Street: "It Flew By So Fast"
Kentavius Street arrived at NC State in 2014 as one of the top players in the Wolfpack's recruiting class. A heavily-recruited prospect out of Greenville (NC) Rose High School, Street picked the Wolfpack and never looked back.
Four years later, he's about to play his final game in Carter-Finley Stadium.
"I don't know how I'm going to handle that walk," Street said of leaving the tunnel for the last time. "I know if my mom is tearing up, I'll definitely tear up. I'm going to try and be tough, but I'm not sure how it's going to go. I don't think you really know until that time comes."
While Street understands the significance of the game for himself, he also knows that it is a huge game for the program with rival North Carolina looking to upset the Wolfpack. The Tar Heels will be led by quarterback Nathan Elliott, a lefty who has steered UNC to two straight wins as a starter.
"When I think of UNC's offense I compare it alot to Wake's," said Street. "We just played them so I do think that helps. There will be a lot of RPOs, zone reads... trying to get players out of their gaps.
"As a lefty his back will be to me more this game than versus the traditional right-handed quarterback, so my rushes may be blind to him, but nothing else really changes for me."
What is the goal this week for the defense?
"We want to do everything faster," Street said. "One of our big goals this week has been to free up our minds and just play. That's the focus."
NC State has struggled the last two Senior Days in Raleigh, losing last year to Miami and to North Carolina in 2015. While Street remembers those performances, he thinks this year's team will handle the emotions of Senior Day and the pressure of facing a rivalry differently.
"I think we've handled [pressure] well this year," he said. "We dealt with the hype before the season, so I don't think that will be a problem this game."
Just a few days from now Street will walk on to Carter-Finley Stadium for the last time. He rarely thought about it in all the games leading up to this week, but now his last home game is here.
"I'm starting to think about it a lot more now," he said, smiling. "Just looking back on it and reflecting to my freshman year... I remember Mike [Rose], Art [Norman], Thomas [Teal]... all the seniors when I first came in. They told me it's going to fly by so capitalize on every moment.
"I'm trying to cherish everything I can right now... every practice, every minute with the guys. It flew by so fast. I just want to make the most of that last moment."
