University of North Carolina Athletics
A Conversation With Brandon Spoon
September 8, 1999 | Football
Sept. 8, 1999
|
randon Spoon has overcome personal tragedy to become the type of son who would make every father proud. The senior from Burlington, N.C. has become the kind of man and football player his late father always envisioned.
Meet the man the fans love to call Spoooooon!!
TarHeelBlue: What's it like to play for Coach Torbush?
Brandon Spoon: "It's kind of like playing for my high school coach, Sam Story, he was real intense. Coach Torbush is a player's coach. He gives 110% on the field, he's real intense on the field. There's no room for mistakes. He's by far one of the best coaches I've ever been around.
"I can say without a doubt he's the reason I'm playing at the level I am now. He's stayed on me since I've been here. My freshman year I was yelled at every day. You know I couldn't stand it, I was yelled at every day, but he made me work hard and become just as intense on the field as he is."
TarHeelBlue: Did you resent that yelling at first?
Brandon Spoon: "I got fed up with it at first, but my dad told me he was just making me better. In fact, right before I signed, Coach Case told me he (Torbush) would stay on me and make me the best player I could be."
TarHeelBlue: What's the biggest difference between high school and college ball?
Brandon Spoon: "The speed of the game. You can ask anyone and they'll tell you the same thing. It's the same thing they say when you go from college to the pros. It's about three steps faster, and it takes a while to get adjusted. That's why you see so few freshmen play.
"When you're in high school and you're the man and you don't go full speed, you can get away with it. When you're in college and you don't go full speed, you can't make the play. Speed is what makes the game dangerous today. Speed kills."
TarHeelBlue: As a senior, do you feel any pressure as a team leader?
Brandon Spoon: "Not pressure, you know I've always seen myself as a leader. But as a senior I know what it takes for us to get where we want to go. It's not pressure, it's maturity. I just want to be a leader."
TarHeelBlue: What's your favorite part of practice, or is there one?
Brandon Spoon: "I really like doing team things, like when we review the opponent's offense. I like watching film a whole lot. I'll take film home with me and watch it, or I'll come in and watch film between classes.
"When I was growing up, my dad would grade film after the games, and I'd sit there and watch with him. All the coaches would come over to the house, order pizza, and we'd watch the film. Half the time I had no idea what was going on, but I just picked up on it. I didn't realize at the time how much I was learning."
TarHeelBlue: Do you think offensive and defensive players have a different mentality?
Brandon Spoon: "Yes and no. I think sometimes offense is more technique and skill, though it's pretty much smash-mouth football for the offensive linemen. On defense you're trying to demolish whoever's in front of you, whoever's got the ball, you're going after.
"I guess you could say the defense is more the hunters, the offense is more the hunted."
TarHeelBlue: When did you start playing football?
Brandon Spoon: "In the seventh grade. My parents didn't want me to play football until then, because they were afraid I would get tired of it.
"Actually, the first two days I hated it. I wanted to quit, and my mom wanted me to quit. The only reason I didn't quit was because she wanted me to. I kept playing just to spite her. It took a while, but I eventually started liking it a whole lot."
TarHeelBlue: Was your mom using some reverse psychology?
Brandon Spoon: "No. She'll say to this day that she really wanted me to quit."
TarHeelBlue: Tell me about running track in high school.
Brandon Spoon: "I was part of the state champion 4X100 meters relay team my junior year at Williams High School. I ran the hundred in 10.8, and the 200 in 21.9 I came in fifth in the state my senior year in the 200.
"That was about 30 pounds or so ago."
TarHeelBlue: If the NFL doesn't work out, what's next? Professional wrestling?
Brandon Spoon: "Yea, I say that. Half the time it's just a joke, but I'd love to do it. It'd be a blast, you go around acting like an idiot, like I do all the time."
TarHeelBlue: Do you hear it when they yell Spooooooon out there?
Brandon Spoon: "Yes, I love it. I hear it, you know now I kinda listen for it, because it's an unbelievable feeling to hear people screaming your name. I feed off it, it get's me fired up. I listen for it if I make a big play."
TarHeelBlue: rian Schmitz told me you are a Cub's fan.
Brandon Spoon: "I'm a big Cubs fan. This past year Allen Mogridge and I went up to Chicago with Brian and got to sit in Schmitz' dad's sky box for a Cubs-White Sox game. I loved it. I spent about eighty dollars at the gift shop. I had a blast!"
TarHeelBlue: Tell me about your fiancee.
Brandon Spoon: "Abby (Melvin) is wonderful. She's wonderful, a really terrific person. She's from Graham.
"I met her when I was a junior in high school. We've been dating for five years. Her dad (Jim) is the basketball and tennis coach at Graham.
"We're getting married on July 8, 2000."
TarHeelBlue: If pro sports don't work out, what do you think you would like to do?
Brandon Spoon: "I really think I would enjoy coaching, because football is one thing that really keeps my attention and interests me. I love football, and I've been around coaches so much. I really enjoy being around kids."
TarHeelBlue: What was it like sitting on the stage at Chancellor Hooker's memorial service?
Brandon Spoon: "I was honored. I didn't know until the other day that Mrs. Hooker picked me out specifically to represent the male athletes at Carolina. She told me one day last week at practice.
"It was such a great honor to be a part of it. I was so upset. I knew he was sick, but I thought he was getting better. It brought back a lot of memories of my dad. I just wanted to let her know that my thoughts and prayers were with her and her family."
TarHeelBlue: If I may ask, how are you and your mom getting along?
Brandon Spoon: "We're getting along fine. I've matured a whole lot in the last year. I've become a lot more like my dad since his death. The way he did things and the way he reacted to things, I see myself acting more like he did.
"I felt like I really needed to grow up, then I actually did. It's a big difference between saying you're growing up, and then actually doing it. I'm doing real well."
TarHeelBlue: Is there anything people should know about you that they don't know?
Brandon Spoon: "The biggest thing is, people think I'm mean. With my shaved head and the serious look I keep on my face, I think maybe I look mean. I'm really a shy person and don't talk a whole lot. I'm honestly one of the most normal people you'll ever meet.
"At first Abby's friends thought I wasn't nice since I don't talk a lot, but they learned better.
"I'm just a normal, nice guy. If you don't know me, I'm basically a really, really nice guy."
Joe Bray
TarHeelBlue.com
