University of North Carolina Athletics
Behind The Scenes: Part Two
October 28, 2016 | Football
by Jeff Greenberg
The day before game day is the one day that Coach Fedora and his staff are able to “sleep in” and come into the office later than usual. For coach Fedora it's the one day he gets to drive his youngest daughter to school and catch up with her. He told me to come into the office around 10 a.m. I had a feeling that if I showed up before then, I would still find people in the football offices already fast at work in preparation for Saturday's game. I was right.
Coach Heckendorf – Talking QBs:
The man in charge of the quarterbacks is coach Keith Heckendorf. I was able to sit in on his position meeting the day before and had some more questions for him beyond his superstitions about where to eat lunch on Thursdays.
Coach Heckendorf has a great protégé to work with this season in Mitch Trubisky. He's off to an excellent start to his season and will be the driving force to how successful this season is for the Tar Heels. However, if something happens to Trubisky, the next man up needs to be ready to play. What I noticed right away in his meeting is that he is constantly quizzing all of the quarterbacks in the room, not just Trubisky. He is able to cover everything that Trubisky needs to be ready for that week. At the same time he is constantly asking the other guys in the room about particular aspects of what they see on film. By doing this he is tailoring his coaching to what each of them needs individually based on where they are in their development.
He explained, “It's all about mental endurance. When you're not the starter, you may feel like you can relax in meetings and at practice. The reality is you need to be locked in and I have to keep them engaged so that they are developing the way we need them to develop at all times. As somebody who played the position, I think I have a great appreciation for how guys need to get to where we need them to be at all stages of their development. If we can speed that process up, then they can contribute to this team sooner rather than later.”
Testing that mental endurance starts the day after their game is finished. Coach Heckendorf continued, “You make the early part of the week stressful so that later in the week you can reach a certain level of calmness and confidence that you've done the work needed to be ready for that game. That's how I run the week for the quarterbacks. Early in the week I want them to be stressed. I want to push them mentally. Wednesday is when I want them to feel a little more comfortable in the game plan and with everything we're doing conceptually for that game. I shouldn't have to be doing a lot of talking at this point in the week at practice. Then on Thursday we work on getting everything polished up.”
He explained his methods further, “Constant questions. I want to see how fast they can answer my questions. I want to see how much time they've invested in being ready by Thursday. I give them a test Thursday nights to take that we'll cover Friday. Then we'll go over the openers again on Friday. As a quarterback I don't think you can ever visualize anything too much. Trying to get that picture in your head of the coverages the defense is going to give you. The reads you have to make based on our call and what you see on the other side of the line of scrimmage. That visual preparation never stops. We always talk about anticipation and reaction. Can you diagnose what the defense is going to do? How do you then react to what they actually do? Where are my answers to those questions within the play we just called?”
Crafting the game plan each week involves input from the quarterbacks too. According to coach Heckendorf, “I try and put that on the quarterbacks too. I want them to analyze what we have in the plan and tell me what they think should come out of the plan. Marquise (Williams) got to that point last season where he was comfortable saying what he liked and what he didn't like. You saw Mitch pause a bit before he answered, and Nathan wasn't going to answer until Mitch spoke up first. It's different with every guy. When they first take over as the starter they're nervous to say they're uncomfortable with anything because they don't think that's what you want to hear. What they realize eventually is that is exactly what I want to hear. I need to know so that we can put them in the best position to succeed with the plan. If I call a play they're not comfortable with, and that's in their head when they line up for the play, then they're not going to play fast because they're not confident in the play, and in the end, it won't work. We can practice it more. We can tweak the protections or their drop. Or we just take it out completely. The sooner they understand it the better we are at putting our plan together and the more reps we get in during practice.”
The quarterbacks get a sheet every Wednesday to list their favorite plays in each category on the call sheet. The call sheet is the list of plays they've put into that week's game plan. It's broken down into different categories such as run game, run-pass options, and short yardage. They're also supposed to list the plays at the end they don't like. The more honest they are with themselves about what they do and don't do well, the better they will be, which means the better the offense will perform on Saturday.
Checking in with Coach Fedora – 10:00 a.m.:
I headed back to Coach Fedora's office to check in with him and see what the day looked like. When I arrived he had a visitor talking with him at his desk. It was his daughter, Peyton, who had just started her freshman year at UNC. They were going over her classes and how everything was going at this point for her at school.
“Well, she texted me yesterday to see if she could pencil me in for some time this morning,” he said with a wry smile. “She's been so busy that this is actually the first time we've gotten to catch up since she moved in for school. I'm glad she was able to find some time in her schedule for me.”
It wasn't lost on me that with a schedule like his that is planned down to the minute, it was his daughter that had to find time for him in her busy schedule. Another rare moment in Coach Fedora's week where he gets to be normal and just be a dad.
Card Check – Game Day Itinerary:
We ended up not needing to go over the day's schedule because I was handed “The Card.” The Card was a tri-fold pocket schedule that detailed every moment from 7am on Friday through 6:50pm on Sunday evening. Everybody in the football program gets one, meaning there is no excuse to miss a meeting, miss a meal, or not know where you need to be at all times. I would find myself referencing this card over and over again during the next two days.
Coach Fedora – Creating A Game Plan:
After squeezing in a 5 minute lunch I headed back to meet Coach Fedora in his office. He had just finished a Q&A with the television crew covering the game that week and then another Q&A with a women's group having a luncheon at the football complex. I asked him what kind of questions they asked.
Coach Fedora remarked, “You know, that group always has great football questions for me. They are dedicated fans that pay attention to the details. One was asking me about tackling techniques and another was asking me about run-pass options. They know their football.”
Speaking of run-pass options, I asked him more about how he views the flow of game week and creating their game plan.
He explained, “We make our base game plan on Monday. Then on Tuesday we do third down, short yardage and goal line. On Wednesday we come back and do red zone and score zone calls. Thursday we formulate the openers for the game. Those are the plays we're going to start the game with first. First play, first third down call, etc. The hardest part we always have in putting together a game plan is having too much in the plan on Monday. We watch the film and bring all of these ideas to the table. But then we have to realize that we only get two full days of practice and then a day to polish it up. So what can we realistically ask these guys to do in any given week based on how many times we can actually practice it and get it right? Eventually you choose the concepts you like, and then simplify from there in terms of play volume or the amount of formations you can run those concepts out of in a game.”
Coach Heckendorf mentioned earlier, “In reality, everything we're judged on after the game on Saturday were really based on the decisions we made on Monday with the game plan. That doesn't make any other day less stressful than the other in my mind. I just know it's non-stop from the end of the game until the next kickoff. There is always something to get done, but those decisions you make on Mondays can determine your success as a coach.”
It's hard to grasp what coaches mean about having “limited time” or “limited reps” in practice unless you see it in action. They may have 100 plays on their call sheet on game day. They really don't have the time to run the players through every one of those plays in one practice week. Their goal is to practice the core plays of the game plan as many times as they can against the different defensive fronts they may face that week. The same goes for the defense. The hard part is finding the balance in how many times they run the same play, who gets those reps, and when to move on to the next play. Then they analyze everything each day by watching the practice film from the day before to see what's working and what needs to be tweaked. So their routine is practice, watch the film of that practice, make adjustments, and then rinse-and-repeat. The goal is that by the time the game starts the players have already “played the game” during the week by practicing the exact plays they're going to run against the exact looks they're going to get from their opponent. Once again I'm reminded, every minute counts.
Team Meeting – 2:45 p.m.:
According to “the card” it said there was a team meeting at 2:45 p.m. I made sure I was early, and I wasn't the only one. Senior wide receiver Ryan Switzer was already in the room manning the “DJ booth” in controlling the music blaring on the speakers as his teammates walked in. It's in these moments you can see the family aspect of the program. Guys were done with classes for the week. Some were hanging out in the players' lounge to relax. Most were walking into the meeting room together chatting about various things. The comradery was clear to see in these moments.
As the clock struck 2:45 p.m., to the second, coach Fedora called the meeting to order. He went over the logistics for the next day and a half and what was expected of the team during that time. There are different schedules for the “Travel” squad and the “Non-Travel” squad. The travel squad are the players that will be at the team dinner Friday night and the ones who stay at the hotel the night before the game. Even for home games the travel squad stays at a hotel. This helps get the players away from distractions and allows them to just focus on the game.
There really is no detail left unattended as these logistics drilled down to making sure everybody had the correct warm-ups and shoes to wear to dinner and the movie that evening. He closed the meeting by covering the main themes of the week for this game and then they went to get ready for final walk-throughs in Kenan Stadium.
The Freak Show – Position Meeting:
The coaches held some final position group meetings before the final walk-through in the stadium. I decided to hang out with wide receivers' coach Gunter Brewer and his guys and see what this group was all about.
People familiar with the Tar Heels' program know Gunter Brewer's nickname for the wide receiver group is “The Freaks.” Their coach calls his group this to describe their freakish athletic and play-making abilities. He has had some well-known “Freaks” under his tutelage like Dez Bryant, but his current crop of receivers may be the best overall group he's ever had. That sounds great, except for the fact that there is a ton of talent in this room, but only so many passes to catch. That could cause some dissention in some locker rooms, but you can tell from the moment you walk in this room that this is a tight-knit group.
A few things stood out in this room. First, they are not short on confidence. Not cocky, but fully confident in their abilities, and perhaps more impressive, fully confident in each other's abilities. When I walked into this meeting the room felt more like family than just a coach and his players. Maybe it was the cupcakes coach Brewer brought for Mack Hollins' birthday; or maybe it was the fact that these guys spend so many hours together on the field and in this meeting room that they can't help but feel like brothers. When you look at it as a whole, both players and coaches spend more time together during the season than they do with their families. For these guys, this building is like a second home to them.
After cupcakes came one last review of assignments for the game. It's all part of taking the preparation process from the macro level and drilling it down to the micro, or position level. The staff puts together the overall game plan. They practice everything as a team. Then the coaches use practices and film review to tweak the plan for the offense and the defense. Then, in these position meetings, the coaches go over the specifics related to that position group until everybody is on the same page. So that when they all come back together for the walk-through and the next day in the game, they are able to execute their individual roles in order for the unit to operate as one.
Walk-Throughs – Kenan Stadium – 4:10 p.m.:
The team assembled on the game field in Kenan Stadium. After getting stretched out and warmed up the team began practicing getting lined up on all of the different special teams units. In order to make sure the team is dialed in and focused, coaches would call out the name of a player on the field. That meant that player got injured and his back-up on the sidelines was responsible for running out onto the field to take their place without being prompted. I'd imagine if a guy wasn't paying attention and missed the call, he would not be a happy camper later.
The offense and the defense then split up to opposite sides of the field to run through final play-call scripts. One play I saw and recognized right away was 'Special XYZ.' The secret gadget play for the week that I had taken note of yesterday. At this moment I noticed a funny noise overhead. I looked up, and it was a drone flying over the field and hovering above us. This was a silent part of practice. Almost nobody was talking. I looked around and noticed, one-by-one, that the coaches had noticed the drone above. Coach Fedora definitely noticed it. Coaches don't like changes to their routine, and the thought of somebody spying on their practice is even more unsettling than a change to their routine. Nobody knew where it came from though. Was it a news crew? Was it from the UNC video department? Whose was it? Nobody could figure it out. I guess if their opponent on Saturday looked like they were expecting to see 'Special XYZ,' we'd know why.
Team Dinner – 6 p.m.:
After getting cleaned up from the one hour practice, the travel squad members assembled on the fifth floor of the football building for the team dinner. Once again, every detail is planned down to what is and isn't on the tables for the players. Each table is assigned by position groups. There's a linebackers' table, a running backs' table, and, well, you get the picture. Then there is a table listed as, “Fedora.” Coach Fedora had told me earlier in the day I'd be sitting with him at his table. We would be joined by team chaplain Mitch Mason, and a North Carolina state trooper. I got there a few minutes early, and since the seats weren't assigned I decided I'd wait until I saw where coach Fedora sat down first. I wasn't about to claim what could be his lucky seat, in the case that he had one.
Each place setting was not the normal picture you or I have at our dinner table. There was sports drink at each setting and a glass full of water. In the middle of the table were pitchers for refills. The other product in the middle were packets of Gatorlytes. Gatorlytes are basically powder packets you pour into a drink that help keep the players hydrated. Hydration is a constant topic of conversation that starts Thursday evening and continues into Friday's activities. In fact, earlier on Friday, the travel team has to report to the training room for cold tub therapy and hydration testing. Based on that hydration testing the players are directed to what they need to do in terms of fluid intake during the day and between that moment and the game the next day. Everywhere you go there are refrigerators full of Gatorade and players are constantly reminded to stay hydrated. It's a lot different than the days of just drinking water the night before or the morning of the game in hopes to staying hydrated for the game.
When coach Fedora entered the room everybody was already seated and waiting for him. Except of course for me. I sat down once I saw where coach Fedora had chosen to sit. Before getting up to feast on the massive buffet before us, coach Fedora called on selected players and a coach to address the team. Each one stood up and gave their life story in terms of how they got here, who helped get them there, and who they play for every week. It was a heavy dose of reality to the hardships some faced in getting to this point in their lives. In one case, tight ends coach Chad Scott told the team about his first job as a graduate assistant at UNC. He slept in his car every night at the stadium for five months after he took that job. You read that right, five months sleeping in his car. He used the locker room showers and ate at the football building. You could see the look of disbelief in the players' eyes, and even some of his fellow coaches when he told his story. Each story was heartfelt and a great way for the team to get to know each other better.
After the stories were done, however, the talking stopped. Nobody talked during dinner. The only voice you heard was that of director of football operations Corey Holliday, as he called each group up to eat. He started with the captains, the seniors, and so on. The time for talking was over. It was time to focus on winning the game and that time started now. I was fine with focusing on the feast in front of us. Steak, pasta, collards, mac-and-cheese, and tons of it. Oh, and hot sauce. Coach Fedora is from Texas, and apparently hot sauce goes with everything. Football players are large, growing young men and it takes a lot to fuel them. This was a nice side-benefit to going behind-the-scenes with the team. Although I don't know if it was a benefit to my waistline.
After dinner it was time to head out as a team to see a movie. Before every game, at home or on the road, the team has dinner together and then goes out to see a movie. I was excited because tonight's selection was 'Sully', the movie about the pilot who landed a passenger plane in the Hudson River, starring Tom Hanks. As a father of three young girls, I rarely get to see a non-children's movie in the theater. I was probably more excited than anybody in the room.
As I made my way out to my car eager to get to the movie, my excitement was quickly nipped in the bud as I noticed that I had a flat tire. Fixing Jeff's flat tire was not budgeted into the time schedule on “The Card,” and I was not about to hold up the train for my flat tire. I texted Coach Fedora that I'd catch up with them Saturday morning on the coaches' shuttle to the hotel.
It was another interesting day with the program. You could start to feel the emotions of anticipation for game day with everybody in the building. I could only imagine what the vibe would be like in the morning.
Check back for Part Three on Monday
