University of North Carolina Athletics
A Q&A With Coach Andre' Powell: Part I
July 16, 2003 | Football
By: Joe Bray
TarHeelBlue: Tell us about your tailbacks.
Coach Powell: "Chad Scott's got some good tools. He can really accelerate, he's fast, he runs with good power, he runs tough. He's a tough kid.
"One thing he needs to work on is making people miss. He does cut well, but he doesn't have the shake yet. He does everything else well."
TarHeelBlue: How do you work on having him develop, as you put it, the shake, or is that totally a function of natural ability?
Coach Powell: "We work on it a little bit, but most of that is something a player brings to the table.
"Jacque Lewis has gotten bigger, he's up to 200 pounds or more. He's got good shake, he can make you miss. He's smart, and he's probably the toughest guy I've got.
"The thing Jacque has to learn is that every play's not going to be a touchdown. Some plays are just going to be three or four yard plays. He's got to learn how to get what the defense is going to give him, to run low and get a few more yards.
"Last year he was nicked up a little bit because he was doing too much dancing. In open space you can dance, but when you get in there where the big boys are, you're going to get hurt if you do too much dancing.
"Willie Parker's up to about 210 pounds and he really looks good. He has great speed, he had an excellent spring. In fact, he couldn't have had a better spring. He finally showed us he could run the ball with some power and toughness between the tackles.
"He's going to have to prove it to us during the season. He's done it before during the spring, then not done what we've wanted during the season."
TarHeelBlue: Why do you think that is?
Coach Powell: "I don't know. Hopefully, since this is his senior season, he'll play like it's his last go around and do what we want him to do.
"Ronnie McGill has got some ability. He doesn't have the speed of Willie and Chad. He doesn't have the shake of Jacque, but he's got power, he's got good speed. He runs low, he's tough, he's smart, and I like him."
TarHeelBlue: Did he surprise you this spring?
Coach Powell: "No! I knew he'd be a good player, he didn't surprise me at all. He surprised those guys on defense a couple of times."
TarHeelBlue: Let's discuss the fullbacks.
Coach Powell: "Let me say this about the fullbacks, one needs to emerge.
"James Gibson has lost some weight, he's down under 250. I don't care what he plays at as long as he can run, he can be 290 if he can run. In his mind he thinks that if he's a little slimmer he can do some more things. I like James.
"Dokun Olagoke is my smallest guy, but he's my best isolation blocker. At about 215 or 220 pounds he's got the best flexibility in his hip area, so he can roll his hips. Dokun has to learn the offense a little better.
"We don't have Andre' Williams anymore, so that leaves Rikki Cook. Rikki Cook has all the skills to get the job done, but he hasn't proven it yet.
"We've got to find a fullback. We've got to have good competition in fall camp. Those guys have to be able to block, they've got to be able to catch the ball, they have to be able to line up in some different places and they have to be tough.
"If we had to play tomorrow, I don't know who the fullback would be."
TarHeelBlue: I assume you've lost Madison Hedgecock permanently to the defense.
Coach Powell: "He's played his last snaps on offense unless it's some special situation. I've conceded that.
"We're in so many different personnel groupings that it's probably better for the team that he is on defense because he'll play 30 to 40 more snaps a game on defense than he would on offense. I understand that."
TarHeelBlue: You said that one guy's going to have to step up at fullback. Would you prefer that one player clearly step up at tailback.
Coach Powell: "Yes, and I think that's going to be interesting. I was just talking to Coach Tranquill the other day about how do you get four guys ready? The law of averages tells you that one guy will begin to emerge somewhere during the middle of fall practice, then you begin to reduce that guy's reps to give the other guys a chance to prove who's going to be second."
TarHeelBlue: How do you challenge someone to step up?
Coach Powell: "I just tell them to. They know I don't have any favorite guy, the best guy's going to play. They know that if you split 25 plays over four guys, you're not going to get many reps.
"They know I'm going to grade them every day, that I'm going to make adjustments every day. The best guy will start. I think the competition in August will make them all better. I know it did this spring.
"Chad brings something different to the table, and so does Ronnie. I really saw a big jump out of Willie and Jacque, and I think it was because of those other two guys."
TarHeelBlue: Which of your tailbacks is the best blocker?
Coach Powell: "Jacque, hands down. He's got the best technique and he's the toughest. He's the smartest guy I've got. Chad and Ronnie haven't gotten the chance to block a guy during a game here at Carolina, but I expect those guys will be pretty good because they both have good strength and they're tough guys.
"As far as blitz pick up, blocking those linebackers, those bigger guys, then I'd have to throw Gibson or another fullback in there."
TarHeelBlue: Is any of the tailbacks clearly the best receiver?
Coach Powell: "I think they all have good hands, they all have good ball skills. Ronnie is a former quarterback, Jacque has good hands, they all have good hands."
TarHeelBlue: Have did your guys do last year giving up sacks?
Coach Powell: "I can't remember the exact number. Frankly, I almost don't want to know. It was a great deal more than the previous year. We gave up more sacks last year than any other year of my coaching career.
"The running backs were responsible for somewhere around 10 sacks. The year before I got here they gave up 18, then my first year here they gave up just two. Ten sacks is something with which I'm totally not accustomed."
TarHeelBlue: Were you sorry to see Mahlon Carey move to the defense?
Coach Powell: "It's best for the team. He has a better chance to be successful over there.
"He's over there where he can help that part of the team, and we've got another slot open at tailback."
Part II: Thursday, July 17
