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MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 21, 2015

Jalen Watts-Jackson

East Lansing, Michigan

Q. Jalen, the outpouring from fans to you from social media has been obviously large for both the play and the injury. Can you just talk about the response and what it is to have so many people reach out to you?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Well, it started off I guess I had a few followers on Twitter and Instagram, but after it got to where my phone would freeze if I even tried to open the apps. I've been trying to reach out to as many people with thank yous and stuff like that as I could, but it's been honestly sometimes overwhelming to where I can't even use my phone to call or text people.

But I greatly appreciate all the thanks, all of the people praying for me. I guess sometimes it's been overwhelming, but it's always good to see it keeping my spirits up and stuff like that.

Q. Run us through the recollections of how that play went down and what happened and what was going through your mind as you, I guess, crossed the goal line. That's when I guess you were hurt, but just what you were thinking?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Well, at first it was just like -- because my job wasn't even honestly to block the punt. I'm supposed to keep my guy from pushing me into the guy who was supposed to block the punt. So all of the blocking, like when they blocked up high and everything it led up to me grabbing the ball, I had no idea what was going on, because the guy I was blocking was like 6'6" and I couldn't even see through him. Once I finally got past him I just saw the ball and I grabbed it. I looked up at the clock to see how much time we had left. At that point I knew I couldn't be tackled or didn't have time to kick a field goal or whatnot, and I started running.

Jermaine was actually running towards me, and like my mouth guard, I was biting on my mouth guard so hard I couldn't even tell him so I turned around, but he turned around and started walking. I dipped my head and I was actually going to dive into the end zone before I got tackled because I didn't know if I was going to make it or not and who was behind me. After that it was pretty much pure pain after that.

But it was still cool to see my teammates all around me. I know it's hard for them because everybody was telling me to get up and celebrate and stuff like that, but the pain was a bit much.

Q. Jalen, there was a picture of you that looked like you were looking up at the Jumbotron when you were running in for the touchdown. Is that true or an optical illusion of the picture? Could you talk about that, please?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: People thought I was looking up to see who was around me, which I guess in a sense I was, but I really didn't check in to see the time. I know when we went out there we didn't have that much time left. So after the whole play went down, I got the ball. I looked up and I saw 6 seconds. I knew at that point we didn't have time to get out of bounds, kick a field goal, or get tackled or anything, so I was going to try to score.

Q. Have you been to a class yet?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: I have not been to a class yet. I haven't been leaving my apartment that much besides going to the training room and then coming down the steps to talk to you guys.

Q. Did the injury occur when you hit the ground or was it when you got pulled back, and what was going on under that pile when you were in pain there?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: The injury occurred when I got tackled, so as soon as I hit the ground. A lot of people thought it happened under the pile, but as soon as I hit the ground I could feel it. Even going back and watching the play, I could see my leg become like kind of limber like laying across my other leg. I was like, yeah, it was messed up right then and there.

But at first it was just a few guys on me, so I'm like get off me, get off me, my hip. So as soon as people started to get off me from that pile I saw LT, Lawrence Thomas, come over and he was like, "Bro', you won us the game." And he was trying to get me up. And I was like, "Bro', my hip, my hip." And he did this to try to keep people back, and next thing I know he was face-to-face with me and it was like a pile.

I was yelling like, "Get them off of me. Get them off of me." It felt like I was under there for an hour. But after watching, I guess I wasn't under there that long, there were just a lot of people on top of me. Definitely being under the pile of all those people, being about 190 pounds, it's not that fun of an experience.

Q. What does this rivalry mean to you in the fact that you scored the winning touchdown?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Well, being from here, this is one of the games -- well, this is definitely a game you hear about every year. My uncle actually, my uncle and my aunt both graduated from U of M, so them converting into State fans and like him, he works at Ford, so a bunch of U of M fans work with him, and all week he was talking to me about the game like this is a big game, you know. I'm just glad you get to be a part of this game, a game that we've always watched growing up and stuff like that.

For the game to come down in my hands and me to actually win the game is just -- I can't even find the words to explain.

Q. The fact now that this occurred, I mean, you're going to have a place in history relative to this rivalry, right? Some of the biggest plays in MSU history. I mean, can you even wrap your arms around that yet?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Really, I can't. But my teammates have been making jokes and stuff saying, Bro', you're about to get a statue made of you. You're going to get your name put up in the stadium. So really they're just making fun of the situation.

But still it's crazy that ten seconds that take you from just being on a team or people acknowledging that you guys won the game to people tweeting you and text messaging you, Facebooking, saying you're a legend, you're a hero, alumni. Like I saw on ESPN Le'Veon's reaction, and I just was laughing. It was crazy.

Q. But you don't mind?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Oh, no, I don't mind at all. I don't mind at all.

Q. Before the snap when you're lining up and you look and you see ten seconds to go to even get his foot on the ball the game's probably over. What chance did you think and did you play that scenario in your mind and how it would all work?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: When I was speaking with the ESPN guys and I saw ESPN on Twitter and they said before the guy bobbled the ball there is probably a 0.2% chance of Michigan State winning the game. I would say that was pretty accurate, especially coming from my position to where I'm just trying to hold a guy off from hitting another guy.

But I guess the Rangers, that's what we call the blocking unit for punt, Coach Snyder told us they changed their blocking schemes. All you have to do is believe you're that guy and we're going to go block one.

I guess, well Grayson and Matt, I guess they deserve all the credit. They fired off the ball like it was go time, and I was in the right place at the right time and we made it happen. So just as much as I guess I'm a hero or legend for scoring, I really had to give a lot of thanks to them guys and Jermaine also for picking off a block. It was crazy though.

Q. Does it seem weird to you that a lot of Michigan State alumni and fans named their kids Jalen this weekend?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: I didn't even know that. I guess it does seem a little crazy, but like I said, it's crazy with the ten seconds for not only this program but for history.

Q. Following up on a play, you said that your job on that was to keep -- who was supposed to be coming through then? Who were you trying to keep?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: I was trying to keep the guard from blocking me down into T.J. Harrell, he was supposed to get in the block punt, they run rugby punt and he was supposed to get to the block point. The guy didn't actually block down on me at all, so we both went off three, ran into the guy blocking me. I cleared him and I saw the ball.

Q. How often have you guys practiced that particular play with the Rangers?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: We take special teams very serious here. This is as big a part of the game as offense and defense. So we have meetings every day, we have walk through before practice, and our coaches do a very good job of making sure things are crisp. So it wasn't like it was so much a cake walk. Like we practice every day of the week, going through stuff, going through situations, stakes and everything. So it wasn't as much luck as everyone says it was, because everyone did their job.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about after the play was over, dog pile going on, aside from your injury, did it kind of hit you immediately that you just kind of scored a touchdown on one of the biggest plays in possibly college football history?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Not at all. Even when I got to the hospital and things were really settling down and people were telling me good play, still I was thinking, man, my hip is hurting.

I would say it first really hit me -- besides when I got my phone, because I didn't have my phone all weekend -- so besides when I got my phone, it first hit me after I got surgery, my family came and I was just in my room, the hospital room by myself, looking at ESPN. And they just kept playing it back and kept playing it back. I'm like, wow, like that really happened.

So it didn't really hit me at all until I was by myself in the hospital room just watching TV.

Q. How is the hip, and what is the recovery process going to be like for you? How long are you going to be in the chair?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Well, actually I'm using a walker. I prefer to use a walker because I like to stand and still be a little active. Honestly, they told me that really I'm not supposed to have any pressure on my hip for three months, but honestly it hasn't been feeling too bad or like anything that I can't handle or anything of that such.

But hopefully I heal faster than what they think. The trainers have been doing a good job of keeping in touch with me, calling me, asking how I'm feeling and making sure I'm taking my medicine and stuff like that.

They said probably around six, seven months before I'm running and stuff like that. I won't do anything in spring ball, but honestly I'm hoping that something could give before then and my process could be a little faster than what they said it would be.

Q. (No microphone) he kept the team on the bus for ten seconds when you guys first show up to the stadium so they could think about what could possibly happen today. Do you remember what you thought about in those ten seconds?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Me? I was sitting with another guy. I was sitting with a freshman, so we were all -- this is our first time going to Michigan and seeing this environment and all the people lined up on the stairs outside the stadium, just pulling up and seeing all the green and white mixed in with maze and blue, and you just see people cheering like the exact opposite, the complete opposite.

So when we first pulled up I took off my headphones and we were just looking into the crowd like, wow, this game is honestly bigger than -- we knew it was a big game, but pulling up just it was just completely -- I didn't expect that at all.

Q. (No microphone)?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Oh, I honestly don't remember.

Q. For those of us that have known you from back in high school, you're very quiet. You don't seek a lot of attention. So when you're laying in bed and you say ESPN just kept playing it over and over and your phone's blowing up, that's not really something that you seek or want. So how did you adjust -- as long as you're laying there injured and being a person that doesn't seek the limelight, how did you handle that?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Sometimes, like I told you, my phone was freezing, I would just set my phone to the side and I would change the channel. I was actually holding like long conversations with my nurse when she would come in. She was actually a pretty cool lady. She was a fan, a U of M fan. I guess she really put it aside because she kept good conversation. I remember one time we were talking 15 minutes just about random stuff.

So I was just trying to keep my mind off of everything that was going on because, like I said, it was like a great experience but at the same time I'm thinking, man, I'm down for the season. My hip is messed up. It's easy to just sit here and tell everybody thank you, but my thought process at the same time was like, man, I wish I could be with my team right now. I just want to get back to East Lansing. It was a lot. But like I said, if I had to do it all over again, I definitely would.

Q. You live with Vayante; is that correct?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: Yeah, we did live together.

Q. How much are you two able to lean on each other now that you're both going through injuries?
JALEN WATTS-JACKSON: I was just with him and Madre yesterday. The first joke was, man, there's got to be something in the water. Because first Vayante and then Madre, but Madre will be back, and now me. It's like, man, we're all hurt. I don't know how this happens.

We were all just talking during camp like this is going to be a big season for us, and then Vayante and Madre came out with a really big first game. Things were looking like honestly like freshman All-American status for him. Hopefully it can still go for Madre, but we all decided like we tried to make light of the situation, don't try to dwell on it too much because like we're still young. We've still got a lot of football ahead of us. So we try to just make light of the situation, chill like we did just like before this all happened.

I don't even think we talked about it that much when we were all together. We were just engaged in normal conversation. They were asking if I was all right. I was trying not to ask them to get me too much stuff because I had my leg up on the couch. But it was definitely good seeing my teammates again.

Going to a U of M hospital, there were a lot of U of M fans, but I want to thank everybody at the University of Michigan Hospital for making me feel at home. I honestly couldn't even tell that I was at a U of M Hospital. Everyone was so nice. Everyone was congratulating me and just making sure I was okay. That takes a lot, because I know how big of a rivalry it is, especially after seeing the way people react in the stands.

I want to thank the doctors that helped me out, Dr. Goulet and Dr. (Indiscernible) I believe his name was. The nurse that I had these long conversations with, Kristina, I remember her name still. I just want to honestly thank them because they made a situation that was not just crazy but a painful situation go by fast and make it a lot easier than it could have been.

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