University of North Carolina Athletics
Half-Pad Practice Caps Whirlwind Day
August 11, 2004 | Football
Aug. 11, 2004
By Adam Lucas John Bunting might have been having NFL flashbacks Wednesday, a day that saw his Tar Heels---already into their third day of training camp---pick up two talented players after most teams had already firmly set their rosters. Tuesday night, Bunting and recruiting coordinator Brad Lawing got good news in a telephone call from former Louisiana State running back Barrington Edwards, who decided to transfer to Carolina. His signed scholarship agreement rolled over the UNC fax machine Wednesday morning. "When a guy doesn't come to your school, you don't burn bridges," said Lawing, who recruited Edwards when he was an assistant coach at Michigan State. "If you do a good job of recruiting a guy and he decides he wants to change schools, he's probably going to call you." Edwards will begin practicing with the Heels on August 24 and will sit out 2004. He will have three years of eligibility beginning with the 2005 season. When he arrives in Chapel Hill, he'll find another new addition already on the roster. Chicago-area quarterback Joey Bozich fulfilled all his paperwork obligations earlier in the day Wednesday and was on the practice field by 5:30 p.m. Bozich---who spent most of the practice session standing and watching, helmet in hand sporting a red number 18 jersey---was introduced to his new teammates after practice by Bunting. The formal introduction capped a whirlwind day for the Hinsdale Central High standout, who woke up Wednesday morning in his Illinois home and will go to sleep in a UNC dorm. His day got off to a bumpy start when his Chicago-to-Raleigh flight was delayed almost two hours, touching down at RDU at 2 p.m. instead of the scheduled 12:30. He ran through a gauntlet of paperwork, was formally admitted to the University, took his physical, fulfilled the NCAA eligibility requirements, and was fitted for equipment by equipment manager Dominic Morelli in less than three hours. While Bozich---who first appeared on the Carolina radar a couple months ago, well after the formal signing day---was nailing down the final details, his parents met with the academic support staff. "There are a lot of hoops we had to jump through," Lawing said. "Anytime you try to expedite something as quickly as we tried to do with Joey, there is a lot of paperwork. Our University rightly requires a lot of things from us, but they do a great job of working with us. It helps that Barrington and Joey are both very intelligent, and on both of these guys, our admissions people were very willing to work with us to help expedite the process." Bozich and Edwards join another late pickup, Burlington Cummings linebacker Durell Mapp, as late additions to the Tar Heel roster. The trio is testament to the continued focus on recruiting by the Carolina coaches, who never close the door on a recruiting class until the final player has reported across the nation. The late additions don't take the place of potential 2005 signees---Bunting noted immediately that he still has a need at running back and quarterback---but they're a valuable supplement to a roster still building depth. "When this week started, I didn't know this would happen," Lawing said. "But that's the way things work out." Notes: The squad practiced in half pads for the first time Wednesday, finally allowing players to introduce some physical play. Madison Hedgecock formally announced his return to offense with a thumping hit in a 1-on-1 drill...Defensive backs continued to adapt to the new system implemented by John Gutekunst and Marvin Sanders, and Gerald Sensabaugh made a quick-breaking interception during 7-on-7 drills. "The receivers had a few drops," Bunting said. "I think they're noticing the activity back there (in the secondary)."...Carolina's senior-laden offensive line was dominant in 9-on-7 drills, earning praise from the head coach. "Those guys have played," he said. "They've got a real attitude about what they're doing and how they want to play the game. It's important to set the tempo with that offensive line."...The final period of practice featured special teams work, including a 57-yard field goal attempt by Connor Barth that fell just short. As he watched Barth line up for the field goal, Bunting could barely suppress a smile, asking, "What, are we going for a world record here?" His freshman's powerful leg has quickly eased some fears about the placekicking situation. "It was neat for our players to see all three of our new kickers nailing it. That Barth kid has leg," Bunting said. "Our players seeing the other kickers nail it into the end zone in kick return drills gets our players excited. They know that we have great potential. We just have to keep working."...Carolina's Meet The Heels Day is scheduled for Friday night. In case of rain, the event will still be held. In the event of inclement weather, the proceedings will most likely move to the concourse in the west end zone (Kenan Football Center side). Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. To subscribe to Tar Heel Monthly, click here.
