University of North Carolina Athletics
Friday Practice Notes
August 3, 2007 | Football
Aug. 3, 2007
By Adam Lucas
Carolina's first training camp practice of the 2007 season had two different components. First, a majority of the freshmen and redshirt freshmen participated in the "Rams" portion of practice, which is intended to introduce the youngsters to Carolina football a little more slowly than immediately tossing them in with the varsity. Forty-five minutes later, the veterans joined practice (the "Heels" practice).
There was a noticeable difference. "During the Rams practice we were running a little slow because we had all the freshmen out there," said Ryan Taylor, who worked at fullback in the Rams practice and H-back/tight end during Heels. "Even the Heels practice could have been a little faster. We're still knocking the rust off."...
Photographic evidence is forthcoming in Joe Bray's photo galleries, but Kevin Bryant is a very large human. Listed at 6-7, 375, he wears a size-19 shoe. The nearly form-fitting t-shirt he was wearing under his jersey at Friday's practice, was an XXXXL...Officials were a part of team sessions during Friday's practice. They're watching for holding, offsides, and pass interference, and their purpose is intended as much for education of the players as it is for penalizing them for mistakes...
Joe Dailey was the first veteran to arrive--over 15 minutes before his scheduled time--during Rams practice. The quarterback-turned-receiver drew praise from position coach Charlie Williams on multiple occasions and looked much more like a receiver than a quarterback pretending to be a receiver. Dailey is enjoying a significantly lighter pre-snap workload at his new position. "I just look at the cornerback, the linebacker, and a safety," he said. "I need to know my route adjustment. That's relatively simple compared to looking at the front seven, the linebackers, the secondary, remembering the protection, considering whether to change any routes. It's simple for me to line up. Now I need to master technique."...
Brandon Tate was another receiver drawing praise. During a late-practice period, when some fatigue was beginning to set in, offensive coordinator John Shoop had to remind a couple of his receivers that he wanted them to finish every play by sprinting for the end zone. When Tate grabbed a pass and zipped down the sideline, Shoop immediately pointed him out. "That's how you practice!" the energetic coordinator said...
Shoop and Davis have been adamant that the eventual winner of the quarterback competition will be the player who makes the fewest mistakes. But T.J. Yates says he doesn't go to the line of scrimmage thinking about avoiding miscues. "I can't walk to the line of scrimmage thinking, `I can't mess this up.' When I go to the line I'm thinking about exactly what I have to do. If I worry about anything else, everything else will get messed up." Yates, by the way, has the perfect answer for any questions about the quarterback battle: "Right now all the quarterbacks are competing. Everyone is splitting reps right now. Eventually it will pan out and Coach will give more reps to certain people."
Adam Lucas most recently collaborated on a behind-the-scenes look at Carolina Basketball with Wes Miller. The Road To Blue Heaven will be released on September 1. Lucas's other books on Carolina basketball include The Best Game Ever, which chronicles the 1957 national championship season, Going Home Again, which focuses on Roy Williams's return to Carolina, and Led By Their Dreams, a collaboration with Steve Kirschner and Matt Bowers on the 2005 championship team.
