Hockman, Ekwonu Primed For Clash With Wildcats In Jacksonville
NC State redshirt junior quarterback Bailey Hockman and sophomore offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu met with the media via Zoom ahead of the Wolfpack’s contest against Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
NOTE: Click on each player’s respective thumbnail to watch each interview.
Bailey Hockman
Can you talk about how your relationship with Devin Leary has grown over the past couple of months?
“Recently, he was taken off the long-term injury group and put back with us. He’s in meetings, and he’s out at practice and just around a lot more. It’s been good to have him around, just getting an extra pair of eyes that really knows the game and knows what you’re supposed to be doing. It’s like having another coach out there, so it’s definitely been good.”
How excited are you guys to be playing in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl?
“It’s great. It’s a blessing. We’re all excited. We’ve got a good opponent with Kentucky. It should be a great game, and we’re definitely pumped up to be in it.”
Is it pretty exciting to get a test against an SEC school?
“Yeah, definitely. They’re always talking, ‘Oh, we’re the number one conference,’ but we’ll see about that.”
What kind of things have you been working on since the last game?
“We practiced all week last week, not knowing our opponent. It was a lot of developmental stuff for the younger guys, just trying to help them get more reps. Today was really our first practice for Kentucky, and I think we’ve got a good plan gong forward. Coach [Tim] Beck has known [Wildcats' head] Coach [Mark] Stoops for a long time. They’re really well coached, and I think we’ll have a great game plan and be ready to go.”
Why was it important for the team to go forward and close the season out with the bowl game?
“It’s just been a statement to how our team has handled this whole year, this whole 2020 and COVID, and how well our program has handled it. It’s almost unbelievable, because at the beginning of the season we were all sitting here thinking, ‘Are we even going to play? Are we only going to get one game?’ Then we end up playing 11, going 8-3, and overcoming big wins. It’s just a statement to the program. We just want to play, win, continue to grow, continue this winning streak we’ve been on, and bring it into next year.”
How important would it be to get that momentum, end this on a high note, and carry it into spring ball and summer workouts?
“Definitely huge. It’s just the consistency of our team, how we’ve handled the ups and downs of the season, and keeping the same, positive vibe around. It would just be really good for us to go out, execute, play well, and win the game.”
Have you been able to watch film on Kentucky yet? If so, what challenges do they present, and do they compare to any team you’ve played this year?
“Yeah, they play similarly to Liberty in a few different things. They play a similar defense to Liberty: a lot of corners, a lot of Cover 3. They line up in what they’re going to do, but they play a lot of tells and things like that. If I’m not pointing out hots or if I’m on the same rhythm every single time, they’re going to be able to figure it out, jump the cadence, or say, ‘Oh, this is pass, and this is run' and things like that. They do that really, really well. They’ve also created a lot of turnovers this year, so we’re going to have to be able to protect the ball and make sure we’re making good decisions.”
How important is it to go to a bowl game each year?
“It’s great for the veteran guys because of the experience of it all. It’s really, really good for the younger guys that we’re going to need to step up next year because they get the 20 extra practices or however many it is. It’s good for those guys, and they’re getting a lot of reps, so it will be good for our young receivers and young offensive linemen for development.”
How much have you grown individually?
“A ton. My mentality has changed a lot from thinking, ‘You’re just a baller. Just go out there and ball,’ to being extremely detailed in what I’m doing and everything I do, making sure I have those details on point. That’s the only way you can play well in this league and play fast and be able to progress and keep getting better. I’ve grown a lot, but it wasn’t an overnight success. I’ve been working for years, and to finally be able to put all the pieces together has been really good.”
Did Cyrus Fagan and Cory Durden reach out to you and ask you about your experience at NC State?
“Yeah, definitely. They’re both great guys. I came in with both of them, actually, when I went to Florida State, so I got to know them pretty well. Both of them reached out to me. We’ve talked about how things are and helped them out with simple stuff. They’re great guys. They’ll be a great addition to the team.”
What’s it like as an NC State quarterback to watch a former Wolfpack quarterback in Ryan Finley succeed in the NFL?
“It’s awesome, and I got to know Ryan a little bit when I came in. I talked him, and he’s really intelligent, really on top of things. It was awesome to see him do it at the next level. For Ben [Finley], it cheers him knowing his older brother’s doing well in the NFL. It’s awesome to see, and obviously you’ve got Russell [Wilson] and [Philip Rivers] and those guys that are doing it week in and week out for years. It’s awesome to see that.”
Ikem Ekwonu
Why was it important for this group to finish the season at a bowl game when so many other teams have opted out?
“I think it just goes back to the DNA. Every time we put the ball down, every time we start something, we want to finish it. I feel like, if we opted out of the bowl game, that’d kind of just be quitting on the season. With the season we’ve had so far, we definitely want to finish strong.”
How exciting is it to have the opportunity to play your first bowl game?
“It’s definitely big time. Last year, having that very long break around the middle of December, I actually got to go to my brother’s [Osita Ekwonu] bowl game. Notre Dame went to the Camping World Bowl, and so I kind of got a taste of what it’s like. I realized I definitely wanted to be at one next year. It’s definitely exciting.”
Have you been able to watch tape on Kentucky yet? What challenges will they present?
“They do a lot of things well. They’re good at ID-ing things, looking at the little details, the offensive linemen’s stance, wide receivers’ hands, keying off our looks. They’re really big up front which is always good for a defense. They’re athletic. I’m really excited to go against an SEC opponent and a good defensive line overall.”
What were your thoughts on you picking up All-ACC honors and to have so many guys on the team to earn those honors after not as many were pegged as all-conference performers?
“I think it says a lot. We’re trending in the right direction for sure. I feel like we should have had more guys recognized, but that might just be me. It’s really exciting for all the guys getting recognized. That was a personal goal of mine: to be recognized All-ACC. It’s only up from here, and hopefully next year, we get some more guys on the list.”
How do you balance the fun with going out there and taking care of business?
“It goes back to the leadership on the team and the culture we set for ourselves. When it’s time to have fun, we have fun, and when it’s time to work, we work. We’re just going to take that mindset into bowl season.”
Why do you think Dave Doeren deserves ACC Coach of the Year honors?
“The record speaks for itself. He’s turned us around, just refocusing the guys after a tough year we had last year. He’s gotten everyone focused on one goal, 1-0 every week, playing as hard as we can, as tough as we can, and as together as we can. I feel like he’s done a great job instilling that culture into NC State. He’s definitely ACC Coach of the Year in my book.”