Q&A with Penn State RB Nick Singleton through four games
After getting off to a 4-0 start with a 21-7 win over Illinois this past weekend, Penn State Football running back Nick Singleton spoke with the media this week about the program's hot start to the season.
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Q: We see the success for you this year, but I’m curious if that's translating to you just generally having more fun on Saturdays, maybe more fun week to week compared to maybe the mindset that you were in last year.
NICK SINGLETON: “Yeah I feel like again, I'm having fun. You know we're obviously winning, which is the most important part. Just getting a chance to go out with my brothers on the field and just compete man.
I feel like if everybody's just doing their job, controlling what they can control and it will take care of itself, which it has. So as long as we are winning, I'm having fun.”
Q: When did you see the offensive line come together, whether it was the spring, summer, preseason camp, whatever. Also how well do you think they're playing right now?
NS: “I feel like during the spring, they had a different mindset. I see them every day out in the field just working, blocking and all that type of stuff. You know they are getting the young guys in there too, so they are just building like a lot of depth.
The line's been really good and it started through spring and carried over through the season. It's obvious out there during games too, they’ve been really good making big holes for us between Kaytron and myself. They just got to keep going, keep doing what they're doing, but I like what we're doing so far.”
Q: Now that you've watched some film from Saturday, I was hoping you could take me back to the play in the third quarter where you kind of you pushed that defensive end of the ground and then you trucked a defensive back.
What was your mentality on that play and and how did you kind of see things play out and and what did it feel like to throw two defensive players to the ground in one play?
NS: “Yeah, I thought that was kind of mentality probably. When we were watching film, we knew that the ends we were going to face at Illinois were really good ends, so we had to help out the tackles. But, we've been practicing chipping the ends and obviously to carry it over to the game. It just I felt like I just put left all my energy out onto the field because we obviously we needed to. It was a close game and it was just I always try to do what I can to help my team win and get the first down.”
Q: So it seems this season that you've improved on both your speed and your power from last year. How has the ability to be able to not only avoid tacklers, but also how has that changed your approach to running the ball?
NS: “I'm trying to be in complete back overall, like my blocking I want to do that to work on that. Obviously my speed too, I just worked on that my whole offseason and catching the ball out the field and just being that complete back. That was really my goal throughout the offseason, just working on stuff like that. I feel like you could see it during the game, but obviously there is still some stuff that I need to improve on, so I’ve got to keep working on it.”
Q: Quinton Martin has been in the program now for a good bit, coming to campus in January. What areas have you seen him grow and what part of his game impresses you the most as a true freshman?
NS: “Ever since Quinton stepped on campus during the spring, he's been really good man. He’s been locked in and he's learned everything. He’s always asking questions in the meeting rooms with coach (Ja’Juan) Seider and always doing extra time off the field with film work. He’s been really good, got a lot of speed, man, a lot of quickness, and twitchiness too. So he's been really good, he's just got to keep working.”
Q: Nick, when when you talk about developing that more the physical and the power part of your game, how much of that is developing the the mentality versus getting physically bigger?
What’s is it like to try to change that over time in that mindset in college?
NS: “Just having that mentality, like coach Seider always says to the play running back you always to have that little extra edge to yourself and have a different mentality willing to get that extra yard.
If there’s nothing's there, try to run someone over. Just building that mentality and that playmaker ability, it just shows like how defenders get scared of you and how easily they can change the way tha they try to defend you.
So like just being like that type of back, like everybody's scared of that. I just got to keep doing it.”
Q: “Nick, I know you weren't on the field for it, but did you take a swing at Kaytron's celebration there on his touchdown? And where is Kaytron this year?
NS: “I was happy for my man. He got in the end zone and the whole line was right there. That just shows how close we are as a group, as a whole offense. Just doing that celebration, I feel like it just brings the energy to the whole team and obviously the offense.
Kaytron has been really good, you could tell he's a lot faster and he’s worked on the speed throughout the whole offseason. He also still has that truck animation, he can go through anybody, but obviously he’s a patient running back too. He's been really good at blocking, catching, also just becoming a more complete back this year.”
Q: When you kind of look at all the different ways that this offense is kind of thriving right now, I guess how would you maybe describe to us what it's like at this point in the year playing for Andy (Kotelnicki) and being part of this offense and kind of all the different things that we've seen you guys do so far?
NS: “His offense has been really good man. Everybody's buying into it since the spring, summer and obviously this season. Plus everybody’s having fun. You could tell everybody's moving really different from last year too. It’s about being more explosive and winning games too, which is good. But you know we just got to keep going with it. Keep moving with it and just keep getting better every day.”
Q: We've spoken so much about you and and Kaytron the last few seasons and we see you guys out on Saturdays and the success.
Can you tell us maybe day-to-day, whether it's May or or now in the middle of the season, what’s the relationship like with you two that makes this a successful partnership?
NS: “For one, I feel like it's just wear and tear. Like you said, there’s a lot of running backs who want to be the main back on the team and get like 20-30 carries a game, but at the same time, you don't want that wear and tear either.
You want someone like doesn't have a downfall, like or Krytron and I are going to feel there isn’t any downfall between one another, like there is no drop off. We’re having the same production and we're staying healthy at the same time too, which is most important because it's a long season. We just have a great relationship, man. We're not selfish and we always have fun. I am my brother's keeper.”