let's see if they change it up Finley nope third and goal looks to the right goes down at the 14 a sack Curtis [Music] [Applause] [Music] Jacobs pressure forget about that as the lions come up with their first sack of the afternoon and it's Curtis Jacobs on the blitz and that'll end the first half third down catch in the Rose B and now in the reverse bail is going to throw it was going to look back in the direction of rising who was covered and the receiver is going to be dragged out by Curtis [Music] Jacobs Curtis Jacobs Penn State linebacker and one more to describe me mysterious [Music] all right we are here with the most mysterious linebacker in this draft Curtis Jacobs out of Penn State Curtis thanks for joining us man nice to meet y'all great great great to see y here yeah really excited to to talk to you here and just kind of let's let's hear a little bit about your journey through football how did you get here you know when did you start well I started as a a wide-eyed little kid that just needed something to do after school cuz I was I was just bad and ran around the house too much so uh my mom brought me out to the field and I always thank her for that um I I feel like I've done a lot with this game and it never would have happened if she she never brought me to that field so what is it about the sport of football that really appeals you is there something specific about just football in particular it appeals to you and kind of like drawing that attention from you uh the physicality of it um that's something I was always drawn to when I watched it um I'm I'm a Baltimore raised kid so seeing guys like Ray Lewis t sugs Ed Reed those guys that just had a different mentality when they played the game of football and I I I would love watching guys like that and I I wanted that to be a part of my game I was always the the kid running around doing those illegal crack blocks um just catching people trying to trying to be as physical as I can when I play football you know you kind of just talked about some of the Ravens players that you've wased your you whole life but tell me about some other players that you've modeled your game after yeah um recently uh I actually became a linebacker coming into college um so just seeing guys like Fred Warner um a guy like michah Parsons that was on campus when I got there um just just guys that they've really changed the linebacker position to a guy that can really move from sideline to sideline and showcase their speed and and be those guys I feel like they paved the way for a guy like me who can be a really athletic guy um and really showcase that on the field is there a coach or a teammate that you had in school that kind of just like like helped helped you along at this transition the linebacker coach Diaz No Doubt um coach Diaz is probably the best coach I've ever had in my life um he just he's a different kind of motivator um he wants the best out of you and he wants you to want the best out of you every single play so just being around him he'll he'll show you how to make a tackle for zero yards he'll show you how to make it a three yard loss um then he'll show you a a tfl and teach you how to make it a a sack or a fumble um for a touchdown so he's just always constantly coaching you to be better um and I feel like when you get that repeatedly you want that for yourself and he always used to say um I'm coaching you to be perfect but I know you you can't be perfect but out of that you might get excellence and I feel like we were excellent defense because the way he coached us so um what's one thing that you're really you know uh that you really feel like you improved in your last year at Penn State um my process um my process definitely from a weak standpoint and then even off the field um I feel like I was really taking care of my body to a different level um I've been really getting in getting extra film just being the guy that can bring our linebackers together and get us all on the same page and I feel like that's a big part of why we were one of the best defenses in the country cuz we were always on the same page almost every down what's that process like for you you know you guys watch film as a team and everything but what does your own film watching or preparation for a game week kind of look like um well it starts on Monday Monday is our off day we make sure we get in there as a linebacker group I like to watch A team's explosive plays like what makes a what makes OC tick um what he likes to do um and then I watch third down um seeing what what the OC likes to get to when they're under pressure um how much trust he has in his quarterback to be that guy to make the decisions um just seeing seeing stuff like that I I like to pick up on things like that and in film and use it to my advantage when we play teams and tell me about a moment this season that you really feel like your film preparation kind of uh shown in in in a play that you made well it was actually a play that got called back but um it was the oate game um McCord had stepped up in the pocket I I was able to strip it and score a touchdown off of it and I felt like that's just a tribute to seeing how his pocket movement is um seeing how he's going to react we have our our fast DNS like Adisa Isaac and chop Robinson get in his face and I knew where he was going to step up and I knew I was responsible for if he moved moved off the spot I got to make a play on the ball so I knew he was going to be loose with the ball just punched at it made a play and was able to was able to change the game for about 10 seconds is there if somebody hasn't watched you play yet what is one game they should go back and start with just see the full Curtis Jacob experience and get an idea of who you are as a player um I will go back 2022 Minnesota um it's it's a different situation um Penn State white out um just just most hype I I I've ever been in a game and I couldn't tell you why I I came into that game like that but I was just on fire um I felt like I couldn't do any wrong I was in the back field constantly just fully full motor to the ball every play and I feel like if the teams watch that they can really see the type of player I am right so tell me about something that you're really trying to improve through the pre-draft process and something you're trying to maybe show NFL teams that you're capable of um that I'm an instinctual player um I feel like that's a part of my game that I didn't always get to Showcase um and I felt like I can really show that I'm a guy that can make plays on the ball and can really be a sideline to sideline linebacker and in this NFL which is which is needed honestly so would you rather come downhill and make a tackle for loss you know forces a team to punt or would you rather lock up a tight end in coverage one-on-one forcing completion to force the punt which which would you prefer uh the one that scores on defense great no that's not not a great answer um that's that's my mentality every time I take the field um how can I score on defense um whether it's whether it's strip sack whether it's an interception just how can I get my hands on the ball and affect the game all right let's say you get in the end zone in a big game it actually it's the game winner would you rather it be at home front of your home crowd crowd going nut celebrating with the home team no I like I like people being sad so you rather go on the road and shut it down I like people being sad like if you if you gave me the opportunity to either play a playoff game at home or play a playoff game on the road I'm taking the road every time love it so I want ask you about just kind of your motivation as a football player do you think you're more driven by people that have kind of doubted you throughout your life throughout your playing career or more trying to prove the people right that supported you throughout this entire process um really my biggest battle is with me um I want to prove myself right before anybody um and I just want to double down on myself better on myself and be the guy I say I am all right so let's fast forward a little bit let's go to April draft weekend where are you going to be and when you get that call what are those emotions going to be like it's going to be overwhelming um I'm going to be with family um probably in my house just I I don't know if I want to do something too special I just want to be around the people that that made it happen for me um my mom and dad who uh worked as hard as they could to provide for 4 children um around my sisters who always supported me was always there for me um this this family and I want to make sure I thank every single one of them for being there for me along the process it's great to hear and uh best of luck to you Curtis thank you guys that's Penn State linebacker Curtis Jacobs [Music]