Wake Forest Athletics
Five Questions: Cam Serigne
7/14/2023 12:03:00 PM | Football
“The shift we’ve seen over the years has been incredible.” - Cam Serigne
Cam Serigne arrived at Wake Forest as an undersized prospect with limited Division 1 offers from Briar Woods (Ashburn, VA) High School and departed as the most prolific pass-catching tight end in ACC history.
Serigne and his family currently live in Charlotte, where he's started vQuip, whose mission is to make specialty insurance markets safer, easier and more accessible. Deacon Sports Xtra recently chatted with Serigne for this Five Questions feature.
How did you navigate the coaching transition after your redshirt season?
Serigne: "The old coaching staff told them good things about me — thank goodness. The new staff didn't give anything to anyone. It was a complete meritocracy. I basically had to start over. I had to earn it. I didn't get the official starting job until about halfway through fall camp. Coach Ruggiero knew they were going to use me a lot in the passing game. Me and (Wake Forest quarterback) John (Wolford) had a great connection. They trusted me and put me in position."
How did you and your teammates back in 2014 internalize the culture changes brought about when Dave Clawson took over the program as head coach?
Serigne: "It was before the transfer portal, so we were largely just stuck. I'm so glad it wasn't, because there were some really talented guys who might not have made it if it were that easy to leave. But we stuck through it. Looking back on it, I'm so glad we did. It was the best thing that ever happened, but at the time we didn't really realize that. Let's buy in and see what happens. It was challenging at times. It was tough. It was a huge flip in culture, and that takes a lot of hard, uncomfortable work. We went through that transition, caught the brunt of it, but became better because of it.
"We committed to coach (Jim) Grobe and his staff, and right after my freshman season there was a change. Oh no. For me and a bunch of others, it was the staff and the school that took a chance on us. We had to prove ourselves all over again."
How difficult were 2014 and 2015, when the team finished 3-9 each season before the current streak of seven-straight bowl appearances?
Serigne: "What was ever more wild is how hard we were working. We were working so hard, and felt like we saw nothing for it for two years. As we entered the Military Bowl season, we thought we must just be terrible, because we had nothing left to give. It finally starting breaking through for us in that year. If that's what it takes — sometimes you have to put in the hard work before you see the results. It takes time. That's what happened with us."
What is your favorite memory from Wake Forest?
Serigne: "The Belk Bowl is one of my favorite memories ever. It was really our first bigger bowl games against a big name like Texas A&M. It was in Charlotte right down the road and so many alumni were there. It was my senior class with all the things we went through. It was just so amazing for us to share. We beat Texas A&M in an absolute shootout where everyone contributed. We got to celebrate with our teammates and alumni in Charlotte. It was just incredible. We still watch the videos together of those moments and tear up a little bit."
How have you enjoyed seeing the offensive explosion in recent years, especially given the struggles on that side of the ball early in the Clawson Era?
Serigne: "It all goes to what coach Clawson and (offensive coordinator) coach (Warren) Ruggiero have built. As the talent on the offense matured and they brought in more talent on the recruiting trail, he was able to teach the playbook and their system, the offense improved by leaps and bounds. It compounded year-by-year, because it was the same staff just adding in more talent incrementally. It's so gratifying for me to watch. I'll be in the Touchdown Club eating a hot dog and drinking a beer, and it's so fun to see what's been built and the hard work it took to get there. I go all the time. I go to most home games, visit with the guys and the coaches.
"It was tough sledding. We were young on offense. John (Wolford) was just a freshman. We had a really good defense, with a lot of high-end talent. Our defense could win games at times. The shift we've seen over the years has been incredible. It was good to get over that hump years later."
Serigne and his family currently live in Charlotte, where he's started vQuip, whose mission is to make specialty insurance markets safer, easier and more accessible. Deacon Sports Xtra recently chatted with Serigne for this Five Questions feature.
How did you navigate the coaching transition after your redshirt season?
Serigne: "The old coaching staff told them good things about me — thank goodness. The new staff didn't give anything to anyone. It was a complete meritocracy. I basically had to start over. I had to earn it. I didn't get the official starting job until about halfway through fall camp. Coach Ruggiero knew they were going to use me a lot in the passing game. Me and (Wake Forest quarterback) John (Wolford) had a great connection. They trusted me and put me in position."
How did you and your teammates back in 2014 internalize the culture changes brought about when Dave Clawson took over the program as head coach?
Serigne: "It was before the transfer portal, so we were largely just stuck. I'm so glad it wasn't, because there were some really talented guys who might not have made it if it were that easy to leave. But we stuck through it. Looking back on it, I'm so glad we did. It was the best thing that ever happened, but at the time we didn't really realize that. Let's buy in and see what happens. It was challenging at times. It was tough. It was a huge flip in culture, and that takes a lot of hard, uncomfortable work. We went through that transition, caught the brunt of it, but became better because of it.
"We committed to coach (Jim) Grobe and his staff, and right after my freshman season there was a change. Oh no. For me and a bunch of others, it was the staff and the school that took a chance on us. We had to prove ourselves all over again."
How difficult were 2014 and 2015, when the team finished 3-9 each season before the current streak of seven-straight bowl appearances?
Serigne: "What was ever more wild is how hard we were working. We were working so hard, and felt like we saw nothing for it for two years. As we entered the Military Bowl season, we thought we must just be terrible, because we had nothing left to give. It finally starting breaking through for us in that year. If that's what it takes — sometimes you have to put in the hard work before you see the results. It takes time. That's what happened with us."
What is your favorite memory from Wake Forest?
Serigne: "The Belk Bowl is one of my favorite memories ever. It was really our first bigger bowl games against a big name like Texas A&M. It was in Charlotte right down the road and so many alumni were there. It was my senior class with all the things we went through. It was just so amazing for us to share. We beat Texas A&M in an absolute shootout where everyone contributed. We got to celebrate with our teammates and alumni in Charlotte. It was just incredible. We still watch the videos together of those moments and tear up a little bit."
How have you enjoyed seeing the offensive explosion in recent years, especially given the struggles on that side of the ball early in the Clawson Era?
Serigne: "It all goes to what coach Clawson and (offensive coordinator) coach (Warren) Ruggiero have built. As the talent on the offense matured and they brought in more talent on the recruiting trail, he was able to teach the playbook and their system, the offense improved by leaps and bounds. It compounded year-by-year, because it was the same staff just adding in more talent incrementally. It's so gratifying for me to watch. I'll be in the Touchdown Club eating a hot dog and drinking a beer, and it's so fun to see what's been built and the hard work it took to get there. I go all the time. I go to most home games, visit with the guys and the coaches.
"It was tough sledding. We were young on offense. John (Wolford) was just a freshman. We had a really good defense, with a lot of high-end talent. Our defense could win games at times. The shift we've seen over the years has been incredible. It was good to get over that hump years later."
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