University of North Carolina Athletics
Turner's Take: Clear Eyes, Full Pads
August 6, 2014 | Football, Featured Writers, Turner Walston
By Turner Walston
They call it 'bull in the ring.' About 45 minutes in to Tuesday's practice, Carolina's first in full pads this fall, Tar Heel head coach Larry Fedora gathered the entire team into a tight circle. Fedora called out two names: one offensive player and one defensive player, and on his whistle, the individuals came out of a stance to try to push one another out of the ring. Lineman against lineman, receiver against defensive back, tight end against linebacker . . . The sessions lasted only a few seconds, but the intensity was real. There was woofing and hollering, helmet taps and even Travis Hughes in his teammates' corner like a modern-day Mickey Goldmill. Five individual battles, and then it was back to position groups.
“It was pretty good,” junior running back Romar Morris said of Tuesday's session. “I think the defense actually won three to two today.” On Saturdays, this fall, the offensive players in the defensive players will be wearing the same jerseys. But at practice, the offense wears blue; the defense, white. And in the ring, bragging rights are on the line. “We're the offense, so we want to beat the defense, because we know they're going to talk afterward and in the locker room. It's all like pride.”
But the first day of pads is not just about 'bull in the ring.' It means that five practices in, the Tar Heels get to suit up just as they will come August 30 for the season opener with Liberty. So naturally, the players get a shot of adrenaline. “They always do, because they get to hit more,” Fedora said. “That's why they're out here. They're not out here to run around in shorts and underwear. They want to have their pads on; they want to hit. That's what they're all about so yeah, you see a different intensity level when they put the pads on.”
Quarterback Marquise Williams said putting on the pads gets the players one step closer to game day. “It feels good just to be fully padded again and see the defense smack around with the offense, and to see the receivers and running backs smack around with the defense,” he said.
Backs and receivers take a pounding in two-minute drill, and linemen finally get to put all their lectures about pad level in to practice.
As a quarterback, Williams wears a green no-contact jersey, and whistles are blown before he gets contacted. Still, putting on pads makes things a bit more real. “ I'm finally glad we have shoulder pads on because you'll hear a lot the defenses say 'Sack,' and they're just coming by and they are nowhere near touching me,” he said. “So it's crazy out here now that we've got pads on. I love it. I used to hate going fully pads but I was excited to have pads on today.”
It sounds trivial, but after going so long without pads, the players now have to learn to negotiate the added bulk and weight, maximizing range of motion while appreciating the protection. “You've got to move a little bit differently. You've got to know what you've got on you.,” Morris said. “We used to say everybody looks good in shorts, so when you don't have pads on, you're probably like an All-American. When you get your pads on, that's when you've got to step it up. That's when the tackling starts, and you'll know if you're going to make the tackle, if your'e going to run somebody over, if you're going to make somebody miss, so it's a different mentality when you've got the pads on.”
As eager as the Tar Heels are to add the 'physical' piece to 'Smart, Fast and Physical,' there has to be some level of restraint. After all, injuries are a part of the game. The Tar Heel coaching staff wants to prepare players to hit opponents while minimizing risk to teammates. “We definitely have to (be measured about tackling),” Fedora said. “A lot of times we're trying to hold them back in those situations because . . . we want to take care of each other. We need to get all the horses to the race on Saturday.”
In that sense, the 'smart' part goes right alongside the 'physical.' But with the right considerations, it's still exciting to hear the pads pounding. And, as offensive tackle Jon Heck said, “It always feel good after being out of it for several months to go out and hit somebody.”
