University of North Carolina Athletics
Spring Football Reality Draft
March 31, 2004 | Football
March 31, 2004
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. ----- There's going to be something unique to the structure of this year's Spring Football Game. No, Carolina isn't going to use a modified scoring system or change the basic rules to favor the offense or defense. Nor will the two teams be separated by first-team players against second- and third-team players. Instead, Carolina's captains, acting as general managers, will divide the teams evenly via the first-ever Spring Football Reality Draft.
Following Wednesday afternoon's practice, spring game captains Darian Durant, Chase Page, Jason Brown and Doug Justice will convene in the Swofford Auditorium on the second floor of the Kenan Football Center to begin making their picks. Durant and Justice are captains of the Blue Team and Brown and Page are captains of the White Team.
"This is going be a lot of fun for the players," said head coach John Bunting. "It will be great for the fans to see two evenly matched squads play each other on Saturday and we hope to put on a good show. I'm interested in seeing how the captains pick their teams."
All skill position players, linebackers, tight ends and defensive backs will be available in the draft. The offensive line and defensive line were determined Tuesday by the coaching staff to ensure continuity among those units and they will not be part of the selection process.
To achieve balance in the two squads, a few rules have been established.
1) The draft will begin with the White Team selecting a quarterback and the Blue Team selecting a linebacker (both teams would then have one of each)
2) A coin toss will determine which team makes the first pick
3) After a team picks a player at a certain position, the other team then must draft a player at that same position.
4) Each team will alternate picks back and forth until all players have been chosen.
Check back on Thursday morning for the results and full rosters.
Game Structure:
* The game will be divided into four quarters. The first three quarters will be 15 minutes each. Halftime will last five minutes and players will remain on the field. The fourth quarter will last 10 minutes with a running clock.
* Kicking situations will take place throughout the game with first- and second-team players facing scout team players.
* Scoring: All traditional football scoring is in effect.
Honorary Captain
North Carolina native Mason Lindley will serve as The Spring Game honorary captain. Three-year-old Mason was critically injured in a lawnmover accident in October 2002. He sustained critical injuries to his diaphragm, stomach, lungs, arm and ribs and lost most of his small intestine in the accident. Doctors later told Mason's parents that he should not have survived the traumatic accident and the following surgeries due to the massive extent of his injuries.
ut Mason did survive and has had 13 major surgeries in the 17 months since the accident. In September 2003, Mason's heroic battle dubbed him a champion. Mason was chosen as the North Carolina Foresters Champions Across America 2004 representative for the Children's Miracle Network. He recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet the President and represent not only all the hospitalized children in North Carolina, but the 17 million kids who receive care in Children's Miracle Network member hospitals.
