Here’s the transcript of NC State quarterback Ryan Finley speaking to the media today at the 2018 ACC Kickoff.
Q. You’ve had some big words to say about your receiving corps, just what you can say about them going into the season and how excited you are for the weapons that you have to go a little bit deeper into those weapons.
RYAN FINLEY: Yeah, real excited about that group. Obviously led by Steph and Kelvin and Jakobi, in my opinion the best trio wide receiving corps in the country. Just can’t speak enough words about how hard they work and just kind of how they approach the game and the level of preparation they put into the game and obviously very talented.
And then behind them with Emeka and CJ and Thayer, just kind of guys chomping at the bit to get in. The depth at that position is really special, and the talent from those guys and the experience and kind of the level of trust we’ve been able to kind of get with each other, and obviously Coach McDonald has done a great job with that group.
Q. In your decision to come back and play, obviously made a lot of statements about that, but I just want to know, as far as the University and the football team, what’s your number one reason for wanting to come back?
RYAN FINLEY: I think college football is just such a special opportunity, and I wasn’t ready to let it go. So many relationships and friendships I’ve made in Raleigh and on our team that were just too special to me. I just wanted to enjoy it one last time. I think that’s what college football is all about.
I had somebody close to me tell me that they’d give their right arm to play another college football game, so I took that to heart, and that was one of the big things for coming back. Just everything it stands for, just the day-to-day stuff throughout the year as a student- athlete, and just with so many of your different friends, it’s just — there’s really nothing else like it in life, and I just wanted one more chance.
Q. Ryan, what area has Coach Drinkwitz challenged you to sharpen up the most going into this year?
RYAN FINLEY: Yeah, I like the word you just used, sharp, I like that a lot. Just staying sharp, staying mentally sharp as a quarterback, I think, is important for my performance. As far as on the field, just kind of some pocket toughness stuff, just learning how to keep manipulating the pocket and just moving within the pocket and just making plays when stuff breaks down. Not everything goes as planned. I need to be able to show my athleticism a little bit more, kind of something I’ve been working on. I don’t always show my athleticism in my play. So just kind of when plays break down, making things happen.
Q. Ryan, I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but my strong impression is that you made a lot of improvement as a team in red zone offense last year. What are the keys to scoring in the red zone, and what do you need to do even better this year?
RYAN FINLEY: Well, red zone is a huge emphasis for us because we’re down there a lot. As an offense we tend to have long drives. We’re kind of a ball control offense, so we spend a lot of time in the red zone, and if you spend a lot of time in the red zone, you’ve got to work on red zone. We work on red zone. Obviously we have Coach Drink, we have some stuff that we kind of emphasize in the red zone, like touchdown, check down, no negative plays, no penalties.
But our main philosophy in the red zone is we’ve got to run, run to win. You get in the red zone you’ve got to run to Brock. That’s the band of brothers and the offensive line, that when we get down there, they know it’s on. We’re running this thing in. And whether the defense knows it or not, they know we’re going to run the ball and we’ve got to do it successfully. Just a quick shout out to the O-line, Garrett, Big T and Tyler and the new guys that are ready to play.
Q. NC State has a history of great quarterback play with guys like Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson. What does it mean to you to kind of join that group and be a part of that legacy of NC State quarterbacks?
RYAN FINLEY: Yeah, it’s a pretty impressive lineage of quarterbacks, and I don’t take it lightly to be considered among that group at all. I think there’s a standard that needs to be upheld when it comes to the quarterback position at North Carolina State. Just in our quarterback room, we’ve got this table, and all four or five of them are on that table, just kind of a reminder of who came before you in the history of this position at North Carolina State. That’s something you shouldn’t forget.
Q. Last year you had one game in which you scored into the 50s, and that was your last game. That’s pretty enthusiastic getting ready for the off- season and for 2018. There’s going to be a lot of good momentum there.
RYAN FINLEY: Yeah, you know, in a bowl game — I think bowl games are important because you just build momentum going into spring ball. You just get all those extra practices. But to win a bowl game is a huge step for your next season. I think the performance that we put on in that bowl game was exciting, to see all that we had coming back and kind of just the future was bright, and another reason for me coming back, just to be a part of that group and the talent and kind of the camaraderie that we built as an offensive unit.
Q. You’ve gotten to spend more time than most being able to come back and play this college game. What have you seen develop in your game from where you started to where you are right now? What are some of those key pieces? And who would you give some appreciation to for helping to get you along the way to get you where you are today?
RYAN FINLEY: Well, I think I’m a product of a lot of different people. I have a lot of different people to thank. I think what’s unique about my story is just how many coaches that have been able to touch my life just through being at Boise State and transferring to NC State, and I’ve kind of been really blessed. I’ve really had two opportunities to do college football, which a lot of people don’t get. So I wasn’t going to take my second chance for granted, and when I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to come to NC State because of Coach Doeren and Coach Drinkwitz, I wasn’t going to take that opportunity lightly at all. And I was excited for the opportunity to play, excited for the opportunity to just meet new teammates and win an ACC Championship, and that’s what our goal is.
Q. You’re a counselor at the Manning passing camp this summer. You’re obviously instructing people. But what did you learn out of it?
RYAN FINLEY: Yeah, so that was the second year I was able to go to the Manning passing academy, which is a pretty awesome event. I think the Mannings are really, really great people. I think just being around Peyton, Eli, and Archie and just — Cooper — and kind of how they interact and what type of people they are was the most special thing for me. And obviously the quarterbacks there, there’s about 40 of us, we get a chance to sit down with Peyton and Eli and just kind of pick their brains, and they tell stories. It’s a really good time, but it’s just kind of — from those two — obviously the Manning name, from those two guys sharing their experiences and their advice, we soak that all in.
