WATCH: OT Teague Anderson Shares the Mentality of an O-Lineman (with transcript)

Redshirt Sophomore Offensive Tackle Teague Anderson met with the media last week during NC State’s 2nd week of Fall Football Camp. He talked about his transition from Utah St., what he appreciates about playing on the Offensive Line, and the culture at NC State.

You can watch the video above, and read the transcript below.

What’s the transition been like from Utah St. to NC State?

It’s been a pretty smooth transition. I feel like as a team, they’re very welcoming and it was a pretty easy transition from one to the next.

What’s your mentality as an Offensive Tackle? What’s it like playing for Coach Tujague?

I love Tujague. He’s the reason I’m here today. I love the mentality of the O-Line. That’s why I’m playing it. Just the mentality of knowing that we’re going to be the first ones blamed and the last ones appreciated. That’s what we live by.

You may not have known that he was going to end up being your teammate again, but what has it been like to be reunited with Cian?

Cian’s a dog, I love him so much. I’m so glad he’s with the program.

He’s going to be a really, really good piece for us this year. Just having him again as a teammate’s been a blessing.

When skill guys reach numbers like 1,000 yards rushing or 3,000 yards passing, what does that mean to a lineman? Do you think NC State has the skill players to do that?

Yeah, for sure, we have tons of weapons. I feel like our offense is going to be very explosive this year. I don’t know that, as an offense lineman, we care about numbers, but at the end of the day, as long as we do our job, and as long as we’re the last ones appreciated, that’s good. As long as we’re not in the spotlight, it’s usually a good day.

In a sense, is that an appreciation when the guys put up those numbers, you say, ‘Okay, that’s the glory I need?’

Yeah, when I see a guy running, when Wood (Hollywood Smothers) lowers his shoulder and he lays a dude out, that makes me want to block that much harder for him.

How much do you care about pancake numbers, though?

As long as I do my job, I’m happy.

What’s it been like meshing with this new line?

I love the O-Line. I feel like the room is really tight knit, and it’s been a smooth transition.

Almost a week of practice now. What have been some of the memorable moments so far, offensively, defensively, for you guys?

I feel like (Justin) Joly has gotten way better as a run blocker. You can just see guys like that, that you know what they’re working on. We have this one more every single day. What we want to get 1% better at, and you can see every single day these guys getting better and better.

What have the match-ups with the defensive line been like?

I feel like we brought in some pretty good pieces, like Sabastian (Harsh) from Wyoming. He’s been really good. Been giving us a hard time. He’s a really explosive athlete, and it’s been fun going against him.

Coming from a different program, what’s unique about the way Coach Doeren has established the culture here?

I feel like it’s more about family, and just being together, being selfless.

How have you and (Jacarrius) Peak kind of complemented each other?

I’ve learned a lot from him. I feel like we complement each other a lot because we’re very different players. Not very different, but different skill sets.

He’s a really, really fast, quick guy. I mean, I’m fast and quick too, but just learning different sets from him, learning different techniques from him, has been a blessing.

Did his inclusion on the freaks list surprise you?

No, no, not at all. He’s a monster.

To block for a guy like CJ Bailey, what are your impressions of him?

He’s done a really good job stepping into the leadership role. I feel like he’s grown up a lot. You can just tell he’s starting to mature a lot and be smarter with his decisions and everything.