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Jacolby Criswell and Kaimon Rucker after UNC's loss to N.C. State
Dec 1, 2024
Jacolby Criswell and Kaimon Rucker after UNC's loss to N.C. State
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0:01
me when you you found out about
0:05
Coach when you found out about Coach
0:07
what was your what were your immediate
0:09
thoughts and and how difficult was it to
0:12
go from shifting into that thinking into
0:14
actually playing a game this week uh
0:16
first I'll start off by just saying I
0:18
appreciate him more than more than
0:20
anybody knows known him for six years
0:22
recruited me since I was a junior in
0:24
high school um one of my f first offers
0:27
came to my house immediately and I owe
0:29
him everything I owe him more than he
0:32
more than I can owe him and miss Sally
0:35
my family loves her my little sisters
0:36
love her and for me to have this
0:38
opportunity I just went out there and
0:40
just played for him played for Ty Mitch
0:44
everyone that's just been by my side
0:45
welcoming me and just giving me that
0:47
opportunity but when I heard the news I
0:49
was I was devastated 100% and it was the
0:54
seniors I mean going out there we knew
0:56
that we had to play for the seniors I
0:57
mean for what happened with Coach it was
0:59
tough
1:00
100% it was and a lot of the guys they
1:02
stuck together and they were like we
1:04
have to win this ball game not for
1:05
ourselves not for the seniors but for
1:08
everybody for Coach Brown you a guy
1:10
that's put his all into this program
1:12
done done everything right and he just
1:14
led us did you was there any kind of
1:17
conversation among the players without
1:19
any coaches about how to best handle
1:22
this how to best move forward together
1:23
and then obviously have the game today
1:26
uh yes sir it's all about taking it one
1:29
day at a time um allowing on each other
1:32
that's what we all did in that locker
1:33
room we knew Coach Brown wasn't going to
1:36
be our coach for much longer but at the
1:38
end of the day you had to play a
1:39
football game and we went out there and
1:42
we we played our tails off and that's
1:44
all that's all he wanted us to do and
1:47
sad you love being in ball games like
1:49
that but you hate losing them and we
1:51
just didn't capitalize when it mattered
1:53
Jobe how did that conversation kind of
1:56
go down did he have you guys here and
1:57
just kind of work with some of the
1:58
things that he uh kind of communicating
2:00
to you guys
2:02
with um well he just after practice he
2:05
told us and we all stood up and we we
2:09
thanked them every every single body
2:11
after practice individual line every
2:13
single player just came hugged them told
2:15
them how much we appreciate him for all
2:17
he's done for us and we were sad we wish
2:20
we would have heard the news after but
2:22
like I said the guys knew we had a game
2:24
to win and so we went out there and we
2:26
played our toes off just talked about
2:28
how he kind of do was time for him did
2:30
you ever get a sense from coach that he
2:33
knew his time was was short or he was
2:35
ready to be ready to be done uh you kind
2:37
of have those Clues every now and then
2:39
whenever I was back at Arkansas I
2:40
thought he would as soon as I came back
2:43
but I mean I was excited he didn't and I
2:46
mean you just you just never know but I
2:49
knew the time was e was going to come
2:51
didn't know when and I I appreciate them
2:54
more than anyone knows jobi how would
2:56
you describe what words would you use
2:59
for for trying to Encompass what this
3:02
week has been like for you guys as
3:03
players the the MC news earlier in the
3:06
week trying to get ready for the final
3:08
game of the regular season and your
3:10
rival just what what would you say this
3:12
this week has been like for you guys I
3:14
mean for starting off in the week it was
3:16
obviously a little rough I mean a guy
3:18
you pour your heart and soul out to and
3:20
for what he's done but it's kind of like
3:22
a heel you know um you kind of go up
3:24
that hill and you hear some news but you
3:27
know you just have to keep going and
3:30
we all it was at the we were at the
3:32
bottom of the hill when we heard the
3:33
news but as the week kept going on we
3:34
reached the top and we just wanted to
3:36
keep it level keep it going we lost
3:38
today and you don't want to lose to team
3:42
your rival and sucks 100% but you just
3:46
have to keep it going we have a bowl
3:48
game and you can't let your hair hang
3:49
down from your B what happened in the
3:52
brawl afterwards with State oh I wasn't
3:56
onfi to see that so I I heard about it
3:58
in the locker room but
4:00
wasn't anything I planned on being
4:02
involved
4:04
in right you guys
4:07
good obviously there's going to be a new
4:09
coach in place here fairly
4:11
soon what kind of team what kind of
4:14
program within you coach being in
4:17
here uh I mean I couldn't tell you I
4:19
don't know what guy that's going to come
4:20
in and run this program what what kind
4:22
of group are you guys he's going to come
4:23
in here he's going to look in the room
4:24
and see a bunch of you guys what is he
4:26
going to see he's going to see a bunch
4:28
of guys that we know what Carolina
4:30
football's all about and if you want to
4:32
be here be here if you don't we're going
4:34
to ride with the guys that want to stay
4:36
and we're going we're going to show this
4:38
new coach that hey this is this is what
4:41
Carolina football is and you can bring
4:42
in your guys but we're here to stay and
4:44
we're going to give you our all what was
4:46
Jobe after the game tonight what what
4:49
was the mood like in in the locker room
4:51
with with you guys with ma um what was
4:54
maybe the tone of what you all talked
4:56
about and how you sort of left things
4:58
walking out of here I was 100% but I
5:01
mean for the seniors most especially
5:03
like I talked to all those guys and
5:04
before the game told them like you're
5:06
going to get everything I have like you
5:08
welcomed me in and that's that's all I
5:10
can give you and it's locker room with
5:14
sad there's some guys that obviously
5:16
when coach Coach Brown addressed us and
5:18
came up to us and talked to us there
5:20
were some guys thanking him things of
5:22
that nature it was just a lock of room
5:25
that I wish they would have won so did
5:27
you go around to the seniors like you
5:28
said pregame and yes sir sort of one by
5:31
one maybe yes
5:32
sir you talked about the process of you
5:35
know shifting gears going into the game
5:36
in preparation I guess from your Vantage
5:38
Point how was Matt this week like did he
5:41
seem different did there like just what
5:43
was his demeanor like going through he
5:45
was same guy he always is you know
5:47
always talking at practice lifting up
5:49
the guys we have a walk through he be
5:51
like get throw 12 same thing like he
5:53
wasn't leaving there was times of
5:54
practice where I I didn't even recognize
5:56
it whenever he was talking like hey he's
5:58
not going to be my coach next year and
6:00
he was just the same guy same head coach
6:01
he came in and he's going to be that
6:04
same guy regardless did you happen to
6:06
see the play on Cayman that he got hurt
6:08
and did you sense afterward a
6:10
significant uptick in energy on y'all's
6:12
part it was mentioned 100% I didn't see
6:15
the play but it was mentioned and when
6:17
we heard it we just knew that's just
6:20
unacceptable what you think was holding
6:23
you guys back in the first half as an
6:24
offense and second half you really got
6:26
it going offensively like what what did
6:29
you think change
6:30
maybe at half time or throughout the
6:31
game where you guys were able to have
6:33
like more success offensively we just
6:35
realized what they were giving us and we
6:37
just told guys like I told them like I'm
6:39
going to give youall a ball there's
6:40
times where I miss some throws 100% but
6:42
that happens to every single quarterback
6:44
but I told them I'm going to give you a
6:45
chance you going to make a play and just
6:47
have fun doing it got to ask you about
6:49
Mario he pass 1500 yards two straight
6:52
years only three other guys this Century
6:54
that done that in the ACC one of Lamar
6:56
Jackson what are your thoughts just
6:57
about Marian being able to go 1500 and
7:00
also that shovel pass worked again for
7:01
you guys yes sir he's just simple as can
7:04
be he's that guy that guy and that's all
7:06
I can say and you can look that you can
7:09
look that up and it's going to tell you
7:11
exactly the type of person he is
7:12
football player he is you told us to
7:13
Tallahassee when you had a shovel pass
7:15
did you knew in pre- snap that he saw
7:19
what was coming did you have a similar
7:21
experience in pre- snap with today
7:22
shovel pass yes sir we knew exactly what
7:24
coverage they were going to be in we had
7:26
a alert if they were in something
7:27
different but they gave us what we
7:28
wanted and and I saw it as soon as I
7:30
tossed the ball up and ran down the
7:32
field with him almost same he ran yes
7:35
sir what would you say with all you all
7:39
have been through this season starting
7:41
with Max's injury in in the
7:44
opener what how what would you say this
7:46
team's head space is for a ball game do
7:50
you think you guys want to play a ball
7:51
game um like how would you how would you
7:54
describe that yes sir great great
7:56
question I'd say the guys that are gonna
7:59
be here are gonna be here and they want
8:01
they want to be a part of this and we're
8:03
just going to go out there and win this
8:05
ball game man we're gonna win this ball
8:06
game for Coach Brown uh he's not going
8:08
to be out there with us but he's going
8:09
to be on the on the field with us in our
8:12
hearts that pretty much speak for the
8:14
team yes sir everybody wants to play in
8:16
a ball yes sir one more game yes
8:18
sir all right thank you J thank you
8:21
appreciate Max last game obviously just
8:24
your thoughts your emotions maybe the
8:25
emotions of the team post game with the
8:28
coach yeah um you know it's uh one of
8:32
those things man I know for me
8:34
personally it uh it sucks cuz I was uh
8:37
coach Brown's first recruiting class um
8:40
since he came back for his second time
8:42
and you know I D I truly appreciate him
8:46
taking a shot on not only me but the
8:47
rest of my classmates and um the rest of
8:49
the guys that got recruited by him as
8:50
well I know just personally I I'll
8:54
probably be obviously I'd be somewhere
8:56
else if it wasn't for Coach Brown taking
8:57
a shot on me and um he gave me an
9:00
opportunity not a lot of um Power five
9:02
power four now but um a lot of power
9:06
four um coaches didn't give me a shot of
9:08
doing and he um took a shot with me he's
9:10
like I don't care I don't care how tall
9:11
you are I don't care how small you are
9:13
we want you and you know this is um you
9:16
know even though nights like this wasn't
9:19
um according to plan and there was some
9:20
other times during my past years where
9:22
it didn't go as planned but um I
9:25
wouldn't trade it for the world you know
9:27
and um you know Coach Brown leaving it
9:29
sucks but um he's just been um a
9:32
tremendous guy for this program I know
9:35
there's um sometimes records we base a
9:38
lot of our success off the records we
9:39
base a lot of our influence off records
9:41
in certain games certain moments and
9:43
stuff like that but the impact and the
9:45
culture change that this man um has done
9:48
for this program for this university has
9:50
been um like like y'all see it you know
9:54
what I'm saying it's just like it's been
9:55
a a a culture change just family coming
9:59
together doesn't matter win lose draw
10:02
alumni coming back alumni giving back um
10:05
people in the um Rams Club giving back
10:08
alumni same thing and um you know he has
10:11
just he has just changed his program
10:13
around tremendously um brought a lot of
10:15
recruits in and um just not even from
10:17
the football aspect but just from an
10:19
outside outside the line's perspective
10:20
he's also done a great job and so you
10:23
know I appreciate coach um as a coach as
10:26
a man but most import as most
10:28
importantly as a person just because of
10:30
how great of a human being is and how
10:32
much he has sacrificed for his team
10:33
doesn't matter if people agreed with him
10:35
or not he was going to do everything
10:37
that was going to be best for this team
10:38
and uh that's something that you doesn't
10:41
matter if you agree with how he did
10:42
things or what whatever that he did you
10:44
got to respect him as a as a man as a
10:46
human being for that so K when he told
10:48
you on Tuesday were you surprised and
10:51
what went through your mind what was
10:53
your immediate reaction
10:55
um wow you know just um didn't expect it
11:00
to happen um that sudden and um it's
11:03
just one of those things where you know
11:05
it was just a typical Tuesday practice
11:07
and he brought us up he let us know that
11:10
he um got released and um we just none
11:13
of us were expecting that type of news
11:16
especially you know that early on in the
11:19
week and um you know that was just
11:21
something you know we didn't want to I
11:23
know coach was just like he didn't want
11:24
to make a distraction he wanted to go
11:26
ahead and get it over us and it wasn't a
11:27
distraction it was just um of those
11:29
things that had genuinely caught us off
11:31
guard and um we just weren't ready for
11:34
it at all Kobe said you guys had
11:36
conversations can you share with some of
11:38
what the conversations were like and if
11:40
there was something maybe just all the
11:42
players without coaches that a few the
11:43
older guys lefted no I mean it was just
11:45
those conversations like dang like when
11:47
like why did this happen when like was
11:49
this like a like a impulsive decision
11:52
made was this like you know like just a
11:54
whole bunch of questions like trying to
11:55
figure out what's going on why was it so
11:57
sudden like why couldn't he just like
11:59
you know finish out the year first
12:01
before we started you know releasing and
12:03
stuff like that but you know that's
12:05
something that's out of our wheelhouse
12:07
as something that's out of our control
12:09
we can't you know obviously we can't
12:10
control we can but we can't control
12:13
whether that we know things about you
12:15
know coaches being released and stuff
12:17
like that so all we could was just ask
12:19
questions and try to figure out what's
12:20
going on but you know at the end of the
12:22
day the decision was made and that's
12:23
what we had to live with to go off that
12:26
as far as you hearing the news and he
12:28
was you know surprised and things like
12:30
that talking about you know controlling
12:31
you can control how how different was
12:34
game week this week for you guys kind of
12:36
obviously preing for State then also
12:37
knowing you know match was yeah um I
12:41
don't really think it was any different
12:42
to be honest with you obviously just
12:43
like you know this game me more and um
12:46
you know we had a lot to play for and
12:48
stuff like that but just in terms of
12:49
preparation and trying to um equip
12:52
ourselves with what we needed to um go
12:54
into this game there wasn't really
12:55
anything differently that we've
12:58
done with that said how motivated were
13:00
you guys you know just manto man to play
13:02
for mac and to come out and involve
13:04
during the day no we were very motivated
13:06
and it wasn't just for Coach Brown's
13:08
sake but it's just like you know um just
13:11
all in all just this year this was
13:13
definitely um one of the the most
13:16
challenging years I've had as a football
13:18
player and that's going all the way back
13:20
to me being in rec league like I've
13:22
never dealt with so much loss before you
13:27
know what I'm saying and that's coming
13:28
from uh playing losing Max in the very
13:31
beginning of the year to losing th and
13:33
then having um coaches dealing with
13:36
health issues and you know of course
13:38
coach being released so there was a lot
13:40
of um a lot of trials and tribulations
13:43
this year but it's um one of those
13:45
things where you know we only had a
13:47
control we control we were very
13:48
motivated not to do it um for only Coach
13:51
Brown but to do it for everybody else
13:52
for everybody that just you know that
13:54
put in the work that's um been waking up
13:57
the same time as we have just putting in
13:59
work day in day out sacrificing every
14:01
body each and every day just trying to
14:03
um give us a better record for this team
14:05
and so you know that's at the end of the
14:07
day that's all you can ask for what did
14:09
you see all play were injured did you
14:11
think it was was clean clean
14:14
um at the end of the day um my opinion
14:17
does not matter or what whatever I feel
14:19
about that um but I did see the
14:22
video you know um it was just one of
14:25
those plays where it is what it is he
14:26
rolled up on my leg his footb ball you
14:29
going to get hurt and some of is acute
14:32
some of is Major and um fortunately mine
14:35
wasn't it was honestly best case
14:38
scenario from the way that it looked at
14:39
it and um you know that's that's all I'm
14:42
going to say on it so did you see are
14:45
you aware of how your teammates reacted
14:47
while you I was I was kind of I was
14:49
briefly told what happened so um I mean
14:52
that was something I just wouldn't I
14:54
didn't really know but about it so make
14:57
you think make you feel knowing that Dez
14:59
and Kevin Malachi was over there a lot
15:01
of guys were really staying up for you
15:03
right there um that just shows you how
15:05
close n are that my brother that I
15:07
consider my brothers are um these are
15:10
guys that I've been playing like Dez KJ
15:13
Javari Malachi these are guys that you
15:15
know I consider close friends of mine
15:17
anyway and just for those guys just to
15:20
hear about that knowing that they were
15:22
you know standing 10 toes for me in that
15:24
moment man it it means a lot because you
15:26
know just as much as I've given to this
15:28
program they've done the same and um
15:30
we've we've been through a lot together
15:33
and so just like it means a lot to know
15:34
it's just like you know when when a when
15:37
a guy goes down they're willing to um
15:40
peel their ears back and ready to go go
15:42
to battle for me so it truly means a lot
15:44
there's a lot of love for know those
15:45
boys man and I really do appreciate them
15:46
for just being in my corner no matter
15:49
what
15:50
so how did you your team
15:53
learn how do we learn about it yeah um
15:57
you know just after practice on Tuesday
16:00
just learning that he wasn't going to be
16:03
here for the bowl game and stuff like
16:05
that knowing that this was going to be
16:06
his last week so just like I said um
16:09
previously it was very sudden we didn't
16:12
we weren't ready for it um he told us um
16:15
in person face to face before we got on
16:18
our phones and stuff before media got
16:19
out about it so you know that's that's
16:22
just basically how we learned about it
16:24
jacobe said that you guys went up after
16:26
practice Tuesday and maybe sort of
16:28
talked to back one by one what were some
16:31
of the things that that you shared with
16:33
him in that moment came if you don't
16:34
mind yeah no um all I said was I thank
16:38
you that's honestly all I told him was
16:41
just thank you thank you for recruiting
16:44
me thank you for giving me a shot but
16:45
nobody else did thank you for not
16:47
listening to all the recruiters that
16:48
told me that I was this I was to this I
16:51
was to that and I was basically just
16:52
saying I was too small I appreciate you
16:54
for not listening to them and I thank
16:56
you for trusting me I thank you for you
16:58
know
16:59
giving me the keys to be a leader along
17:01
alongside some others on this defense
17:03
and not only on the defense but for this
17:05
team I thank you for allowing me to um
17:07
for you putting me in a situation to
17:09
flourish not only as a football player
17:11
but as a man um just doing things far
17:15
beyond than I thought I would ever
17:16
accomplish in college it was just a
17:19
thank you just a overall thank you
17:20
umbrella for all the things and all the
17:22
opportunities and all the chances that
17:24
he has given me throughout my time here
17:26
because you know I don't know where I'll
17:28
be with without him giving me that
17:29
chance and I'm truly grateful for that
17:31
and I love Co Brown for that he had been
17:33
saying up until the news came down that
17:36
he wasn't coming back even saying that
17:37
he was coming back or playing I mean did
17:40
as a team did you all think that that he
17:42
would be back next season up until he
17:45
was told that he was yeah most
17:47
definitely I mean like when any coach is
17:49
kind of like saying stuff like that it's
17:51
like obviously when stuff like that
17:52
happens is like you're trying to figure
17:54
out like what's going on like is he
17:55
under Fire like you know you're trying
17:57
to figure out what's going on so when Co
17:58
say was like he was coming back we were
17:59
like all right if that's what's going to
18:01
happen then that's what's going to
18:02
happen and if it's not then we'll we'll
18:05
adapt and change and so you know with
18:07
that being said it was just you know
18:09
that for the culture of our team just
18:10
how we reacted to it if he said he was
18:12
going to come back he was going to come
18:14
back and um like I said it's like if it
18:17
if it wasn't the case then we're just
18:18
going to have to adapt and move on and
18:20
just um Sudden Change as what we like to
18:23
call it on defense and just keep it
18:24
pushing Cayman you played your final
18:27
game at ke how has University his
18:30
program the team and how he Chang you
18:33
for the better both on the field and
18:35
office what is up with you giving me
18:37
these last questions man
18:40
um this is not the way that I planned on
18:43
going out at all but you know what I'm
18:46
saying there is um I don't regret it by
18:49
any means I'm very much at peace with it
18:52
um I'm proud of the guys I know we took
18:54
the L tonight but um I'm proud of the
18:55
guys really I'm proud of everybody from
18:58
um from equipment from equipment
19:00
athletic training staff
19:02
nutrition um just staff up on the fifth
19:05
floor coaches players everybody um video
19:09
like they've been they've been
19:11
tremendous man and just like you know
19:13
there's always people that come and go
19:15
throughout your time like obviously this
19:17
staff is completely different from how
19:18
it looked my freshman year versus now
19:20
but um everybody was put in my life for
19:22
a reason God has put every single person
19:24
in my life for a reason whether that was
19:25
a coach staff member anybody and all of
19:27
them played a significant role in my
19:29
life and I really do appreciate them for
19:31
pouring into me as much as they did all
19:33
up until this moment and um like I said
19:35
this is not the way that I envisioned on
19:37
going out on my last um my last game in
19:40
Keenan but um you know just know that it
19:43
didn't matter if it
19:44
was nine plays like it was at pit or it
19:48
was five plays like today or whether I'm
19:50
getting about 80 something snaps 90
19:52
something snaps and double overtime with
19:53
duke it don't matter I gave it my all
19:56
and I don't regret it and I just
19:58
appreciate um Jesus from putting me in
20:00
this situation for allowing me just to
20:01
play alongside my brothers and just to
20:04
create relationships that I know is
20:05
going to last me for a lifetime and um I
20:08
just want to thank Keenan and U UNCC as
20:10
an institution as a university as a
20:12
football team for accepting me and just
20:15
uh welcome me in like family so got to
20:19
clarify it's not a serious injury no no
20:21
no can you tell us what it is youbody uh
20:25
can we disclose some information let me
20:27
talk to okay so um not
20:30
Ser you have stuff to do the next few
20:32
months yeah so I'm just kind of curious
20:34
if it get but me personally I don't mind
20:37
but obviously due to my Superior I
20:39
cannot disclose that information right
20:41
now so we're just going we
20:45
going it's all right all right free rign
20:49
cool so um so basically what happened I
20:51
um I just cracked my fibula that's all
20:53
happen so I know that's like yeah I mean
20:56
listen the way that it looked on film
20:58
that's best case scenario I would take a
21:00
crack fibula over a completely fractured
21:02
ankle and a ruptured ACL at any day of
21:05
the week so you know um from what I know
21:09
about this type of situation hopefully
21:10
it doesn't require any surgery but um
21:12
and that's what I'm leaning on I'm
21:13
staying optimistic about it but um but
21:16
as of right now that's what they said
21:17
that's what they found on the X-ray that
21:18
I have a crack fibula and we're just
21:20
going to move on from there so you know
21:22
I'm just going to have to I'm going have
21:23
to kick it with the boot for a little
21:24
bit and then you know just uh keep
21:27
pushing after that experience doing that
21:29
this year kicking him with the boot man
21:31
what thank you for that information yeah
21:33
what would you say is this team with all
21:36
this inty that's that's hanging over you
21:38
guys with this program right now what
21:40
would you say is the head space of this
21:42
team for a ball game like do you think
21:45
you guys want to play like what how how
21:48
would you describe the head space Oh
21:50
yeah most definitely not we can shoot we
21:51
want to play you know what I'm saying we
21:53
got an opportunity to go to a bow game
21:54
we got to finish the season right
21:55
especially after what happened tonight
21:56
we got to we got to end out on a high we
21:58
can't go out like we can't go out with
22:01
just having this on our back and so you
22:03
know obviously we want to play we're not
22:05
F to be in that situation I know coach
22:07
Brown has talked about how we performed
22:09
in our first du Mayo bowl and um we're
22:12
not trying to have that again and um so
22:14
you know we're definitely ready to play
22:16
whether the guys that I want to stay
22:18
here are going to stay here whe guys
22:19
just want to leave just want to leave it
22:21
is what it is whoever that we're going
22:22
to have playing with our 11 on defense
22:24
11 on offense and that's what we're
22:25
going to stick with and I know we're
22:26
going to be ready to play when the time
22:27
comes around whoever we're facing and
22:28
what bow we're going to be
22:30
in right yall good appreciate you K oh
22:34
yeah appreciate yall oh yeah Jam is that
22:37
the same
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