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Q+A With Duke Football: Jaylen Stinson
9/29/2022 10:00:00 AM | Football
DURHAM – The Voice of the Blue Devils, David Shumate, sat down with junior defensive back Jaylen Stinson for a brief question and answer session.
DS: Everyone's talked to you about being a kick returner, but the coaches keep talking about you being a safety. What have you worked on to elevate your game defensively this year?
JS: As far as being a safety, this is really just my first year, so I'm trying to understand the offensive concepts. I am learning how to tackle, take the proper angles, and just how to help my guys out.
DS: You were a state champion in javelin at Opelika High School in 2019? Tell me about that, where did that come from?
JS: In high school, I pretty much did everything in track. I ran and jumped. My coach was like, 'you might as well pick up the javelin and try', because he knew I was pretty strong. I gave it a try and was pretty good at it. I kept working at it and ended up winning the state championship.
DS: Do you remember how long the throw was?
JS: I think it was 173 feet.
DS: I spent some time living down in Auburn. What kind of barbecue did you get into down there? Which one's your favorite?
JS: Jim 'N Nick's.
DS: Signature order?
JS: I like their ribs, so I'd probably go with the ribs.
DS: You guys have Virginia for your conference opener. What ramps up when you get into league play? Obviously, everyone's a little more familiar with each other.
JS: For us, it always hypes us up. At the end of the day, it still is a game. We're going to approach it like it's just a game, prepare as we should, and I feel like we'll be pretty good.
DS: You had a big kick return to start the game against North Carolina A&T and had a couple of touchdowns a year ago. Do you have a favorite return so far in your time here at Duke?
JS: Favorite return? Yeah, the first one I returned for a touchdown. That was my first kick return for a touchdown and it's probably my favorite one.
#GoDuke
DS: Everyone's talked to you about being a kick returner, but the coaches keep talking about you being a safety. What have you worked on to elevate your game defensively this year?
JS: As far as being a safety, this is really just my first year, so I'm trying to understand the offensive concepts. I am learning how to tackle, take the proper angles, and just how to help my guys out.
DS: You were a state champion in javelin at Opelika High School in 2019? Tell me about that, where did that come from?
JS: In high school, I pretty much did everything in track. I ran and jumped. My coach was like, 'you might as well pick up the javelin and try', because he knew I was pretty strong. I gave it a try and was pretty good at it. I kept working at it and ended up winning the state championship.
DS: Do you remember how long the throw was?
JS: I think it was 173 feet.
DS: I spent some time living down in Auburn. What kind of barbecue did you get into down there? Which one's your favorite?
JS: Jim 'N Nick's.
DS: Signature order?
JS: I like their ribs, so I'd probably go with the ribs.
DS: You guys have Virginia for your conference opener. What ramps up when you get into league play? Obviously, everyone's a little more familiar with each other.
JS: For us, it always hypes us up. At the end of the day, it still is a game. We're going to approach it like it's just a game, prepare as we should, and I feel like we'll be pretty good.
DS: You had a big kick return to start the game against North Carolina A&T and had a couple of touchdowns a year ago. Do you have a favorite return so far in your time here at Duke?
JS: Favorite return? Yeah, the first one I returned for a touchdown. That was my first kick return for a touchdown and it's probably my favorite one.
#GoDuke
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