University of North Carolina Athletics
Hedgecock Adds Physical Element to Offense
August 19, 2004 | Football
Aug. 19, 2004
By Adam Lucas When the current Carolina football players are asked to name their favorite all-time Tar Heel football player, the responses are predictable. Lawrence Taylor leads the balloting, followed closely by Julius Peppers and Dre' Bly. Peppers and Bly are, as hard as it is to believe for those of us who are a little older, the players the current team grew up watching. One Heel, however, gave a decidedly old-school response. Defensive end-turned-fullback Madison Hedgecock selected Charlie Justice and Don McCauley as his all-time favorites. Given Hedgecock's personality, it's not a surprising pick. The senior from Wallburg is a no-frills player. He speaks in quiet, short sentences, and describes himself as a "farm boy." Some players list video games and music as their favorite hobbies; Hedgecock prefers hunting and fishing. That quiet approach can sometimes lull opponents to sleep. Until, that is, he delivers one of the pad-crushing blocks that led The Sporting News to name him the best blocking back in the ACC---without even playing a snap at fullback in 2003. He's bounced around during his Carolina career, starting 10 games and the Peach Bowl in 2001 at fullback. In 2002, he pulled a midseason switch, starting the first six games at fullback and then moving to defensive line, where he stayed in 2003, for the second half of the year. With John Bunting's emphasis on the running game and the emergence of Ronnie McGill, however, Hedgecock was needed back on offense in 2004. He'll play a hybrid fullback/H-back position, where Bunting thinks he will be a natural fit. "Madison is perfect (for that position)," the head coach says. "He has a perfect body for it and he has a good mentality for it. He worked all spring at that position so he can line up at any position on the field." The H-back rose to popularity under Joe Gibbs, the former and current Redskins coach who used a significant amount of motion in his offense in order to keep defenses guessing. The position requires someone who can line up as a fullback, tight end, or anywhere inbetween. The role will put Hedgecock in motion frequently, but it won't trump his primary role--blowing open holes for McGill. "I like to hit," Hedgecock says. "I've always liked to hit. And there's plenty of that at fullback." Carolina's linebackers are well aware of it. One of the occasional highlights of training camp practices are one-on-one pass protection drills between a running back and linebacker. The Tar Heels have some tough, athletic linebackers, but none relish the prospect of matching up against Hedgecock. Already during training camp he's flattened several of them. The fullback just smiles when asked about his proficiency at the drill. "That's fun to me," he says. "If you're good at something, it's fun." His senior season, however, won't be solely about hitting. Although he's never scored a touchdown during his Carolina career, his makeup seems perfect for a goal-line bulldozer. Offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill has the luxury of a handful of red zone options---give it to McGill, work in a play-action pass, or, when the yardage gets tight, hand it to Hedgecock and watch him roll. "I'd like to think I can play a role on the goal-line," Hedgecock says. "260 pounds coming downhill, that's pretty good odds." 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.
