WATCH: Defensive Coordinator DJ Eliot Meets with the Media After NC State’s Spring Practice (with transcript)

NC State Defensive Coordiinator DJ Eliot met with the media after the Wolfpack’s Spring Practice today. You can watch the video ABOVE, and read the transcript BELOW.

Are you getting to a point now, where it’s starting to be normal being here. Is it still new, where are we at on that?

I think it’s becoming normal. I’ve been here since the first of January and gotten to know all the coaches, all the players, how things operate. Now there’s still some things that are new to me, but they have such a good routine here, such a good culture, and everybody kind of falls in line, so it’s easy. It’s easy to get involved early.

Who are some players that have stood out to you so far? Obviously, all of these players are new for you still, but who are some guys that have stood out so far this spring?

I think Sean Brown’s done a great job. I think Cleve’s (Brandon Cleveland) done a great job. Travali’s (Price) done a great job.

There’s many others too, but those guys have really caught my eye.

We’ve talked a lot about how the offense really returned most of their talent from a year ago. How much more challenging does it make it for Spring ball for you as you’re trying to install a new defense?

It is a challenge, but it’s a great one, because we’re getting work against an offense that’s clicking, an offense that has a bunch of guys back, an offense that has great players, and it makes us better. That competition makes us better.

You guys went out in the transfer portal and added a lot of new talent as well. Who are some of those players that have stood out to you?

I think they’re just like the ones coach mentioned. JJ’s (Johnson) done a great job. Tra’s (Thomas) done a great job.

We’re seeing some good things from JJ (Jamel Johnson). We have two JJs, right? Okay, we got a corner. I was gonna say it again.

Yeah, Jamel, okay? So we’ve got two of those guys doing good, too.

Is Raleigh becoming your new normal? Are you settling into NC State, this campus, this area?

Definitely, definitely. It’s a great town, right? Great university. It’s an easy place to like.

It’s a place that you can get used to real quick. It’s good people. I’m coming from Philly, so it’s great weather. It’s really a place that’s been good to me.

How unique is that relationship with Tra after coaching him previously and now getting a chance to do the same thing here in his final year?

Tra and I have a tremendous relationship. I recruited him, I coached him. I even mentored him after I left and went to the Eagles.

So him coming and us having that already, we were able to kind of get ahead, because we didn’t have to build that, like I had to with some of the other players.

What have you seen as the biggest challenge of installing a new defense for the players to pick up on?

The biggest challenge would be that some techniques are different, right? I’m trying to use as many words that they already knew, because it’s easier to teach one guy something new with words as opposed to teaching 50. So what’s different is some of the techniques, how they do things.

What was it like for you to watch the Super Bowl run?

It was great, I love those guys.

So many relationships with the coaches and the players. I was very happy for them.