NC State’s Doeren: Lacking fortitude to overcome adversity is “why we’re a soft country”
N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren spent several minutes during his mid-week media availability talking about facing difficulties.
Here’s what Doeren said about the team’s response to challenges this fall and his views on the way society at large deals with hardship and a need for perseverance.
The Wolfpack’s greatest area of growth
Doeren said the team’s understanding of complementary football has significantly improved this fall. Those conversations and improvements began to take shape after the Notre Dame contest and again after the loss to Louisville.
The players likely could have provided a “philosophical answer,” Doeren said, but they didn’t truly understand or appreciate the importance until facing adversity.
“The value of that has been entrenched and, unfortunately, branded through pain,” Doeren said. “That’s how you’ve got to learn. You gotta walk on hot coals and get tougher.
Doeren’s feelings through the season
The amount of enjoyment Doeren may have with the team varies on any given day, alluding to the challenges N.C. State faced through the first nine weeks of the season.
“There’s pieces of this that I’ve really enjoyed,” he said. “There’s pieces where I just wanted to you know, do what I’m not allowed to do; get physical with guys. They drive you crazy and they make you happy. It’s 125 young men and you’re trying to push them through some really tough things and enjoy some really good things. It’s been a lot of growing pains. It’s gonna be a lot of good memories from it, but every day is a new adventure in this job.”
Societal lack of accountability, commitment
Linebacker Jaylon Scott came to N.C. State in 2019, playing in 51 games and starting in 17. He’s started in all eight games this season. Scott and Devon Betty, who started seven of eight games this season, earned their roles after waiting behind players like Isaiah Moore and Drake Thomas.
Doeren said people don’t learn how to deal with situations like that; ones where they’re waiting or not meeting expectations where they’re at.
“You see it at the high school level now. Kids are picking up and transferring all the time and it’s sad. Parents are robbing young people of adversity. ‘That’s OK, honey, let’s do this. That’s too hard,’” Doeren said, imitating things he’s heard parents say. “That’s sad, and that’s why we’re a soft country.
“It wasn’t easy, and (Scott) wasn’t always great with it. There were times where we had to get after him. He’s going to be a college graduate. He’s playing really good football, and he changed the trajectory of his life because he hung in there. It’s a great story, and I wish more people would allow that for their children; all them to fail. Failure is good. Allow them to learn how to handle that adversity and overcome it.”
Scott has nearly matched his tackles total from the last two seasons (50 combined) with 47 this fall. He’s accounted for 4.5 tackles, for a losses totaling 26 yards, with two sacks, and he added seven quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.
Previously, the senior’s best season came in 2021. He recorded 30 tackles, four TFL and two hurries in 12 games.
Betty contributed 24 tackles – roughly 31% of his career total – two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups through the first eight games.
The Wolfpack continues its season at 8 p.m. Saturday when it hosts Miami. Both teams are 2-2 in ACC play.
This story was originally published November 2, 2023 at 3:08 PM.
