North Carolina State University Athletics
Red & White Preview: Corners, Receivers
8/22/2008 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 DeAndre Morgan and Owen Spencer discuss cornerback and wide receiver, respectively. Look Monday for the final preview.
For Morgan, getting that advice was fairly easy: All he had to do was ask his big brother, DaJuan, the guy he looks up to more than anyone else when he has an issue with football or school. The elder Morgan, after three years at NC State, now plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. The younger Morgan is expected to start at corner for the Wolfpack defense.
Spencer grabbed the opportunity to talk with former Wolfpack All-America wide receiver and St. Louis Rams start Torry Holt, who stopped by during a seven-on-seven drill during the summer. Holt's advice was simple: hang out with the other receivers, get to know each other really well and stick together. Spencer and the other receivers have formed a strong bond, something they will need as a unit after losing the team's top returning receiver, Donald Bowens, to a back injury. Spencer says that bond will help the group -- which is lacking in experience, but not talent -- contribute to the Wolfpack offense.
Both Morgan and Spencer talked with GoPack.com managing editor Tim Peeler about their respective positions and gave a little insight to their teammates.
GoPack.com: How do you feel about the cornerbacks heading into the season? DeAndre Morgan Position Cornerback Jersey No.21 Class Sophomore Size 5-10, 170 Hometown Riviera Beach, Fla.
Morgan: As a group, I feel like we are bonding more than we did last year. We are gelling much quicker than we did last year. Most of us feel comfortable with each other in the back.
GoPack.com: What do you and [senior] Jeremy Gray have to teach the young guys in the secondary?
Morgan: I am really the same age with those freshmen, if you look at it. You have to be smart and confident in your ability to cover someone. If you don’t have confidence in your ability you are not going to go out and do well. A lot of these guys are going to have to step up and play early. Coach is looking forward to them playing early. We need everyone.
Gopack.com: Confidence is a huge part of this position, right?
Morgan: You are on an island out most of the time. You have to know that you can shut a receiver down in front of 60,000 people. It's not for someone with a week stomach.
GoPack.com: Not everyone out here has a big brother playing in the NFL. What did you learn from [former NC State safety] DaJuan during your time together here about contributing to the team?
Morgan: DaJuan is a great teacher and I learned a lot from him, about being disciplined, smart, aggressive, covering, making tackles and studying in school. He really taught me everything I know. I feel like my job now is to pass that knowledge to my teammates. If they need help with anything, I have told them to come to me. If they need to learn a cover-2 or a certain kind of technique, I would be happy to stay after practice with them and help them out.
GoPack.com: What are your goals for the season?
Morgan: I have to come out every day, work hard, get better every day and stay positive. I have to pray so that I can stay healthy and continue to compete at a top level. I just have to stay on top of my game.
GoPack.com: Jeremy Gray is the old man in the group. In what ways do you rely on him?
Morgan: He is a tremendous leader. Everyone looks up to him. It’s an honor to have him as a team captain. We see each other every day. We study together, watch film together. A lot of guys look up to Jeremy because he has been here. He shares everything he knows and teaches us things we don’t know about. I am still learning each and every day. If I need something, I will go to Jeremy with no problem.
GoPack.com: Right now, freshman Dominique Ellis and junior Koyal George are playing behind you and Jeremy. How are they doing?
Morgan: Dominique Ellis is coming along right behind Jeremy. He is teaching Dominique the ins and outs of his position. Koyal is competing hard and coming along very well. He is pushing me every day. We all go out and battle at practice.
GoPack.com: How does Koyal’s time at wide receiver help him be a better cornerback and how has he helped you guys?
Morgan: He helps us because he knows the routes, he knows a lot of receiver tendencies. I have learned a lot from him.
GoPack: What are your expectations for you heading into the season? Owen Spencer Position Wide receiver Jersey No. 13 Class Sophomore Size 6-3, 180 Hometown Leland, N.C.
Spencer: My job will be to make plays that’s a big part of the wide receiver position. They need me to stretch the field. I am a speed guy. They want me to get behind the defense and that is what I like to do. That’s going to be big this year, because we are going to throw the ball more. Other players do the same thing I do, as far as stretching the field. Sometimes I have to play decoy, to help the running backs out, but I like doing that kind of thing.
GoPack: Losing Donald Bowens [out for the season with a hairline fracture in his back] is big because he was the most experienced wide receiver coming back this year. Now you are.
Spencer: You can’t replace a player the caliber of Donald Bowens. He’s a big-time receiver. He has the total package. He is tough, physical, has big hands and is fast. So, when you lose a player like that, other players have to step up. That’s why you are recruited to come here and that’s what camp is for. It’s like what happened last year when John Dunlap and Darrell Blackman got hurt Donald Bowens had to step up. It’s like a chain: When you lose one link, someone else has to step up and fill the gap.
GoPack: How much will you go to him during the season for help?
Spencer: I told him the other day that “I am going to be in your face all day long.” I am going to be asking him about all the routes, all the defenses, all the things I could have done better. We will still rely on him all season long.
GoPack: Based on your experience last year, what did you think you needed to improve this year?
Spencer: My confidence. When you are watching football as a little kid, you look at those guys out there and think they don’t even know they are on TV. But it is always kind of in the back of your mind. There are millions of people watching this game. There are 60,000 people here in the stands. You have to stay confident. You have to execute. It can take a toll on you. Personally, I have to stay focused. I am a big part of this offense now. They are going to count on me to make certain plays. You have to be poised in the offense on the field and you have to be well-conditioned mentally. Right now, I am thinking “It is my time to step up and do what I need to do.” At the same time I am thinking “Am I ready?” I did a lot of praying and got a lot of help from my friends and family. It’s a big chance for me. I just have to relax and do it.
GoPack: Talk about some of the other receivers. You have some tall guys who should be difficult to cover.
Spencer: It’s kind of like basketball, almost. You want to go up and win the jump ball. We have some big guys who can do that. We average over 6-foot-3. We look forward to the jump-ball situations. We have to capitalize on that. We are skillful. Personally, I think we are the best receiving corps in the ACC. We really pride ourselves on that. We can make plays. When you have big, physical receivers like we have, the coaches call plays to get the ball in our hands.
GoPack: Darrell Davis should help with those jump balls he was a walk-on for the basketball team two years ago.
Spencer: Darrell his a huge target out there. He has big hands and is very physical. He’s been banged up a little lately and hasn’t seen a lot of time, but it is time for him to step up and perform. He’ll be ready to do that in our first game.
GoPack: Jarvis Williams was also an all-state basketball player in Florida.
Spencer: I look at Jarvis as a freak in a good way. He’s really tall and smooth in his routes. He has great hands. He was a great basketball player coming out of high school. When you put someone like that on the field, you can win a lot of matchups. He’s three inches taller than me. The quarterbacks and the coaches love that, because you see a lot of chances to go up and get the ball, especially in the end zone. He has great body control and does a real good job of going up and winning those jump ball situations.
GoPack: Geron James has returned to the team this year. His experience two years ago should help, right?
Spencer: When you have a player like Geron, who showed a lot his freshman year, when you see the skill level he has, you have to keep an eye on him. To have him back this year is really big for our program. It adds another dimension to our receiving corps: big, tall, physical. It’s going to be exciting for us.
GoPack: Andrew Evans has the most experience of any receiver. How does he help you guys out?
Spencer: He is a good receiver. He knows the offense like the back of his hands. We are in meetings sometimes and the coach asks the quarterbacks a question and Andrew is the one giving the answer. That’s what you need sometimes. You have to look to other players for answers and I look to Andrew all day long. Whenever I am not sure on a route or how to run it, he gives me the proper route.
GoPack: How has redshirt freshman Jay Smith performed so far?
Spencer: Jay Smith was very productive in this camp. He had a chance to learn the offense last year while redshirting. I played as a freshman, but I focused on one position. When you redshirt, you really get a chance to see, on film, what everyone is doing and what you are supposed to do. I think he benefitted from that. He has really stepped it up this camp. He did a good job, especially in the last couple of scrimmages.
GoPack: Steven Howard also came in at the same time as you and Jay. How would you describe his game?
Spencer: Steve is a good buddy of mine. He is a smart guy and a little quiet on the field. But that is because he is really focused on what he does. I told him the other day that he had a really, really productive camp, coming in off the red-shirt year and learning his position. He did a good job executing his routes and catching the ball. He’s going to be a really good receiver. His routes are crisp.
GoPack: There’s only one true freshman wide receiver, T.J. Graham. What have you seen from him so far?
Spencer: His speed on the field is amazing. Sometimes, when we are watching film and I see him come off the line of scrimmage, I’m like “Man, where did that come from?” When you have world-class speed like that, you can’t beat it. Coaches love it too, because you can’t reproduce that speed in practice. When you get to a game, it’s hard to defend.
GoPack: Do you understand why people are wondering what the receiving corps will do this year?
Spencer: We know we are a really young group. When they see the plays we make on the field, they will be really surprised. We are going to be together for a long time. Donald is our oldest player, and he is going to be with us for another two years. It will be like it was last year, when we kept subbing people out and the new people produced. That’s what we have to keep doing. I think we are going to surprise people. We are all tall, fast and have a lot of athletic ability.
GoPack: Who is the fastest receiver?
Spencer: T.J. is the fastest guy on paper. It’s different on the field. I think my game speed is faster. On the field, I run like I have dogs behind me. I don’t like to get hit, so I run for my life.
