University of North Carolina Athletics
One-on-One With Wags
September 8, 2000 | Football
Sept. 8, 2000
Earlier this week, TarHeelBlue asked fans to submit questions for last week's ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week, James "Wags" Wagstaff. Wags earned ACC honors after helping lead the Tar Heels to 415 yards of total offense in a 30-9 season-opening win over Tulsa.
Now here's your chance to read what he had to say.
Question from Bill Brower in Southern Pines, N.C.: How is practice different this year with a new o-line coach?
James Wagstaff: I think we've worked more on fundamentals this year. We've worked a lot on taking the right steps and angles before we really started even working with the team. We just
spend a lot of time on individual foot work drills which I think has been different for us.
Question from Curtis Harris in Chicago, Ill.: How does a lineman improve his footwork?
JW: I think you just have to try to do a lot of "quick-feet" drills. It's kind of hard to explain without seeing what we do, but we do a lot of work in the weight room going side-to-side and
front-to-back. We do a lot with cones to help our agility.
Question from Sam Lugetti in Baltimore, Md.: What is your current weight? What's your ideal playing weight?
JW: When I weighed myself Thursday after practice I think I was 346. I guess my ideal weight would be about 340 or 335. My weight now is down from about 370. I feel a lot better.
Question from Roger Andrews in Chapel Hill: Who's the toughest defensive lineman you've gone up against?
JW: Since I've been here, I think the toughest guys I've gone against were guys from Carolina. Julius Peppers and Greg Ellis have to be the toughest. You don't know what they're going to do
when those guys come at you. With some guys, you can anticipate what they're going to do - a bull rush or maybe they'll just try to go around you. But those two they can do anything and they
are so explosive off the ball. Pep reminds me of Greg in the way that you have no idea what he's going to do.
Question from Tom Graves in Marietta, Ga.: What's the toughest part of practice?
JW: I joke with people and tell them it's probably the pre-stretch - the stretch before practice. Once you get rolling with it I guess it goes by. Once we start going, I guess I'd say the toughest thing
we do is "inside drill," where it's just the interior guys going head-to-head - the defensive linemen and linebackers going up against the o-line, the tight ends and the running backs. Every play's a
running play, so there's no element of surprise. So it's a hard-nosed, grinding-out type drill.
Question from Mike Brannon in Duluth, Minn.: Are the offensive linemen aware of the intense scrutiny they're receiving from the fans this year?
JW: I think we've always been aware that the fans have had their eyes on us. There's always been some negative talk from fans about us, but that's what makes us work that much harder - to
prove people wrong.
Question from Carl Thompson in Edenton, N.C.: Does it ever bother you that offensive linemen are so anonymous, yet the running backs you create holes for get so much attention?
JW: When you play on the offensive line, you know you're not going to really get all the recognition. It's just part of the position. Part of our glory is when they get the recognition. That's what
we really like. We don't expect it for us.
Question from Laura in Charlotte: I want to know who you feel has helped you get to the place you are now. Who are some of your greatest influences? Also, I heard Bulldog had you guys doing some different things in workouts to get in shape this summer. What was the most interesting drill you did over the summer? Thanks. Good Luck on Saturday.
JW: I'd have to say my parents back in Charlotte have meant everything to me and been a big influence on me. We're very close. And here at Carolina, Bulldog (George Smith) and Coach
Caldwell have been very important to me.
We did a lot of stuff with Bulldog this summer. There was one day when we did this drill wearing a 30-pound weight vest. We did these things called "turnarounds." You sprint 30 yards and then you have to stop with 10 yards, walk back to the line and sprint 30 more yards. You keep going back and forth five times to make a set. And we did about six or seven of those one day with the 30-pound vests on. That was an interesting day.
Question from Steve Wyatt in Reidsville, N.C.: Hey James, just wanted to know how important it was for you guys (The O-Line) to have a great season opener?
JW: I think it was real important because it helped our confidence. A lot of people have questioned how the offensive line was going to be this year, but I thought we did a pretty good job. We
were able to build some confidence against Tulsa. We have a good vibe and we're coming together well I think.
Question from Matt Wojciechowski in Raleigh: We all know that the Tar Heels' offensive line is pretty good, but how is the depth this year? If one of the starters suffers an injury, how are the
second-stringers?
JW: I think we have great depth this year all over the field. We have some great young guys on the O-line that work hard in practice and who will make a big impact this year. They're ready to fill
in when they can. Guys like Greg Woofter, Bryant Malloy, Marcus Wilson, Jupiter Wilson, David Stevenson....there are a lot of good guys behind us.
Question from Hodge in Charlotte: I would like to know if you have thought about where you would most like to play in the NFL? Would you like to go back to NY or would you hope to play
in Charlotte?
JW: I really don't have a preference. It wouldn't matter to me if I could make it to the NFL. I really started dreaming about it in high school, so it wouldn't matter to me where I ended up. There
are plenty of great cities with NFL teams that I'd love to end up.
Question from John Kelley in Woodbridge, Va.: Since you are a wise, experienced senior, and we have 9-10 red-shirt and true freshmen linemen, how are you helping the younger guys to
"learn the ropes," including technique, work ethic, strength & conditioning, and weight control?
JW: I think we try to help the younger guys by working out with them in the weight room. We try to get in there and show them how the seniors do it and give them help wherever they need it.
There are some real hard workers on this team. Out on the field, we all try to help each other because the system is new to all of us. As Coach Caldwell says, "We're one family." So we try to
keep things in the family. If someone screws up, we get on him. If someone does real well, we praise him. We have a real tight-knit group.
One-on-One Archives
One-on-One with R. Sims (September 1, 2000)
One-on-One with A. Crumpler (August 25, 2000)
One-on-One with E. Hood (August 18, 2000)
One-on-One with B. Spoon (August 11, 2000)
