University of North Carolina Athletics
A Chat With Dauntae' Finger
September 6, 2000 | Football
Sept. 6, 2000
y: Joe Bray
TarHeelBlue.com
TarHeelBlue: Have you been enjoying doing the "Crump & Finger Files?"
Dauntae' Finger: "I like doing that, it's fun. I'm not doing my radio (WXYC) or TV (STV) show this year, so when they asked me to do it, I said sure.
"Every now and then Crump and I get together and get out the recorder and talk about things."
TarHeelBlue: Why aren't you doing your radio show this year?
Dauntae' Finger: "I decided not to do it this year. I want to concentrate totally on football."
TarHeelBlue: Roughly what percentage of the plays are you in the game, and what percentage does Alge play?
Dauntae' Finger: "I'd say that last week I was in about 45% of the time, plus we ran some double-tights formations where they'd send me in motion. We didn't do any passing in the double-tights set, though we had worked on it in practice.
"I get my share of playing time."
TarHeelBlue: Last year the tight ends were hardly the focus of the passing attack. Did that get pretty frustrating?
Dauntae' Finger: "It was very frustrating. Alge caught 20 passes and I caught 10, but I really wasn't very happy with it. Alge and I both felt like we should have been more a part of the passing attack. We weren't happy with it at all.
"We did try to stay up, and we both worked hard on our blocking. That's a big part of our position. Coach Lewis always tells us that NFL scouts tell him they're looking for tight ends who can block. They have tight ends who can catch well, and they have tight ends who can block well, but they very seldom have someone who's really good at both.
"Alge and I both have good hands, and Coach Lewis has done a great job teaching us how to block. I really feel that we're two of the better tight ends in the nation, as far as having the complete package."
TarHeelBlue: Does it ever frustrate you that you and Alge are both here at exactly the same time?
Dauntae' Finger: "It does, it does. I remember our freshman season, I redshirted and he didn't. There were some situations where I was on the scout punting team, and he was on the punt-block team, and he and I would be going at it.
"I don't think we got along all that well at first. There was a little animosity there, probably more from me towards him than the other way. I felt like he was kind of in my way.
"It really didn't work out the way I thought it would, but what can I say. He's a great athlete, and I feel that I'm one too, but obviously the coaches think he's just a little bit better than me, so he has the starting job.
"You know, some of the coaches tell me that if I was at another school I would be a starter, but I really don't worry about it."
TarHeelBlue: You guys are good buddies now.
Dauntae' Finger: "Oh yea, Crump and I are tight. We live right beside each other in our apartment complex. We're real good friends.
"Out on the field, if he does something wrong, I'll tell him, and he'll do the same for me. We get along very well."
TarHeelBlue: When you were being recruited were you aware he might be coming in with you?
Dauntae' Finger: "Alge was actually the first person our year to commit to Carolina. Other schools would ask me, why do you want to go there, they've already got a tight end coming in. I thought about it at first, but after awhile I didn't let it worry me. It goes back to let's just see who's best. It's funny the way things have worked out."
TarHeelBlue: What are the most obvious changes in the offense under Coach O'Cain?
Dauntae' Finger: "The biggest change is that this offense is the total package. We've got some run and shoot, we've got the option, we've got the drop-back passing, we've got the power game. It seems like we've got everything this year.
"Sometimes in the huddle we'll call two plays. Depending on the defensive front we'll run one play or the other off of an audible.
"I like to call Coach O'Cain an offensive mastermind. He's just a guru when it comes to the offense."
TarHeelBlue: Is Curry back to his old self? He looked like it Saturday night.
Dauntae' Finger: "He is back to his old self. He's looking good back there. He worked hard all summer to get in shape. The farther we get into the season, the more dangerous he and the rest of the team are going to be."
TarHeelBlue: How many years have you been playing under Coach Lewis?
Dauntae' Finger: "I'm going into my third season with Coach Lewis. Coach Lewis has given me a lot of confidence in myself. He's not only a great coach, he's a great friend.
"When I need someone to talk to, and I don't want to talk to one of my teammates or my girlfriend, I know I can go talk to Coach Lewis.
"If someone asked me who, other than someone in my family, that I looked up to and considered a great person, it would be Coach Lewis.
"I'll come into a meeting before practice, and we'll always talk a couple of minutes about our day. He wants to know what's happening and how you're doing. We'll talk about anything.
"He's a great man. I love him."
TarHeelBlue: What's your major?
Dauntae' Finger: "I'm a communications major."
TarHeelBlue: What do you want to do after school?
Dauntae' Finger: "I'd love to get a shot at the NFL, God willing.
"After that, I'd like to become a sports commentator. I'd like to do a football and basketball combination, because I love basketball, too. Basketball is probably my first love.
"I'd also like to do some acting as well. I've taken some acting classes here as part of my major, and I enjoy doing that. I'd like to be on the big screen some day."
TarHeelBlue: When are you going to graduate?
Dauntae' Finger: "I'll be graduating in May. I'm looking forward to getting that degree."
TarHeelBlue: I've always thought you were a very well-rounded person. Tell me about some of the community service things you do.
Dauntae' Finger: "I love going to the Children's Hospital before games. I like helping raise money for various campus charities. I like going to schools and talking to kids.
"I try to do a lot of things, because I like to give back. I really like kids.
"Coming from a single-parent home, where I was raised by my Grandmother, I know how it is for kids not to have a father figure around. I know how it is for kids who don't have as much as everybody else does. That can be hard on a kid.
"I had a hard time growing up when I was younger. I found something that I loved in athletics. It gave me a goal that I wanted to reach. I knew that basketball or football would get me there. That's the only thing that kept my head on straight.
"I think that if any kid has a goal and wants to do something, and he needs me, I'll try to be there for him."
