Q&A: South Pointe’s Nick McCloud talks about his rookie season of college football

Nick McCloud, the former South Pointe football standout, had an eventful first semester of college ball with the Wolfpack, getting on the field in a backup role almost immediately as a true freshman, suffering a concussion, then starting and playing well in N.C. State’s 41-17 Independence Bowl victory over Vanderbilt.

McCloud, a 6-foot-2 cornerback, made seven tackles and broke up two passes against the Commodores and he stands a real chance of being one of the Wolfpack’s starting cornerbacks next September. McCloud stopped by The Herald before heading out of town to talk about his rookie season:

How long did it take you as an N.C. State athlete to develop a complete dislike of UNC? Is that something they hit you with right away or is it something you pick up as you’re there?

I don’t think I really understood until I stepped into the stadium. I grew up a Tar Heel fan too, so I didn’t really understand it until I was standing in the stadium and the (players) started talking and the fans started talking. That’s when it really hit me.

What's the bigger difference? Being a high school freshman playing with and being around high school seniors or being a college freshman being around and playing with/against college seniors?

I think the biggest difference, like college, you’ve got to know what you’re doing because the playbook, it’s a lot more in-depth. High school, if you’re athletic enough you can just go play ball. But in college you’ve got to make sure you know everything what you got to do, you’ve got to make sure you’re watching film of your opponents, so I think it’s a lot more complicated.

Who is the best player you covered this fall?

Well, I got in against Clemson one play against Mike Williams, so I’d probably say him.

How weird is it to watch Clemson in the College Football Playoff knowing you played them (and your team played really well, only losing in overtime)?

Yeah, I thought we should have won that game. I always knew they were a really good team but I that game we played better than them. It is weird. When we were playing ECU, you know Searge (Corey Seargent) played against us with Northwestern two years ago, so that was kind of weird.

How good were those Clemson receivers?

They were good. They were athletic and talented but you just gotta’ go out there and compete. They’re good but in the ACC we see good receivers week in and week out, so I think they were just a little bit more talented than what we’ve been studying on film. They’ve got more depth than a lot of schools.

It seems like the Independence Bowl could be a little preview of what’s possible for you next year?

I hope so, yeah.

What kind of carrot is that for you headed into the offseason?

I thought even before this year started I could go in and challenge somebody for a starting position. So, some guys got banged up at the end of the season after I came back from my concussion I started playing and practicing really good so they were gonna put me in the game anyway.

When did you get your concussion?

I want to say Week 3 against Old Dominion. I was on punt return and they ran a fake punt and I was chasing it down from the backside and I got high-lowed. So I was engaged and somebody came and hit me from behind and I flipped and fell on the back of my head. I was dingy. The lights and stuff were bright. I missed Wake Forest and Notre Dame.

Have you had any problems with it since?

No, it’s good now.

What was the best play you made?

I would probably say the pass break-up against Miami, or when I ran somebody down against Vanderbilt and they had to kick a field goal. Either one of those two plays.

Were there any plays where you felt like you still had a lot to learn?

Yeah, I got caught slipping one time against Vanderbilt. A guard or tackle pulled on me and they ran a sweep and I was trying to stay outside and he just kept going with me.

Who are some of the defensive players you looked up to, or who took you under their wing?

My two starting corners, Jack Tocho and Mike Stevens. They always knew that if anything happened to them I would have to go in the game.

How did school go? What are you majoring in?

Business management. I’m in the business school but I’m not declared yet.

Was the academic part harder than you thought? Did you have more or less free time? How did it match up to what you envisioned?

I took a lot of AP classes in high school so it wasn’t much different. The hard part was balancing football and school. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re kind of messed up for the whole week. You’ve got practice in the morning, then after practice you’ve got tutoring, classes - my latest class would end at 7, 7:15. You just had to plan enough to sleep and do your work.

This story was originally published January 9, 2017 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Q&A: South Pointe’s Nick McCloud talks about his rookie season of college football."