2016 Senior Bowl Interview: QB Carson Wentz

Senior Bowl 2016 Interview – Carson Wentz – QB (North Dakota State)

1/30/16 – (Postgame)

Measurables:

Hgt:  6’ 5 ¼“

Wgt:  233lbs.

Hand:  10”

Arm: 32 3/8”

Wing:  6‘ 6”

PROFILE:  Entering his 2015 senior season at North Dakota State University, Wentz was named to the College Sporting News Preseason Fab 50 FCS All-America Team.  He started the first six games before being sidelined with a broken right wrist.  Through those first six games, he passed for 1,454 yards and 16 touchdowns.

In 2014, he captained NDSU to a 15-1 record and its fourth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference and NCAA Division I FCS titles. That season he started all 16 games at quarterback, completing 228 of 358 passes for 3,111 yards with 25 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions.  He set NDSU single-season records for passing attempts, completions, yards, and total offense per game.  He was NDSU’s second-leading rusher with 138 carries for 642 yards and six TDs while averaging 4.7 yards per carry.  He scored the game-winning touchdown on a five-yard run to lift the Bison past Illinois State 29-27 with 37 seconds left in the FCS title game and was named Most Outstanding Player of the title game.  He was named to the MVFC All-Academic first team and Capital One Academic All-America first team.  He won the NCAA Elite 89 award for the highest GPA at the national championship game and was named to the MVFC Honor Roll.

On how he felt his Senior Bowl week went for him:

Overall, I thought it went well.  I came down here on a mission to really show that I could play at this speed and with guys at this level, and I thought I did that.

On whether he felt that his Senior Bowl week performance answered any questions about his ability that may have been out there coming in to the week:

Yeah, like I mentioned, this stage and this speed isn’t too big for me.  You know, whatever level you come from – you come from the SEC or Division III – you got to adjust to the speed and I think this is just a good feel for that.  But obviously going forward it’s just going to get faster and faster.

On all the talk during the week about how his performance has him moving up the draft boards and whether he pays much attention to that kind of analysis:

Not really.  I’ve never paid attention to that.  It is what it is.  … I thought I came out here and did what I tried to do.

On what is the hardest part about playing with wide receivers and offensive linemen that you never played with before and trying to get everyone to come together in three days:

It’s tough.  Being on the same page with routes and everything, especially with four quarterbacks here, it’s really hard.  I probably threw maybe three balls to a couple of the guys and then I come out here in a game situation and play.  But, it’s tough like that for everybody.  Overall, I thought we handled it pretty well.  You know, when you’ve got a lot of good athletes out there and good quarterbacks, you can make a lot of things look good.

On how the reality of the Senior Bowl week experience compared to his expectations coming in:

It probably lived up to everything that I thought it would be.  Only thing is, I didn’t sleep quite as much as I thought I would have!  Other than that, I expected a lot of stuff like this, and I thought it was good.

On what was the best piece of advice he got from the Cowboys coaching staff (North Team staff) during the week:

Just be myself.  That’s what they said and that’s what I tried to do coming in.  You know, try not to let this distract me from the mission, just continue to be myself.

 

On what he thought of Jason Garrett as a coach:

Good.  He was good.  Just talking with him and all the coaches, you can just tell they’re very smart.  They know the game and being around guys like that is just going to benefit me going forward.

On how he would rate his overall performance in the game:

It was okay.  Obviously, I didn’t score any points when I was in there, so that’s the biggest thing.  Kinda bummed about that.  But I think it went okay.

On whether it was frustrating that he only got to play for just the first quarter of the Senior Bowl game:

Yeah, I mean all week, me being ultra-competitive and wanting to play … you know, if were up to me, I’d play the whole game.  That’s how almost all of us quarterbacks are.  You know we’re competitive and we want to play.  That was a little frustrating, but I knew it was going to be like that coming in … you know that’s just how it works.

On his 29-yard pass completion down the seam to WR Nick Vannett (Ohio State) and if he felt like that was his best play of the game:

Umm … hard to say.  Actually I’m hoping to be able to watch the film here and kind of reflect back.  Obviously it was just one short quarter, but it’s really hard to say.  I’d have to go take a look.

On what he feels he needs to focus on in his preparation leading up to the Combine:

Just consistency with footwork.  It’s what I’ve been saying all week – trying to just continue to rep that and be the same with all my drops and all my movements and everything.  Trying to hone in on that and be consistent.