CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL: OLE MISS VS PENN STATE

December 28, 2023

Curtis Jacobs

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Penn State Nittany Lions

Quick Quotes

Q. Curtis, what has bowl week been like for you here in Atlanta? And how do you feel you guys are doing game prep-wise as you get closer to kickoff?

CURTIS JACOBS: I think we've done a really good job. I think bowl week is all about knowing what times to have fun and what times to lock in. I feel our team is really mature, and we do a really good job of that.

It's been really fun to do a lot of things, but when it's time to practice and time to work, I feel like the guys have done a great job of locking it in and getting that done.

Q. What went into the decision to leave for the draft?

CURTIS JACOBS: It was a lot of talks with me and my family, me and Coach, and I just felt it was time to take that step. There was mutual respect on both sides.

I know Coach said he felt I've earned the right to make that decision, and I truly respect him for that. So that's pretty much everything that went into it.

Q. So this is going to be your last game, how emotional might that be for you?

CURTIS JACOBS: It still really hasn't set in yet. Right now I just feel I'm preparing how I prepared for every other game. I know, when it comes GameDay, there's going to be a lot of emotions.

I had my last padded practice yesterday. So just thinking about stuff like that and trying to be as appreciative as I can, that's really my mindset going in.

Q. Coach Franklin talks about the importance of not taking things for granted. Obviously during the season, you're focused on the next game. You're focused on what you need to do. And there's a lot of work involved. But at the same time, you don't want to work 20 years and wish you had enjoyed it more.

How do you think you've done in balancing and focusing on the task at hand but also enjoying the time at Penn State that you've had?

CURTIS JACOBS: I think I've done a really good job of that honestly. I kind of came with that mindset coming in. I knew it was going to go fast just seeing how fast high school went by.

So just being able to have fun with my teammates, make relationships that I'll never forget and those people will never forget. So just being able to do stuff like that, I feel like that is how I really maximized my Penn State experience.

Q. Has that balance been a challenge for you at all, or is that something you kind of handled naturally?

CURTIS JACOBS: It was kind of something that came naturally to me. Just really experiencing it with these people, and that's really been the best part about it.

Q. Ta'Mere is a bigger linebacker. What can you tell us about him?

CURTIS JACOBS: Obviously Ta'Mere and Kaveion Keys, they're trying to figure out Penn State in general. They weren't in the position we were in last year, but I tell them every day it's about the competition and how you prepare. I feel like those guys have been really good at that and they're ready to take the next step.

Q. What do you see as the next step for Abdul?

CURTIS JACOBS: Being the best linebacker in the country.

Q. What does that mean in your eyes?

CURTIS JACOBS: I think exactly that. He has the ability to do it, and I think it's time to do it.

Q. Curtis, you're obviously leaving after Saturday. Can you talk about what should be your snap count during the game and what that looks like for you yet?

CURTIS JACOBS: I'm not sure what that looks like yet. Obviously I knew I wanted to play, but I just wanted to go out there and play. I didn't want to do any restrictions or talk about any restrictions. For me, it's about doing what I can to win and allowing the coaches to help me out with all of that.

Q. Going back to Tom Allen real quick, you said he had some good ideas, not looking necessarily schematically, but culturally can you share what some of those ideas are?

CURTIS JACOBS: I'm not really sure about the cultural aspect because we kind of really talked about from my perspective I told him certain things, how we do things here and how we approach things here. Then we did talk about the schematic part of it a little bit.

It's just I think it's a really good opportunity for both sides. I feel like he's going to be really good for us.