Rutgers Football went out an added another defensive back transfer this offseason in former Marshall cornerback Jacobie Henderson and he spoke with the media for the first time since arriving on the banks in January.
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Question: What are your first impressions of Rutgers and what has it been like?
Jacobie Henderson: “It's been a really good first impression, I ain't gonna lie. Even though I'm from down south, coming up north, it's been a pretty smooth transition. The coaches are cool, the environment cool, and the people around us. They really care about us and football, so I think it was a pretty good move.”
Q: What was the whole transfer portal experience been like for you?
JH: “It was kind of hectic, just trying to find the right school in a small window of time, but shoot, when I found the right school, which is Rutgers, everything was pretty smooth sailing.”
Q: What's your biggest draw to Rutgers, Was there a particular factor that kind of played into it the most, What was the biggest swing factor in you coming here?
JH: “So somewhere that was gonna prepare me to be the best player I could be, and then somewhere where it was more of a pro style environment.
Here it’s football, football, football, and they want you to prepare like a pro. So they take recovery really serious here, preparation really serious, practice really serious, film watching really serious. So it was stuff that would prepare me for the next level. That's all I was looking for.”
Q: Obviously, Coach Shiano's had a long history of working with defensive backs, getting them ready for the pros. How much of that was a big factor in your decision as well?
JH: “Well, originally, I didn't know that until I got the call, I was gonna have the official visit here, and I started doing my own research and I'm like, he's one of them guys. So it played a pretty big factor, I ain't gonna lie. Being a defensive back and then seeing him work with a lot of guys that I watch, and a lot of guys that I grew up watching, that played a real big role in my commitment here.”
Q: In the defensive backroom, there's a lot of new guys like yourself. How has that room kind of grown with each other?
JH: “We all are cool with each other, the corners and the safeties. We move like a pack, we always hang around each other. In our group chat, we're always cracking jokes, we're always trying to hold each other accountable. And it's a lot of competition, we all push each other to be the best.”
Q: Coach Rowe, the new cornerbacks coach, played for Coach Schiano. What is it like to have that experience being coached by someone who played for him and knows what to expect?
JH: “It's actually really good, and it actually helps out a lot. So with me being new, having a new head coach, it was stuff that he kind of helped me with and just helped me be more comfortable with, because he was like, whenever Schiano gets on us, he's not getting on us, he just wants to be better players. So he kind of broke everything down for me when I first came in based off of his past experience with Coach Schiano.
Q: So for Rutgers fans that may not know you and your game, what are you gonna bring to the field, what are you gonna bring to the Big Ten?
JH: “A lot of excitement, and just somebody that's gonna impact the team in a very, very big way. I tell guys all the time, no matter where I am, what I'm doing,
and if I'm on the sideline, I'm on the field, I'm all about bringing everybody up. So if I can be that guy who can just pull the best out of somebody, you feel me, I feel like that'd be a big part of the team.”
Q: As you mentioned, you're from down south. What's it been like here in New Jersey so far?
JH: “ Very, very, Hospice, very loud. Yeah, it's very loud out here, traffic, there's a lot. But as far as the people though, the people are very nice, very cool people. The culture out here, I love it. There's a lot of stuff to do, a lot of good food. So it's been pretty good.”
Q: I guess big picture, what's your kind of outlook on the season?
JH: “My outlook on the season, honestly, is just, I want us to go as far as possible. I want us to play the best football we can play. Coach Schiano always talks about chopping the moment. So I really don't look too much on the future or the past records. I'm just worried about how we can get better every day in community.”
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