big T and Tyler and the new guys that are ready to play.
NC State has a history of great quarterback play with guys like Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson. What does it mean to you to kind of join that group and be a part of that legacy of NC State quarterbacks?
Yeah, it's a pretty impressive lineage of quarterbacks, and I don't take it lightly to be considered among that group at all. I think there's a standard that needs to be upheld when it comes to the quarterback position at North Carolina State. Just in our quarterback room, we've got this table, and all four or five of them are on that table, just kind of a reminder of who came before you in the history of this position at North Carolina State. That's something you shouldn't forget.
Last year you had one game in which you scored into the 50s, and that was your last game. That's pretty enthusiastic getting ready for the off-season and for 2018. There's going to be a lot of good momentum there.
Yeah, you know, in a bowl game -- I think bowl games are important because you just build momentum going into spring ball. You just get all those extra practices. But to win a bowl game is a huge step for your next season.
I think the performance that we put on in that bowl game was exciting, to see all that we had coming back and kind of just the future was bright, and another reason for me coming back, just to be a part of that group and the talent and kind of the camaraderie that we built as an offensive unit.
You've gotten to spend more time than most being able to come back and play this college game. What have you seen develop in your game from where you started to where you are right now? What are some of those key pieces? And who would you give some appreciation to for helping to get you along the way to get you where you are today?
Well, I think I'm a product of a lot of different people. I have a lot of different people to thank. I think what's unique about my story is just how many coaches that have been able to touch my life just through being at Boise State and transferring to NC State, and I've kind of been really blessed.
I've really had two opportunities to do college football, which a lot of people don't get. So I wasn't going to take my second chance for granted, and when I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to come to NC State because of Coach Doeren and Coach Drinkwitz, I wasn't going to take that opportunity lightly at all.
And I was excited for the opportunity to play, excited for the opportunity to just meet new teammates and win an ACC Championship, and that's what our goal is.
You're a counselor at the Manning passing camp this summer. You're obviously instructing people. But what did you learn out of it?
Yeah, so that was the second year I was able to go to the Manning passing academy, which is a pretty awesome event. I think the Mannings are really, really great people. I think just being around Peyton, Eli, and Archie and just -- Cooper -- and kind of how they interact and what type of people they are was the most special thing for me.
And obviously the quarterbacks there, there's about 40 of us, we get a chance to sit down with Peyton and Eli and just kind of pick their brains, and they tell stories. It's a really good time, but it's just kind of -- from those two -- obviously the Manning name, from those two guys sharing their experiences and their advice, we soak that all in.
NC State Senior LB Germaine Pratt
Germaine, tell me a little bit about your teammate there.
Ryan Finley, he's a true competitive leader. He's pushing guys, making sure the offense is great basically. When he's on the sideline he tells them let's go get seven. He just stays focused and pushes the guys around him because they've got so much talent in that room.
You've got to have somebody that's a leader to hold them accountable, and I think he does a great job.
Germaine, obviously one of your teammates, Darian Roseboro, has got a lot on his shoulders filling in for all the guys you lost up front. Talk about how he's doing and the talent he brings to the program.
He's doing great. He pushes the young guys around him, pushes them around because we lost four of the huge starters, so I think he's leading them in the right direction. He's working hard, and he's staying focused, and he's not getting distracted from his mission.
Germaine, what you can say about the Dave Doeren factor, what he's done for NC State and what the environment has been like as you've grown through your time there.
He makes people want to come to Raleigh, I think. It was a ghost town. When I first got there, it was a ghost town.
People didn't want to come back and work. But now people come back and ask to work. People wanted to even commit and come here to play with us because they seen what we had last year, seven people get drafted and go to the NFL. So I think everybody wants to come to Raleigh.
You had a chance to show what you were capable of a little bit in a reserve role last year, but now Airius Moore, Jerod Fernandez, they're gone. How much does it feel like an opportunity to be a leader on this defense?
I mean, I take advantage of my opportunity. I don't see it as different because they left. I'm just going to be the same me and don't change and just trust in God, trust his plan that he has for me and stay focused and help the younger guys around me. Like Louis A., Brock and helping that linebacking corps be stronger than it ever was.
You've not been a starter; has that been okay for you? You've made a great impact, but emotionally is it okay that you know you're not starting?
I mean, it's a little bit up and down, but that's part of life. You have adversity, and I think adversity creates you or it breaks you, but I think it has created me to be more stronger as a man because without football, who knows where I'd be.
I'm going to be a great man, a great father for my children. That's what I'm going to be. So I can tell them what I went through in life to push them and make them be the best they can be in life.
I've seen some of your teammates and former teammates, Bradley Chubb being one, calling you Big Play Pratt on social media. You have been able to kind of earn that nickname in a non-starter role. How will that grow this coming season?
Just trusting my coaching and stuff. Just seizing the moments, just taking advantage of the opportunity that I have. Whatever play, just doing my job, doing my job well, and if a big play happens, I just take advantage of that opportunity.
Do you like that nickname?
I mean, yeah, of course. You've got Bradley Chubb calling me Big Play, so yeah, of course I'm going to like it.
You have quite a few players starting on defense who did not start last year. Talk about the challenges of that in the Atlantic Division where there are so many great offenses. What are the challenges that defenses face in this division?
I don't think it's a challenge, I don't think they would find it as a challenge. I think it's an opportunity for them to showcase their talent since they've not been on the radar. They're ready for their opportunity and showcase what they've got. We've got guys with experience, Darian Roseboro, Big E, Shug, James Smith-Williams, and then you've got guys coming from JuCo, Larrell, and you've got -- dang, I can't get his name out right now, but yeah, he's ready to play.
And then you've got guys around that's ready to play like Steven Griffin, a transfer at nickel, he'll be ready to play, and then a lot of guys that's ready to take on a bigger role. And my role has only increased, as well, by pushing others and taking care of my job and ready to seize the moment.