Kameron Walker: "Just Focus On One Play At A Time"

No. 12 NC State tight end Kam Walker met with the media ahead of the Wolfpack's upcoming matchup versus Connecticut.

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.

On the Pisgah-Tuscola rivalry...
It's big. Yeah. We were just talking about it outside. It's one of the biggest games.

Literally, you were just talking about this?
Yeah. We literally were just talking about where I'm from and they said that the only thing they've heard about Pisgah was the rivalry game. So it's something that in high school, you're always going to remember. I still remember all four games I played in in high school.

And your record was?
4 - 0, 4 - 0. Yes, sir.

How many people come to this? I mean we're talking like 5,000, 10,000, 15,000?
Yeah. It's like 10,000 plus. I remember my junior, sophomore year, we were both undefeated. And so I think they said it was like 13 to 14,000 people there. And so the half and half ticket...

The 50/50 raffle.
Yeah. I think the winner took home $25,000, I think so. Yeah, it was nice.

What was it like to go from that to playing UNC? Any similarities?
Yes and no. Back home you know the guys that you're about to play personally on a personal level. UNC, I don't really know their players on a personal level, but we still have that rivalry that the people like to say, "bad blood this, bad blood that."

But one of my best friends actually was from Tuscola. So you never know who you're going to play and so you never know what their personality is and how they are as a person so.

How many miles apart are the two towns for you to know people in Tuscola?
I think five, maybe. I lived right in the middle so I could have went either way.

So you're neutral?
Yeah. I could have went either way.

Focus and consistency, kind of the key for the offense. I mean, what have y'all been working on this week to try to get that rhythm going and consistency on offense?
Yeah. We're just trying to hone in on the little things. Trying not to look at the big picture, trying to hone in on stuff that we try to get corrected from week one, now week three, week four. Some penalty stuff that's on the players. That's on us, first off, and just focusing in. Don't let the outside noise or the crowd get to your head and just focus on one play a time and one rep.

We were asking coach, too, about Thayer Thomas. How would you describe him to somebody that's never seen him play before?
How would I describe him? Versatile. You ever seen a Swiss Army Knife?

Yeah. It's got all the... that's how I would describe Thayer. He can run the ball, he can throw the ball, he can catch the ball, and he's got kind of the whole deal.

He's also a great person. Every day I talk to him... he's always trying to make the people around him better, too, pushing them in ways. I think he's got a bright future as well.

Pretty good passer.
Yeah, he is. What is he? Four for four, with four touchdowns, maybe I think in his career, so.

You hear people say a lot, a good way to make the team, get real playing time, is special teams. That's kind of the way you've done it, right?
Yes, sir.

Come in here and hustle and now you're getting on the field for the real deal.
Yeah. So, no it's... College ball's a little bit different. You come in, it doesn't matter where you were ranked in high school. You come in, you're the bottom of the totem pole and you kind of got to scratch and claw.

There are a few guys that are different. They just come on a college campus and play, but for the most part you got to scratch and claw. Then the PACK19 class, me, Delbert Mimms, Demarcus Jones, Chris Toudle, we all kind of fought our way on special teams to get our opportunities on offense and defense.  That's kind of what I try to press on the younger guys is don't worry about playing offense and defense first. Worry about getting on special teams so you can put good stuff on special teams, so you can get trust from the coaches. That's kind of your biggest way to get on the field on offense and defense.

Do you have a nickname, or you're not “Slimy Shark” or anything like that are you?
Nah, nah. People call me Baby Gronk, but that's about it.

Baby Gronk?
Yeah. That's the only one I get, so.

When did that start? What age?
What age? Probably when I first got here, I don't know.

Is it because you look like him or something?
I guess maybe I'm... I don't know. Bigger guy, bigger tight end. I don't know. So maybe my personality.

You that crazy off the field too or not?
No, I'm not that crazy. I'm not that crazy.

How much of a boon is it to have Devin Leary on your team, not just as the guy that's distributing the ball, but as a leader as well?
Yeah, he's a great leader. He's definitely stepped up since I first got here to where he is now. When I first got here, we were kind of rotating quarterbacks, trying to find the right guy. And then Devin Leary stepped in and he's definitely taken that leadership role and just ran with it.

In my opinion, he's talking to you every day. He's talking to you every play after you know what you did right, what you did wrong, what you can do better. He's always talking and trying to better you as a player. So I think that he's developed as a great leader and a great person.