Isaiah Nwokobia interview at ACC Football Kickoff

[PonyPride]

This season you came back, you're leading a defensive backfield that's going to face 4,000-yard passer in Josh Hoover, Sawyer Robertson is getting a bunch of preseason love, Syracuse had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards. They're probably going to be winging it. You've got Cade Klubnik. What went into you coming back and just sort of your mindset of this is a bunch of special quarterbacks we're going to be facing this year and you're kind of in charge of that unit?

ISAIAH NWOKOBIA: Obviously we had a great year as a team last year and we had a good season. Coming back, the challenges we can face, how much better we can get as a team, that I know I can get as a player. Hearing all those quarterbacks you named who are highly recognized, I'm just ready to embrace that chance and go at them. I'm excited, man, for sure.

I am a huge fan of your film. You were one of a handful of players last year in the nation that finished with 100 tackles and three or more interceptions. You talk about improving. How do you improve your game after coming off a season like that where you showed so much versatility to do almost everything you could ask of a safety, slash, linebacker, slash, rover, slash, whatever position you would call yourself.

ISAIAH NWOKOBIA: First, I appreciate the high praise. That means a lot. Thank you.

I think the biggest thing I've been trying to focus on this off-season is just film study and being able to apply that to the game on the field. I think the faster you can play, especially on defense, the ability you can have to not have to think so much, to be able to just react, be able to just go out there and play free. I think that comes from film study and just going out there and playing and having fun with the game.

I think me being able to just apply that and being able to play fast is the biggest thing I'll focus on this off-season.

You spoke on all the success that you had last season as a team. How does this team excel and get better, in your opinion, through the spring, into the summer, and heading into the fall? What have you seen as those little elements that maybe people will not see that are going to push SMU even farther?

ISAIAH NWOKOBIA: I think us focusing on keeping the main thing the main thing. We show up every day to put in the work, ready to go 110 percent. We compete in everything we do, whether it be conditioning or speed work or the weight room, we make sure we compete. Healthy competition, I think, is extremely important.

What makes us really different is our brotherhood. With college football today, obviously every year is almost a new team with all the new transfers, but I think Coach Lashlee does a great job just focusing us, having that brotherhood, making sure we gel. Both on and off the field, we're doing stuff, paintball, things like that, just to make sure we stay together and build that chemistry, because we know that's what's going to take us far, more than anything else, that brotherhood.

Can I ask, are you good at paintball?

ISAIAH NWOKOBIA: Don't ask. You can ask them, though. (Laughter).

Earlier this year, there was a lot of discussion between Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, and Asante Samuel regarding the T-step technique as opposed to the bicycle technique on close-outs. As a defensive back, do you have any preference on that?

ISAIAH NWOKOBIA: Me personally, I'm a T-step guy. It helps me get out of my break. I think it's served me pretty well, so I'm going to keep doing that.