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Inside the Den
Inside the Den provides a high-access look at the daily grind and academic growth of Arkansas State student-athletes. The series demonstrates the direct link between the Red Wolves Foundation and the resources that drive player success. This is a transparent look at how your support provides the scholarships and professional tools necessary to build a championship culture in Jonesboro.
Inside the Den
Inside the Routines of A-State Leaders with Noah Flores and Chauncy Cobb
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Pressure is easy when things are going your way. The harder question is what you do when you’re waiting, overlooked, new to the locker room, or one rep away from being forgotten.
We sit down with Arkansas State Red Wolves standouts Noah Flores and Chauncy Cobb for a candid talk about the habits that actually change a career. Noah breaks down his journey from walk-on at Utah State to earning a scholarship, then transferring and buying into a new culture fast. Chauncy shares what it’s like to spend early years fighting for snaps, leaning on faith, and staying ready until the moment finally shows up. Along the way, we get specific about the daily routine of a Division I athlete: early lifts, treatment, in-person classes, meetings, practice, and the extra film work that turns a group into a connected team.
We also go deeper than the highlight reel. We talk leadership, humility after awards, and why the best players compete beyond their position room. Then we tackle modern college football topics head-on: NIL, the transfer portal, and how money can help athletes while also pulling focus away from what wins games. Finally, we bring it back to what matters most: community support, gratitude, and the shared goal of pushing Arkansas State toward a Sun Belt Conference championship.
If you care about college football culture, player development, and the mental side of competing, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a Red Wolves fan, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Make sure to follow on socials @arkansasstatemedianetwork.
Welcome To Inside The Den
SPEAKER_03We are Arkansas State Football. What's going on, Red Wolves fans? It's Justin Barks here with our first episode of Inside the Den. Hey, today we have guests Noah Flores and Chauncey Collar wide receiver number two. Yep. So these um these guys have been working very hard in the offseason. Obviously, Chauncey's been here, you know, for the past three years, going on his fourth year now. I remember he was a freshman going against him uh every day. You know, he'd be cooking us sometimes. Uh you got Noah here. You know, I hosted him on his official visit here, so it was really good, you know, to get him, you know, sealed in, locked in with the rebels. So
Chauncey’s Journey And Family Roots
SPEAKER_03um I guess we can start really with uh, you know, Chauncey, just tell us a little something about yourself, you know, your story here, obviously, you know, your journey, getting here to Arkansas State, you know.
SPEAKER_01Okay, yeah. So I'm Chelsea Cobb, originally from um a small town named Cleosa, Florida, here down south of uh close area to Palm Beach. Uh I've been I got here January 2023. It's been a long journey, I can say, but me, I didn't play my first two years here. Well, I didn't play as much as I wanted to. I just kept my head down and look up to the older guys. As Justin Park's been one of him, him motivating me to keep my head down and just keep going. And eventually I had my time to play last year, and I took advantage of it, I can say. And I can say um I got one I got one younger brother. My father, he was deceased when I was 10 years old, and my uncle, he was stuck gotta be my father figure. He was deceased two years after that. So I can say growing up, it wasn't the best lifestyle, but I took advantage of it. And my nana and my mother just pushed me to be the best version of myself daily.
Noah’s Walk-On Path To Scholarship
SPEAKER_00I'm Noel Flores, cornerback number three. Um I'm from Sandy, Utah, uh 30 minutes uh south of Salt Lake City, Utah. Um, I got here uh this last January. I was at Utah State for the last three years. Umriginally I was a walk-on. So my freshman year, I walked on, and then the summer going into my sophomore year, uh blessed, but I got put on scholarship. Um played a little bit that year, and then uh 2025 played a little bit and then yeah, just transferred here. Um I got a beautiful family, my mom, Katie, dad, Rob, and my sister, uh Delaney. And I just want to say give a little shout out to them because I would not be here uh if it wasn't for them. Um they've pushed me and they've uh believed in me when no one else did. And um I just think you know, my uh my family and just being a walk-on is honestly the best thing that ever happened
Discipline, Faith, And Daily Standards
SPEAKER_00to me because it taught me a lot.
SPEAKER_03No, that's dope. Uh I think the biggest thing I took from that is just like, you know, you're like you're definitely one of our best players on defense. I feel like, in my honest opinion, you know, like believe it or not, a lot of guys really look after you, and that's kind of hard to find in this like, you know, this now modern era of college football, you got people coming in, then you know, like the portal, everything like that, gotta get to know a new team, then you don't have as many young guys as you used to, you don't have those 30, 40 freshmen coming in like you did six, seven years ago. So how like being the walk going the walk on route, you know what I'm saying? A lot of uncertainty in that, you know what I'm saying? How did like that fuel you, you know, drive you, especially that first year at uh Utah State, man? Cause like like if I didn't know that, like if I just seen you play, you'd be like, oh man, it's probably probably like three, four star out of high school, you know what I'm saying? At least at the very least. So like, how did you know that fuel your drive, your freshman year, you know, prove your point, basically?
SPEAKER_00I would just say, obviously, since I was little, I've had a passion for football. Um, I knew that God put football in my heart for a reason. And I just, you know, didn't get recruited out of high school, but I knew I could play. And I just didn't let anything stop me. My one goal was I want to be able to just say that I gave it everything I got compared to just being like, what if? So every day I just hit the field, hit the weights, made sure, you know, I got the right sleep, uh, every little detail to make sure that I could put myself up for success. Whenever that looked like, if you know, rather if it was a year, two years, three years, I just knew that I wanted to play college football and I wanted to play at a high level. Um, so I just say I just bet on myself and just uh gave you everything I got and just allow God to just work through me and just put me exactly where I needed to go. Um, but it just taught me a lot of discipline being a walk-on. Like, you know, nothing, nothing is evern't not given in everything you do. So it's just like you gotta go get it. Uh not as just in football, just everything in your life. Just you just gotta go get it. You gotta wake up every single day, you gotta find your why, you gotta have discipline. Um, and you just gotta do it for something bigger than yourself. Um, and I just want to just prove just everyone wrong, everyone who overlooked me, said I wasn't gonna play. Um, and so I just I just take pride in being a walk-on, just um having that chip on my shoulder.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. No, it's good because like I said, you and Chauncey, you know, kind of like two opposite stories. You know, I remember watching like Chomp, you know, out of high school, three-star, then that viral Instagram posting. You try running like this, then uh look at the dude throwing up the deuces, you know what I'm saying? You meet him like, oh, that was me. It's like dang, like that's one thing college taught real is just like you meet so many people, like there's so many internet sensations. I done met so many internet sensations being here at this school or just like viral football clips, or it could just be you know content creators, it's just like amazing to see. But you know, trying to say, like, I you know, I feel like seeing your whole process, like, you know what I'm saying. Obviously, you say you didn't play your whole two, your first two years, you know what I'm saying? Like, and I feel like, you know, you definitely like I feel like I wanted you to personally now, but like just being at the Arkansas game as a spectator fan, you know, first time and our God knows how long of just watching the game without like being prepared, and then seeing you get that kick out return touchdown, man. It was so special. But like, I think I was probably like probably one of the happiest persons on that field because just seeing like your whole story, you know, me, you, Jalen being at Eddie House, just cooking, talking about the futures, you know what I'm saying? Then you just never gave up. That's been I'm one thing being here four years, I've seen so many people be so athletically given, like having the most talent, and then they just like giving up because it ain't going that way that at that time, you know. And like, if you just talk to us, like, man, like how did you overcome
Waiting Your Turn Without Quitting
SPEAKER_03that? Like, how because that's one thing that's missing college football, is just that piece of overcoming adversity.
SPEAKER_01I can say, like, um, how I overcome adversity, I just kept my head down and working. Cause I was I knew like God didn't bring me here for no reason. Like, he brought me here for a reason. Like, I didn't make it here by mistake. I can say I know I was undersized growing up and everything like that, but he put me in this platform for a reason. And I just I took it as like, okay, maybe he's teaching me a lesson, mate. Maybe my first year wasn't my time yet. The next year wasn't my time yet. But he put it on stage in the neck the year after that. And God be the blessed. Like, my first game that ever played, I returned a kick, I like a touchdown back. So I just feel like he put me on the big stage for a reason. And maybe it was just my time to show them like all the gifts he'd been waiting to show like the world, I can say. But I can just say, like, just keep my head down, just grinding and just like not giving up on like my preparation of myself. Like working when nobody's looking. I can just say like that took me a long, long way. Also, just like I know like you don't see results as fast as you want to, but I just feel like if you just keep working, they'll always come to the light.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, no doubt, bro. That uh it was just special to see, man. So when like when did you feel like you made the turning point, you know, into new and like, hey, I'm gonna like play this year? Like, because obviously I wasn't here in the offseason, like I was going doing my own thing back at the house training, but like when did you feel like you like made that turning point, you know, that final stretch of like, hey, I'm finna like this finna be my year?
SPEAKER_01I can say, um I can say when I first came, that's when we brought in Courtney Jackson. He played for the Giants. Now, shout out to Courtney Jackson, I can say he was where like he was like one of the people that I always looked up to. Also, he was like one of the older guys, and he like, I can say I like growing up story was like similar. So he always gave him his background, I gave him my background. He was like, bro, I used to be in your same shoes. This is what I did. But look, you gotta do better than I did, this right here. So just like taking his advice and then just like just keep going. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, you're gonna doubt yourself at times, you know what I'm saying, when you don't see the result that you want, but you just gotta keep going, keep fighting. And I can't sit and say, like, when I seen that scratch, like I had an opportunity, was like when he left. Him dropping gems on me before he left and me just applying them. Yeah. And just keep my head down and just keep going. And it's like now, I just say like, now that I'm in a position that I'm in now, I'm not just like competing with the people that's in my like receiver room. I'm competing with other people in the country now at this point, you know what I'm saying? Not just like the receiver that I like that's on the team, or like a team that's on the team. Like, we I'm competing with every receiver that's across the country right now.
SPEAKER_03And I feel like it's so funny you say that. I feel like the great ones are the ones that like have success in this conference are really in the country as they think that way. Like that was like me in the nutshell, like you know, but you always used to say it, like Coach Jones always to say it, like you is 131 starting stars in the country, you know what I'm saying? Like in a weight room, I'm doing, I'm having all this success, you know, on the field, off the field, but it's like that thought in my mind that while I do the extra work on Saturdays and Sundays, if I go out of town, like if I have one, I still gotta like, you know, do the work because like it's somebody in Hattiesburg, Mississippi still working out, thinking about you. Somebody in Huntington, West Virginia, somebody in Miami, Florida, it could be Salt Lake, Utah, you know what I'm saying? So it's like that that thought always like if you want to be successful, have success at this level, you gotta always think like that, or you ain't gonna make it, you know what I'm saying? You'll you'll you know, you'll beat some teams, you'll have some success, but when it counts, you just it's like the football guys always find a way you're gonna line up across somebody that did that did the work when you endure it. And exposed.
SPEAKER_01I feel the same way also, though. Like I'm very competitive. I I know y'all too is too. Like, when I'm not working, I feel like somebody can better than me. And I don't I don't I don't I dislike that feeling, so it's like you feel me.
SPEAKER_03Sick to your stomach, you're feeling how you're sick to your stomach, bro. Okay, nobody say it. Because you know, like you know they working, like
Turning Points And Competing Nationally
SPEAKER_03but um so let's get into accolades, you know. Me myself, you know, the the ball game MVP no K. Just like awards, you know. I know you was a nominee for the uh Burroughsworth, which is I didn't I didn't really know how big it was. I knew Brandon Burroughsworth just the movie, watching the movie, then like just seeing the trophy, like and like seeing how many, how special it is to have a story like that, like yourself, like how did it feel being nominated uh for that award?
SPEAKER_00It was dope because I actually um watched that movie like I think my senior year. Uh my mom showed it to me, and I just thought it was crazy. Like, I never thought it was gonna be a walk-on, but I just thought that story was crazy. Like, he just outworked everybody and rest in peace, but you know, he had a beautiful life. Um and so like full circle moment, like when uh I didn't even know I was getting nominated, but I we had like a little team meeting. Um, and then he was just like, we have someone that's nominated for this. I don't even know it was me. And then I got it, have a little plaque. Um, and I it's it's right next to my bed every time I wake up. So I don't know. It was it was cool just to like kind of see the hard work pay off just in a little, a little uh like shape or fashion. But um, I just I look at it every day and it kind of just reminds me like kind of where I came from, and like you know, that's that's a good little stepping stone, but it's I'm not I'm not done in any shape or form. But special story, damn.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's just that's a blessing. I don't think any award I got nominated for, it could be the community service award, which I got nominated a couple of times, it's like just a blessing. It's like I think a lot of times we get in new environments and then we want to continue to elevate, and that's the goal. But then like I think what you know grounds me the most is like remembering where I come from and remember that like I was a kid in the basement, just playing out scenarios on being in the big college stadiums, then playing in them stadiums, is like you finally happen, just like just gotta thank God that you know you got here for sure. So like you missed the first team, all conference, you know what I'm saying? Then you got academic all-American uh on the roll here. So how um just like how special it was, you know, just to find out you was, you know, first team all conference.
SPEAKER_01I can say that was like when I first ever found out, I went home, I thank God, and I dropped a few tears. I ain't gonna lie. It was just like that's all like a kid coming from a small town not giving up. That's all he ever wanted. You know what I'm saying? Like, and I called my parents, I called them, told them they was crying with me, they was praying, thanking Jesus and everything like that. So I can just say like that. That was a big that was a big one for me, I can say, because like as a as a college football player, all you want to do is win and get, you know what I'm saying, get nominated for stuff like that. And like just like he said, like, that's a blessing. Like, I sleep with the
Awards, Humility, And Staying Hungry
SPEAKER_01Michael A. Things, the plat in my room too. Every time I wake up, I see him. So it's like just like he said also earlier, just like, okay, I did that last year, what can I do this year to be better than that? Yeah. So like he said, we're not done yet.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's that's just amazing to see that y'all are so humble, bro. There's so many people that get caught up in that, and then they just turn into a whole different person behind the scene so many times. And it's like you forget the process that got you there, and then you get humble.
SPEAKER_02Yep.
SPEAKER_03You get humble, and that's the most, that's the worst feeling is being humble. But um, so obviously you knew on a block, you know what I'm saying? You knew new areas of house.
Day-To-Day Routines And Recovery
SPEAKER_03What is what is your you know, day-to-day life? What is your day-to-day schedule, you know, looks like, you know what I'm saying? Like it could be morning, praying, anything.
SPEAKER_00Okay. So I would say wake up. Um, like if we got a lift early, wake up, like hour 30 before. Um, obviously, yes, get my prayers in, kind of just set the day, set the tone. Um, ask Jesus to put anything on my heart that he needs me to accomplish. Um, and then I go to the embassy, get a great omelet, get some uh biscuits and gravy. Shout out to embassy, shout out Zane, shout out Chris, maybe make some fire omelets. Um, get that, and then I go to the lift, um, get a great lift in, and then I got class. I got class every day from like 9:30 to like 1250. And then from there I'll go back to the facility, um, get some treatment, eat, uh, make sure I'm ready for either practice or meetings. Um, and then we got usually team mean, 2:30, uh around then, and then you know, just make sure, you know, we watch over the film or get ready for the next day. Um, and then that's till like what 5, 6, and then usually get some more treatment after that. Um, and then I go home like 7, 8-ish. Uh sometimes play the game. Um you know, you know what happens when it's always be sticks. You know what happens when it sticks.
SPEAKER_03I get active on the I get active on the NCA. Ask about me.
SPEAKER_00Um play the game a little bit sometimes. Uh either like watch a show, call my folks back home, uh, call some of my boys, and then I sleep 10, 10.30, and then repeat. Yeah. Yeah. Now do you go to sleep at 10 30 or 12? I do. I give my Z.
SPEAKER_01Is he really like that for real? Is he really, yeah.
SPEAKER_03No, he's a cheater.
SPEAKER_01Oh, you just in the same room.
SPEAKER_00You run Z Gucci play kids and he's on the series and out of the film. So he's nice.
SPEAKER_03He's nice. I'm not gonna lie, he's serious. I ain't gonna my philosophy is I'm not gonna let you do what you want her to do. Yeah, but you're gonna do what I make you do. You know what I'm saying? You're one of those players that you know mid, I'm gonna tell you now I'm mid blitz zero. That's how you I switch up of it too, I run variations. It ain't like I'm a one-trick pony, you gotta like, you know, adjust. That's what mess a lot of people up, you know. So he could, he's solid though. He's solid, man. He picked the best LGBT. Like, come on, yeah, you know, speed kill speed the kid. He just speed. So we got the senior citizen over here. So what is your uh day-to-day schedule? What does it consist of?
SPEAKER_01So I get up daily, like 6 45-ish. Well, it depends on if we got lift or everything. We got lifts, I wake up like six, you know what I'm saying? So I get up, I always I gotta take a shower when I get up. I feel like that starts my day. I always have to. After I get out of the shower, I do my daily prayer, my daily prayers. I'm sorry, daily prayers, you know what I'm saying? I don't take my phone until like I leave the house. I ain't gonna lie. Like, I don't get on social media until I leave home. But I wake up, I text my like when I see my family text me, they text me, I instantly text them back. So that's my morning routine right there. Oh, I journalize also. I get up in the morning, I journalize, I write down, like I read from what I wrote like the night before to see what I did all day or see what I was going through. So I always write down like what I want to accomplish that day in the morning time. Then I usually leave the house and then just like just like Noflow said, the embassy, side to the embassy, man. Good. Good breakfast every morning, you know what I'm saying? That's mandatory. And then like we got workouts, I go, we go train. I always get to squeeze some treatment in between classes. I got classes every day, you know what I'm saying? So but I always squeeze treatment in between there. And then if we got if we got lifts, we lift, and then after that, more treatment, and then we go to class, and then I come back for more treatment after that, and then depends on if we got meetings and anything. If we got meetings, then we get ready for meetings. If we got practice, we go get tape, you know what I'm saying, go kick it in the training room, make sure everybody has space right before we go out to practice, and then we just get dressed, and you know, we usually have a team meeting, team meeting, then by that time it's position time, and then by that time you're ready to tie your cleats and get ready for practice. Then after practice, I can say like we always watch film together. All the, like I can say it has been like the the DBs and the receivers and some of the quarterbacks. Well, majority of them we've been watching film all we all been watching film together after practice. We always leave
Extra Film And Team Connection
SPEAKER_01the building kind of late. We grab some grub, and then by that time you go home, it's ready to restart your day.
SPEAKER_03Now I feel like that was a that's like the missing piece. Like that, like that's what makes teams successful. That's the difference between a five-win and an eight-win team right there, just that extra piece of just post-practice watching film, but then like I could say y'all, you know, do it probably even better than most, it's just watching like, you know, different, the whole different side of the ball. You know what I'm saying? This is perspective. You can troll a little bit, uh just yeah, cross the mole or whatever, but it's like it just you know creates that connection, it creates you know, football intelligence, which is needed, you know, to be a successful team. So I feel like, you know, I feel like y'all, I wasn't here last spring, but I can feel like just in terms of that aspect, y'all are like light years ahead. I feel like it's one of the more connected teams, you know what I'm saying? Just stuff y'all do outside of the building, you know what I'm saying? Just the camaraderie. I feel like, you know, you can have you know everything transfer portal, but if you don't have that connection, those teams still will truly win. Um but now like the start, like we got schedules, you know, things like that. But let's say, you know, like circumstances, you know, injuries, you know, things like that. Like me, you know, I was probably one of the more injured people you ever meet, you know, two shoulder surgeries, two ankle surgeries, still having to do schoolwork on top of that. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, and I never made an excuse, you'll be sad for a little minute, but like, you know, you gotta overcome that. You know, my biggest thing when I was here, you know, like every time I take two steps forward, I could knock four steps back. But like that resiliency, you know, I always try to show, you know, because it wasn't
Setbacks, Leadership, And Consistency
SPEAKER_03for my personal satisfaction. You know, I do everything to increase my play, but it's just show the people around me, hey, like I've done this before. You know what I'm saying? I gotta practice what I preach. You know what I'm saying? Like, so like what in your life or really just being here, has it been like any injuries or any setbacks that you know that you had to overcome, you know, and persevere through?
SPEAKER_00Injuries, uh, thankfully, no, not no injuries. Um, I would just say, kind of just being like new, um, obviously coming from Utah State, being there for three years, leaving all my boys, um, having to come here, uh, kind of build a connection with everybody, um, uh proving myself to everybody, uh, proving like a leader, um, just on the field, off the field. Um, but I would I would just give a shout out to all of them. Like, they make it easy to just kick it and just uh be comfortable with them. Like they're just all good people. Um, they got good values, like, and uh, you know, Coach Jones does a great job about like emphasizing like a connection as a team because you know we could be so talented, but if we don't got that connection, like we're not gonna win no games, and that could be the reason why we win some games. Um, so I would say that was just kind of like the most most challenging things. Um, also, too, this is a little one, but I would say having class every day because I used to be all online but just makes us go in person. So I got in person every day. Um, but it's a good reminder that like one, I am here for football, but I mean it's a blessing to get my school paid for. So that I mean that is very important. And you know, with all this crazy stuff, it's a blessing to have uh or to be tired from like the work that I used to pray for. I used to pray to be a division one athlete. So like just reminding myself that like even if my days are crazy, like I leave the house at six, don't get home till nine, like it's sometimes it does suck, but I mean it's a blessing, and like you do find joy in it. Yeah. What about yourself?
SPEAKER_01I can say for me it's like no, God thank you. I ain't never had no any any serious injuries, I would say. I can say like a setback, it was like um, I can say, I can take it back when I first came here. You know how it is coming out of high school, you like you played like you've been playing football. I was been playing as I was five years old. You know, always started, always played, been on the field, then just a transition here and realized like dang, everybody same level I am, or even better. You know what I'm saying? So coming from straight out of high school, playing, then coming here not to playing, it kind of set me back a little bit. I ain't gonna lie. I had doubts on myself. That's when I really, I can say picked up the Bible more than I do, or more than I did back in high school. So I can say that was like a major come, I mean major setback for me. But I just know like, just like I said earlier, like God won't put me through battles that he know he can't get me out of. So maybe I'm finna play like I had my mind said, like, maybe I'm gonna play like week 12 or something. Maybe I'm gonna play like next season, the season after that. And then God bless, like my time came. And then my time came. I just stayed, stayed true to myself. And like even now, like I don't feel like I'm better than. Anybody else, like anybody else on the team. But like I gotta like, just like you said, you gotta practice what you preach. You know what I'm saying? So I just like I just try to be the leader that I am now on the team, just make it like not just competing with only the guys in my room, but like also everybody else that's in the country. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03That is that's the cost of leadership. I think a lot of people don't talk about that the most, you know. Like I said, being here leading for four years, uh, everybody try to find something that you they'll just nek pick anything you do wrong. Like you gotta come with it every day. You're gonna have shortcomings, you're gonna have downfalls, you're gonna have setbacks, you're gonna have things that don't go the right way. But you know what I'm saying? Like every day you have to come with a certain level of intensity, and then just you just can't, you have to be a man of your word. Like leadership is the hardest thing. Like I feel, I feel like in sports, like you have to be consistent, you gotta show up every day. You know what I'm saying? The younger guys looking to you, you gotta mentor, you know what I'm saying? Like you when you know, I feel bad for quarterbacks because quarterbacks win, lose, or draw, like it's on them. You know what I'm saying? They get to blame. That's why them boys uh Twitters be deactivated, IGs be on private.
SPEAKER_01But another thing though, I do want to give a huge shout out to you know for because like I can say you came in and like you bought it instantly. Instantly, like we knew you was gonna be one of them ones when you came in because like all you want to do is work, bro. You wanted to work and just get better. So I appreciate you for buying it for the culture, bro. And like pass out to you, bro. I ain't gonna lie.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, no doubt. I remember me and you first got here in the indoor backpedal break, back pedal. Oh, that was just terrible for the work. Yo, no, I feel like it's just like going to shine to say it's just so easy to coach you. I don't feel like you the impact you made on this team, but just like the impact you know you're making around you. You want to make people elevate their plate just by how you play. And just like it's so hard to have, it's so hard to coach transfer transfer sometimes in most cases. It's just so hard to get them bought into the culture, and then for you to you know set the coach, and then now you're trying to enforce the culture that we have. I feel like you know, a lot of people, you know, a lot of people may not say it, but yeah, we do appreciate it, that's for sure. So appreciate y'all. So what um how do y'all like um so talk to me about like your best play in spring
Best Plays And Learning Opportunity
SPEAKER_03so far? Like, what's been the best play like just spring? Red Bell. My best play ever. Like anybody, yeah, yeah, like your top moment like that you had that you made. So like your best play that you've ever made, like in football, like going back to your glory days, or it could have been recently, but everybody tend to go back to high school.
SPEAKER_00I would say I would say my our first game last year, it was against UTEP. Um and the whole season I thought I was gonna start. Um, and then like the game before like the day before, coach said I was gonna be the third man. So like I was still gonna rotate, but I wasn't gonna be starting on the field. Um and this was like the first year I was really confident in my game, so I was like really excited to play. Um and didn't play. Corner got hurt for like two plays. The first two plays I was in, I caught a pick. Um it was like a cover three. He ran like a seam. I jumped over top of it. Um it was just crazy. Like, I just could still remember feeling like the crowd, seeing my teammates go crazy. Like, I think that that was probably the the coolest and dopest play I've had. Just because like in that moment, like before that game, too, even during the game, I was like, dang, like I I should be out there. Like, like I had dreams, visions of being out there like a week before I thought I was gonna be playing, and now I'm not. And then it kind of just taught me like you just gotta make the most out of every opportunity. And um went in, made a crazy play, and yeah, like I'll for I'll forever remember that moment. But I'll say, probably that one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I can say for me it was like I can say one of them was like last season, like my first ever start. Uh I caught a vertical, I caught it deep, and I just like I had it, but I caught it on my feet. So like that one was crazy. I get you my feet, bro. Like my first start ever in college ball is like, cause like, you know what I'm saying? I feel like I ain't make a play in years. I ain't played my first two years or as much as I wanted to play. But then like my first start ever, I get the first reception of the game, and this is like for 50 yards. Yeah. And then we went out to win that game, we scored that same drive. So that was like, you know what I'm saying? That was that was probably one of my best moments right there.
SPEAKER_03With your feet. That's crazy. Your feet's crazy. I got the feet. I was watching, I was driving up here. I was a little late. Driving up here, and I seen on Twitter, I was like, oh, I'm almost in Twitter. I'm the interstate. I'm on Interstate 22 for this one.
SPEAKER_01That was crazy, though, man.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, for me, I think the best play I made was probably fumble, forced fumble bowl game, I think. That wasn't just the most physically like um, that wasn't the most physically impressive, but that was like best play because uh a lot of my teammates will tell you on defense, I said, this runner, he was like five, seven, five, six, but he was like 220 pounds, but it was a bowling ball. But I was like, anytime he cut, he swing that ball out. And lo and behold, I'm going at an angle in the box. He kind of cut back on me, but lo and behold, he swung that ball, got the fingertips, prodded out. And it's after I dropped the interception, which was crazy. They dropped the interception and they scored like they it tipped up in the ball and they caught the ball. I'm like, oh my god. Like I was depressed. Came out to have the time. I don't normally look at my phone, but I had to look at my phone at halftime. And I don't know if I should say this, but I'm gonna say it anyway. I don't care. But I look at my phone, my homeboy is texting me, man, how you dropped that, man? Nah, you gotta get me. I'm like, ah, so you ever about to make their phone blowing up? When I did got a fumble right after, like first play out of halftime, got the ball back, we won that game. It was just so special. I don't think Chauncey could test to it because he got here the year after, but like that first year we won two games. The second year we won three games, you know, with Chauncey was a freshman. So, you know, just you can just imagine walking around the campus, you know, you know, winning those, not winning as much, you know, just personal prior hurt, but just like, you know, the program completely flips around, you know. Now we're back-to-back board champions, and then hopefully, you know, striving for that sunbelt, striving for that next step, you know what I'm saying? Like constant improvement, like we talked about. I just think like, you know, it's just special, you know, to be here to play here. You know what I'm saying? So that moment, you know, stuck out to me the most though, because it's just like, bruh, like just to win that first one, you know, after losing that one in Montgomery, it was just like, yeah, that just makes you feel great. But um Who did y'all play in the bowl game? We played uh Bowling Green. Okay. You don't know nothing about them. Yeah, good. Oh, yeah, good. Hey, you know, they had a uh what third round draft pick at Titan?
Community Support That Fuels The Program
SPEAKER_03He went crazy. Yeah, he did go crazy. He said, but um nah, that it was definitely special. So what is like how, because that's you first, how does like, you know what I'm saying, the impact the community, you know, us like like I say going to Tuan Lee's house and like how big is the impact that the community has on this program? Like, and like I can see. I don't think a lot of people really understand like the impact the community, you know.
SPEAKER_01I can say the community, they they they have like a very big impact, whether they know it or not. Like, just by twine lead, shout out to Twin Lee, he always having one have us over for dinner every Sunday. Like, he we we I can call from anything. Like I talked to him like last weekend, I called him to check in on him. He, you know what I'm saying? He said I can come over this weekend, and we're gonna cook dinner and everything. But like the community, I can say I feel like they play a like a big part. Because like they always acknowledge us like athletes. Like they might know us, but we might not know them. I can say like that. And like, and I always had the mindset like I love meeting new people, and like you never know like who you're gonna need in the long run. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? So it's just like I feel like the community, they do, they do great things, and like we appreciate y'all for supporting us and like even the fans, like the fans, little do y'all know y'all matter also.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, obviously, uh, you ain't been here, but uh no, I'll say one thing, you know, from my personal experience that you'll you'll experience, you experience people, you know, that know you, like you said, and but you don't know them, but obviously because you knew, but I feel like just the biggest thing is just they'll help you, you know, on the football field, but also off the football field, just giving you whether it's financial literacy, you know, things like that, a meal here and there. Like one guy, uh Tim Ponder, he's one of our boosters. He always, every Thanksgiving, he comes and cooks crawfish and shrimp. It's been six years not making now. But it's down too. Shout out to him, you know what I'm saying? So it's just like the support that you'll get here, you know, is like you know, second to none, to be honest with you. Um, I feel like, you know, we can't do anything we do without, you know, I feel like the community support, you know, like having you know home base behind your back, you know what I'm saying, knowing people that really care about you genuinely on and off the field. That's uh huge, you know. Uh all the sponsorships, all the you know, restaurants in town, you know, Sue's Kitchen when I was playing, hey, you know, shout out Mr. John, they always used to, you know, hook us up the embassy. You know, I feel like one thing you'll experience is uh a true love, you know, and you know, having people behind you. So uh what you know what are you what is your goals and aspirations for this season?
Season Goals And Chasing A Title
SPEAKER_00Um really I just want to win. I think I've never been a part of a team that's won a in college. I've never been a part of a team that has won a conference championship. And so obviously I feel like that's the main goal is win a conference championship. No matter how that looks like, no matter what that looks like, I just want to win. Um and I think like from what what it looks like, we we definitely got the talent and we got the coaches to do it. Um so I think that's number one, and then number two, really just have fun with it. I just want to, you know, play my best ball, whatever that looks like, contribute, whatever that looks like, and then just just have fun with it. Cause you know, I only got two years left, and it's it's it's been flying by, so I want to enjoy it because you never know when your last day is. Oh yeah. But definitely a conference championship. So I'm belt.
SPEAKER_01I can say for me, uh, I'm with Noflow. I can say uh conference championship. Like, oh yes, we we won two two back-to-back bowl games, but like now it's like it's time to push for another level. I can say like that. So like Noflow said, like, I feel like we have the talent to do it, we have the coaches to do it. And I just literally, I wouldn't say it's all on us, but it's just like we have to put our mind and our attitude and our work ethic in to do it. And like I gotta I can say it doesn't start to argue, it starts like now. It started when we got back in January. I can say that. And I can just say like I just want to be the best version of myself daily. Like I just want to have fun with it also, because like I know like being uh athlete, it takes a whole lot of toll on your body and your mind, I can say like that. But I just say like having finding joy in like what I do and like what I do for a living every day, because like I'm very I love football. Football is like one of the like one of the things I only got other than my family and God, you know what I'm saying? So it's just like I can say like that's like just finding joy what I do every day.
SPEAKER_03So just circling back, how do y'all feel like the impact, you know, we in two different areas, I got the experience, both of the areas, pre-NIL and post-NIL
NIL And Transfer Portal Pros And Cons
SPEAKER_03era. So like how like has impactful NIL been, you know, to you guys?
SPEAKER_01I can say um, I can say NIL is it's very it's been very impactful. But I think I feel like it's pros and cons of it. Like the pros, I love I love, I like we can get paid for like what we do, like it's a business at this point now. Yeah, but like the cons of it, I just don't like how like you could just like uh a team or a coach can throw a whole lot of money at this one player just for him to leave his one team that he been going through war with, you know what I'm saying, three, two years, something like that. But now he's just gonna chase the bat, chase the board money that, you know what I'm saying, that the other school is offering him. So I just don't like that. But like I at the same time, I feel like it's pros and cons of it. Like everybody might have different opinions of it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. I would say kind of say what uh what CO said. Um pros and cons. I think it's it's a great ability to connect and it's a great ability to um, you know, we work our whole lives to play football. So, you know, at the college level to get paid, it's it's awesome. But like you said, there's there's there's negatives too. Like if you if it controls you, it could be really bad. Or if you like only focus on NIL and the money or the sponsorships you're gonna get, then I feel like it could really drag you down because you know, you're here to play football, you're not here to do all the other stuff. So I mean there's pros and cons to it, but it is kind of crazy that like yeah, that we are a part of it. Like, you know what I'm saying? That like college football isn't going on for a minute, and the fact that we get to do it, it's it's also a little it's a it's a blessing.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it is. Just think about it. We've been on video games. We was the first video game to come out in years, and yeah, all this is crazy. I like I said, just like anything else, agreeing with y'all, it's just pros and cons to it. Uh for all the biggest thing, like I said, pros just like being able, you know what I'm saying? Like I see a lot of good in it, like taking you the teammates out to eat your teammates that don't make as much, you know, people that helping them out, you know what I'm saying? Whether it's food, you know what I'm saying? I've seen players take coaches out. So I feel like it does good, you know, because like you know, they've been making, you know, NCAA makes a lot of money from us. It's yeah, yeah. Everybody loves football, so you know, for us to get back, you know, it's hard being a college student, but they'd be able to have some money to go back home on holidays, see your people, you know what I'm saying. So then the kinds of I just feel like just not letting that money get to your head, you know what I'm saying? Just going from school to school, because like at the end of the day, I feel like most of these guys don't realize though you won't end up having a home to come back to. Like you're having these reunions, and you're like, oh, I've been to seven different schools or four different schools in four different schools. Crazy crazy, crazy, it is crazy.
Appreciation, Culture, And Closing
SPEAKER_03But this is our first episode of uh Inside the Den, you know. Obviously, I want to thank Noah and I want to thank Chauncey for coming. You know, these guys, you know, they've been working very hard for us during, you know, the offseason. You know, I'm expecting me personally, I'm expecting a lot from these two, but I'm just really, you know, every day in the locker room, just gonna keep challenging, you know, to have an impact on the locker room, you know, because the end of the day, we wanna go to the places where we want to go is gonna be on the leadership of y'all two boys. I know is that's a lot for you, you know what I'm saying? Being new, coming in, just trying to learn the team DNA, the more values, you know, things like that.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, I would say, I mean, shout out CO. He's a great person to look up to because I like when I first came in, like I didn't know who the leaders were gonna be, who the I don't even know anything about Arkansas State, but he he definitely stood out just by the way he worked and the by like just obviously I pulled up the film and went crazy. So I mean, having people like him kind of leads me in the right direction because I mean, you know, it it allows me to kind of like be like, okay, I need to work on this or I need to do this. And so it really just elevates me because you know, Iron Sharp is iron. So I mean every time really, really seeing someone else that could do it too. Yeah, like yeah, no doubt, no doubt.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Nah, it was definitely uh great talking to y'all boys, man. You know, appreciate you for having us. Yeah, sir. Looking forward to a big year for y'all boys. So let's get it.