Tar Heel Insider Podcast: UNC-NC State Rivalry

On this episode of the Tar Heels Insider Podcast, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI beat writer Grant Chachere is joined by associate beat writer Jeremiah Artacho to discuss how NC State head coach Will Wade could disrupt UNC's momentum

To watch today's episode, view below.

Here is the transcript from senior cornerback Thaddeus Dixon's presser at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte on July 24.

Q. Thad, you’re obviously no stranger to big games. You’ve played in the College Football Playoff when you were at UW. What can you tell some of the players that are less experienced with that kind of stage, just how different the game is, because the TCU game Week 1, national TV, primetime, there’s going to be a lot of people watching that game?

THADDEUS DIXON: Yeah, I can tell the young guys that it’s the same game. Football is going to be football, no matter how big the stage is. You’ve still got to go out there and play. I would just tell the young guys, don’t look at it no different than what it is. It’s just another game you’ve got to go out there and perform.

Q. You’re going into a system now which is getting hype with Bill Belichick. He’s coached several amazing cornerbacks. How is it being a part of that system at North Carolina?

THADDEUS DIXON: It’s special. It’s been a lot of great cornerbacks that Coach Belichick has coached. Dudes like Ty Law, Darrelle Revis. To just try to be a part of that pedigree, it’s honestly special. It’s something I look forward to every day, just getting better every day, and hopefully my name can be with those guys’ names.

Q. What have you learned about yourself in this particular training session as it relates to a former NFL coach getting you to the point where you want to be? How much better do you think you’ve gotten in this period of time?

THADDEUS DIXON: Man, I’ve gotten a lot better. The main thing is really just my attention to detail. My attention to detail on little stuff, just taking everything serious as far as stretching, taking care of my body, eating, lifting weights hard, stuff like that. Really just keying in on all the small details, propelling my game to the next level.

Q. You have to be answering a million questions about your coach and his personality, and there’s a lot known about his personality. Can you tell me a little bit about the personality of the Tar Heels and your team and what we can expect from them this year?

THADDEUS DIXON: Yeah, you can expect a tough, smart, dependable team, a team that communicates a lot, a team that’s well put together, well driven, a team with a chip on their shoulder. Honestly, everybody got something to prove. Everybody is trying to get somewhere. That’s what you can expect out of us.

Q. Thaddeus, you’re a guy that’s played in some really big games in your career at UW and now you bring that experience to North Carolina. Going into a DB room that has been listed as questionable over the last few years, what is your message to them on heightening the production and getting the best out of each player in that room?

THADDEUS DIXON: It starts every day, just attacking each day, trying to go 1-0 every day. You can’t make plays on Saturdays until you make plays in the off-season, working hard.

I just tell guys, keep the main thing the main thing. Everybody strive every day, try and get better, and then on Saturdays, everything is going to take care of itself. I mean, it’s football.

Q. Just what it’s like working with defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and what you’ve taken away from his leadership so far?

THADDEUS DIXON: Man, I’ve taken a lot. I’ve built a very close relationship with Coach Steve. He’s been with me pretty much every step of the way going back to last year when he first touched down at Washington. Being able to learn from a guy like that who has so much football knowledge and so much knowledge of the game and scheme and stuff like that, I feel like it’s really propelled my game to the next level as far as understanding the game and other offensive coordinators and kind of, like, just the ins and outs of the defense.

Q. Can you talk about the importance of disrupting a receiver on their stem and what you’re looking to do at the top of the route to turn some of those pass deflections into more turnovers this season?

THADDEUS DIXON: Yeah, so it’s football; offense, everything is about timing. So just being able to disrupt timing. It could be a slight half a second; the quarterback is going to come off the read. So just being able to disrupt timing and not really see some of the balls that I’m seeing, and the balls that I do see, we’ve got to go intercept them.

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