Devon Betty Believes The Team Is Ready For Saturday Night

NC State freshman linebacker Devon Betty met with the media to discuss his first start, preparing for Wake's high-powered offense, and much more.

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.

How much were you able to embrace that idea of practicing like you were going to get into the game? And now how much has that helped you as you have gotten into the role you're in?
Well, growing up, I was always taught if you stay ready, you don't got to get ready. Don't practice like you never want to play. Don't walk around here like you never want to play. Always be ready because, literally, it's football.

Everybody knows it's easy for a person to go down, and once that person goes down, it's next man up. If you're not ready, then you're the only one that's looking like a fool out here. So, I just got that mentality, and I always had it, just to stay ready and you never have to get ready.

You guys having to play with the playoff mentality week-in and week-out... how fun that is for this team to be playing these type of games in the middle of November?
The mentality of this team right now is outstanding. Everybody's ready. We’re ready to go into this game. To us it's just like every other game.

Don't come and play down to a level or play like we haven't played before, just come in ready. But the atmosphere around here is crazy. This playoff feeling is crazy. It's been a while since it's been like that, but everyone's ready to go. Everyone's on go.

How do you feel about the respect that NC State is getting right now?
With this team and just being around this team, you could just tell we don't get into that. If we don't get our respect, we don't get our respect. We show what we could do on Saturday nights or Saturday mornings.

You played at one of the better prep schools in the country, St. Thomas Aquinas. How much did that prepare you for coming in and competing and earning a role?
St. Thomas Aquinas helped me a lot. It's a lot of good coaches in there. It's a good program. It's a good school overall on both sides from academics to sports.

Coming in, it was no fall off for me. It wasn't no like big difference because going to St. Thomas you almost practicing at a college level. The standard is the same almost there. So, if I had to say, it helped me a lot coming into college.

They run that slow mesh, read option game. As a linebacker, how unique is that to defend? You don't see that a lot.
Well, we just got to get downhill, that's it. As long as we play fast like how we been playing, we'll be all right. We can't let the slow RPO slow us down. We just got to hit downhill and hit it fast. And we'll be good.

After the Florida State game, Coach Doeren said you had earned it right through your preparation and your practice. What was that week like between Louisville and Florida State if you'd have earned that starting spot? Would you do differently or how you approach that week?
Well, it was nothing different for me. Like I said before, I always practice the same. I always practice like I'm getting in the next play even if I don't play. Even if I don't get a snap in that game, that week I'm always practicing like I'm next man up.

Just having Isaiah and Payton and all these good players in front of me, you want to practice good. You want to be like them because they’re great players and they showed it and they proved it.

So, that week right there, I was just locked in like every other week, not taking plays off, not moping around here because I'm not starting. Just being ready to play because my name could be called at any time just like the Florida State game.

Obviously you probably battle with Trent and Chris Toudle in practice every day. What is it like covering those guys who have that speed and ability of a receiver and running back, but playing the tight end position?
It's awesome. It's something you don't see often, but it's awesome. They get you better, them running like that. Well, with Trent running like a running back, now he is at tight end running routes like that, it's crazy, but it gets me better. It get the linebackers better and we appreciate it.

Same thing with Toudle. Toudle came in as a receiver, and just guarding him just gets you better in your coverage as a linebacker. And it's very appreciated from both of them.

Do they both have that same speed and agility like being able to still play running back and receiver?
Oh yes. For sure. For sure.