Devin Leary: "The Process Never Stops For Me"
NC State quarterback Devin Leary met with the media following practice Tuesday afternoon ahead of the 2022 season.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Leary’s interview.
“Trying to keep the zero in the interception column is awesome, and on top of that, my completion percentage and being able to give my guys a chance and have an opportunity to catch the ball are what I pride myself on.”
“It means the world to me. I think everyone, as a recruit, understands that NC State really is ‘QBU.’ With everything they’ve produced at the next level, they hold their quarterbacks to a really high standard. The fan base expects a great quarterback, especially with guys like Mike Glennon, Philip Rivers, Ryan Finley, Jacoby Brissett, and Russell Wilson. The list goes on. When you commit to a school like this, you have to understand the type of shoes you have to fill.”
“Yeah, I do. Ever since I walked into that QB room. Listening in and understanding how Ryan Finley operates, seeing his picture around… That was always a goal for me. I want to be up there with those guys. I want to be classified in the category of ‘QBU.’ For me, the process never stops for me. I know I still have a long way to go, but to be in those shoes and being able to put on that same jersey as those guys used to, it’s an honor.”
“It’s in the way each position group is competing. It’s not only on the field, but you see it off the field. As soon as you get into the film room, guys are anxious and eager to see who can figure out who made the first mistake or figure out how to correct someone in their position room. It even translates into the player lounge. Guys are competing everyday playing ping pong and pool. It’s non-stop, but I think that’s what this team is all about. With anything that’s done on the field, we haven’t accomplished anything yet. All of the preseason stuff and everything that’s being acknowledged is always great, but at the same time, we still haven’t accomplished anything yet, and I think you can see that within every position group.”
“Extremely challenging. First of all, [defensive coordinator Tony] Gibson’s scheme is tremendous. He does a really good job of coaching those guys up. At the same time, it’s the type of fire that they bring on the defense. Everyday, they’re going to let you know that they’re out there. They’re going to let you know whether they sack me or not. Those guys are constantly flying around. The best thing about our defense, whether we have a bad play, they make good play, or we make a good play, there’s always conversation, whether it’s off the field after practice or on the field at practice. We’re trying to help each other out while we figure out what we see from each other.”
“I can’t say anyone in particular. It’s the whole defense. I will say once you get Cory Durden going, it’s kind of hard to stop him.”
“Honestly, not really. I think it was pretty cool. My first time meeting those guys was at the ACC media day. They’ve been nothing but genuine to all of us. They told us to be ourselves, and at this point, you don’t even really recognize that they’re around. It’s been great having them around.”
“Yeah, it is, and it’s going to be pretty cool to see in the end, having different guys miked up, and for the world to see their personalities and the way we love each other. You’ll see once it comes out that all these guys are good dudes.”
“One of the biggest things is pretty obvious: it’s hard to win games, especially in this conference. In 2019, which feels like forever ago, I didn’t really understand that until I got out there, got my first start, and realized how difficult it is to win games. You’ve just got to get back to the drawing board and be your biggest critic. That was my biggest thing; I was always hard on myself. Critiquing myself is never a problem, but processing everything and putting it back onto the field without making the same mistake twice is my biggest thing.”
“Anthony Belton is having an awesome camp, not just as a player but as a person. He’s always joking around and always has a smile on his face. His personality isn’t the same as he is as a player. As a personality, he’s always joking around. You’ll see him on TikTok dancing. I like to joke with him about that. On the field, he’s completely locked in. He knows he has big shoes to fill, but at the same time he’s embracing it. He knows the offensive line is counting on him, and he’s been doing a great job.”
“I talk to my brother every single day. The biggest thing that I told him was that it’s a process. You can’t win the entire season in one day, and I told him to take it day by day. Whether it’s a good or bad practice, coaches want to see how you respond. Sometimes, they might be a little bit extra hard on you to see how you react. Going through my experiences and working my way up, I”m giving all my knowledge and everything I’ve learned to him, and he’s been doing a great job at Illinois."