North Carolina State University Athletics
Red & White Preview: Running Backs, Safeties
8/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Editor’s note: Throughout the preseason, GoPack.com will present a Q&A with one player from each position on offense and defense to talk about the personalities and players within that group. Today, sophomore Curtis Underwood Jr. and senior J.C Neal talk about running back and safety, respectively. Look Wednesday for the next preview.
J.C. Neal is the old man of the Wolfpack safeties. The senior from South Carolina made six starts last season, three at cornerback and three at strong safety. Neal is also an accomplished special teams player, getting more special teams snaps last year than anyone else on the team. He scored a touchdown on a blocked punt last year (vs. East Carolina) and blocked one himself in 2006 (vs. Akron). Neal says he's ready to show all the young guys around him how to make big plays as well.
Underwood and Neal talked with GoPack.com managing editor Tim Peeler on Meet the Pack Day.
| Curtis Underwood, Jr. | |||
| Position: | Halfback | ||
| | No. 3 | ||
| Size: | 5-11, 210 pounds | ||
| Class: | Sophomore | ||
| Hometown: | | ||
GoPack: Depth doesn’t seem to be a problem at running back, yet everyone brings a little something different to the table.
Underwood: We all complement each other. Each one of us can play at the position at any time and any place in the game. Coach is getting confidence in all of us.
GoPack: You were supposed to redshirt last year, but got pressed into action midway through the season. What did you learn from that experience?
Underwood: I realized the game was much, much faster than I anticipated it being. Also that I picked up the offense a little better. Now I am starting to pick things up a little faster. I know what it takes to perform as a D-I back.
GoPack.com: You had your most snaps against
Underwood: Playing in that game was very special for me. That atmosphere was just crazy for me. You couldn’t hear yourself think. We were all just having fun out there and that was all it boiled down to, having fun out there and playing the game we love.
GoPack.com: Senior Andre Brown is coming back from the broken foot that kept him out of action most of the second half of the season. Then he reinjured it in spring practice. Is he ready to go now?
Underwood: I really expect Andre to come out and produce for this team. He is a great guy and a talented running back. I think he is NFL-ready right now. He’s going to do what he always does, and give us great contributions.
GoPack.com: Which nickname do you prefer for Jamelle Eugene, “The Energizer Bunny” or “Hurricane”?
Underwood: I call him both, because they both describe him perfectly. In camp, you can be really tired and still see Jamelle going and going and going. You don’t want to fall behind him, so you try to keep up. It’s possible to keep up with him, but he just never seems like he tires out. I try to keep up and not show any signs of fatigue.
GoPack.com: I know it was a setback for Toney to have to have another surgery on his knee. How is he handling it?
Underwood: Toney is carrying himself well and isn’t showing his disappointment. He is not slacking off and he is giving us all kinds of encouragement. When he is ready, he is ready and we’ll be excited to get him back.
GoPack.com: Freshman Brandon Barnes came in with a lot of high expectations. How has he adapted to college football life?
Underwood: He is a great guy. He is picking up the system real well. Seeing him is like seeing myself in the mirror as a freshman. He makes the same mistakes I made. I told him You just got to calm down. It will come to you.’ I laughed, because I was in that same situation and making all the same mistakes. But I see a good future for him because he has all kind of talent.
GoPack.com: Do you guys expect that the tailbacks will have to carry the load while the quarterback, offensive line and wide receivers get settled in?
Underwood: We don’t look at it that way at all. We know what we have to do, and we will get it done as a team. We all have our jobs to do, and we can’t do that without the offensive line, or the quarterback, or even the wide receivers, because the passing game will take a lot of pressure off of us. So we don’t feel like we have to do more than anyone else. We are all working together as a team.
GoPack.com: Fullbacks don’t get a lot of carries in this offense, but they are still pretty important. Talk a little about those guys.
Underwood: Having a good fullback is important for getting us open. They are an extra blocker for us. We read the fullback’s initial block and find a hole. We have two really good guys in there right now, [sophomore]
GoPack.com: So, was it hard for you getting used to the south?
Underwood: It was very hard at first, just because of the heat. It was awful. I was too hot and cramping up all the time. But now I have gotten used to it.
| J.C. Neal | |||
| Position: | Safety | ||
| | No. 14 | ||
| Size: | 5-11, 195 pounds | ||
| Class: | Senior | ||
| Hometown: | Sumter, S.C. | ||
GoPack.com: You have the most experience among the safeties. What are you looking to contribute?
Neal: I am looking for the opportunity to make plays. Anything I can do to help my defense make plays and win games, I am down for.
GoPack.com: What do you consider to be your biggest strengths?
Neal: Speed, experience and aggressiveness are my best assets. With my experience the last four years, I know what is going to happen. I think I will be able to help the defense that way a lot. I am very comfortable in any kind of big situation because of my experience. The young guys might get rattled, but I try to keep them composed.
GoPack.com: What do you think you need to work on?
Neal: I think I need to work on my tackling and my man-to-man coverage. Everything has to be good. When you play against good teams, you have to be able to compete with them.
GoPack.com: Javon Walker is coming back from his knee injury. How’s he doing so far in preseason camp?
Neal: He’s working hard to get back from his injury. He brings everyone in the group together and gets us all hyped up. He is very tough and talented.
GoPack.com: Junior college transfer Clem Johnson was making some noise before he suffered his broken jaw. He’s a speedy guy?
Neal: Clem is also very physical. If he were bigger, he could play linebacker.
GoPack.com: Redshirt freshmen Justin Byers was around last year, but did not play. What will he contribute?
Neal: He has really good speed. He is as fast as a cornerback, with the mentality of a safety. He can hit and he can cover, which we will need to play against a slot receiver.
GoPack.com: You also have some young guys who will likely be in the mix. What can you tell me about them?
Neal: Earl Wolff is a big guy, something like 195 pounds as a freshman safety. C.J. Wilson is kind of small for a safety, but he is very quick. Those guys have to gain some experience and get into some games.
GoPack.com: Last year was the secondary’s first in relying primarily on zone coverage. Do you feel more comfortable with that now?
Neal: We are a lot more comfortable in zone coverage and that should allow us to create some more turnovers. Our defensive line is amazing and they will get more pressure on the quarterback. That will also help us create more turnovers.
GoPack.com: This is your last go round. What are your expectations for the season?
Neal: We want to win games and start proving those people who don’t have high expectations for us wrong. I want no less than an ACC Championship. As a team, everybody has that same mentality.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
