University of North Carolina Athletics
Greenwood Leaves Much To Be Discovered
October 14, 2000 | Football
Oct. 14, 2000
By Lindsey Emery,
Media Relations Student Assistant
Imagine a blank canvas--splash on some deep green, add a few white lines and dot Carolina blue all about. Now, is there really anything more beautiful? This work of art is what Billy-Dee Greenwood would call abstract expressionism. Others would probably just call it a football field.
While teammates and students have taken note of the UNC starter's record number of tackles, strong defensive plays and bold leadership roles on the field, Billy- Dee holds many surprises for his fans off the field. Surprise number one: he enjoys museums. Even more surprising, he enjoys critiquing abstract art in those museums.
Greenwood's interest in art began his senior year at King & Low-Heywood School in Norwalk, Conn. That year his art teacher, Mr. Wilcox, took his class to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where Greenwood discovered his favorite artist, Jackson Pollock.
"He actually lays his canvas on the ground and uses other instruments to drip in the paint and splatter on the canvas," Greenwood said. "That was the art I was interested in, because it was different, and he was an originator of his own style."
His taste in actors and movies is almost as unexpected as his taste in art. Many students choose to support the younger generation of actors and actresses, yet Greenwood insists that Sydney Poitier is the best. The 20-page paper he wrote on the famous actor for an independent studies course in African American studies might explain why.
ut Billy-Dee's mother, Veronica Greenwood would disagree. Her favorite? Billy Dee Williams, the man whom her second son was named after. "Billy Dee Williams is an excellent actor, and of course he's cute," she said. "I fell in love with him, so I thought: if I have a son, I'm going to name him after Billy Dee. My first child was named after his father, and Billy-Dee was the second."
Listening to Veronica tout about her son and his accomplishments makes it no surprise that family has always been important to the Greenwoods. Last season Veronica attended nine out of Carolina's 11 home games to cheer for her son. She moved to Burlington, N.C. in September, but before then, Veronica lived in Connecticut and flew down every other weekend.
"I just wanted to be at all his games to support him," she said. "I knew they were having a rough year and needed all the support they could get." Billy-Dee's only brother, Basil, who played football at the University of Delaware, recently moved to North Carolina as well. One family member Billy-Dee would like to see move closer is his two-year-old daughter, Ariana Vanessa Greenwood. He takes every opportunity he can to visit with her. Veronica said being so far away from Ariana was difficult for her son last year, and she hopes her move to North Carolina will improve the situation. Billy-Dee said that knowing his daughter was in the stands for their game against Marshall helped him contribute to the Tar Heels' win.
"My daughter is my inspiration. She's the one who gets me up in the morning, gets me through tough practices. She's someone who will always be there for me, through thick and thin. At this point she is two, and she doesn't care about the wins or losses or how well I do--she'll always have a smile on her face when she sees me, which is the most important thing in life. She's the most important thing in my life."
Life in Chapel Hill is different from anything Billy-Dee has ever experienced. He attended a private high school and graduated among a class of about 30 students. Moving in to a geography class of 400 was quite a switch. He said one of the biggest changes he has noticed is among the people. People in the south, Greenwood claims, seem to be friendlier than those in the north. Cornerback Anthony Anderson might agree. The two players met during fall camp freshman year and have been friends and roommates ever since. Greenwood's mother understands why.
"My son is very dedicated and committed to whatever he does," Veronica said. "His feelings are more reserved, but if you get to know him, he's a very nice person. And if you get to be friends with him, he can be one of the best friends you'll ever have."
Being a good friend and being a good football player seem to run hand-in-hand with Billy-Dee. In high school he made the first-team All-USA Today and Parade All-America teams. His sophomore year at UNC, he was named co-captain and co-Most Valuable Defensive Player. He made 196 tackles, broke up 11 passes and intercepted one in his first two years of play. He also led the Tar Heels last season with 118 tackles, the highest number of tackles by a UNC defensive back since tackles were first recorded in 1978.
Such an impressive record does not leave too much room for improvement on the field, but Greenwood says his goal this season is to lead others. "I just try to do my best to help some of the young guys on the team that just got acclimated to this system. Guys who have been here that haven't had much playing time on the field, I just try to get them adjusted to what it's like to play at this level."
Off the field, Greenwood continues to broaden his horizons and focus on courses in communications and African American studies. While the career doors are still wide open, a job with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), something he formerly called a "long-shot," is a future possibility. With Carolina football behind Billy-Dee, he feels anything is possible.
