Brandon Spoon

Position:
Linebacker
Height:
6-3
Weight:
235
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Burlington, NC
High School:
Walter Williams

Outstanding leader and college football player. Decided to return for a fifth year after missing most of last season due to injury. Should be considered among the finest players in the country on either side of the ball. Once again he should be a Butkus Award and preseason All-America candidate. Rated the #3 inside linebacker in America by National Football Scouting Inc. Mature beyond his years. Is very excited to return to competition. Says he didn’t realize how much he loved playing the game until he was forced to the sidelines last September. The team obviously missed his presence, leadership and talent. Was the one player on a young defense that could not be replaced. Is a natural middle linebacker because he has great football instincts. Likes to hit. Enjoys the physical aspect of the position. Make all the calls for the defense. Runs very well for his size. Worked hard in the spring on pass coverage skills.

Has 241 career tackles, including 17.5 for losses and 8.5 quarterback sacks. Played just 73 snaps last fall due to injury. Suffered a ruptured biceps tendon in his left arm on the eighth play of the Indiana game. Had surgery the following day, but announced in November he would seek a medical hardship to return for his fifth season. Was married to the former Abby Melvin on July 8, 2000.

1999 Season (Medical Red-shirt)
Played 63 snaps against Virginia and 10 at Indiana. Had 10 tackles, including two for losses, against the Cavaliers. He assisted on two tackles at Indiana before being injured. Was a preseason All-America and was on the Butkus Award watch list. It was his third straight appearance on the Butkus list.

1998 -- Junior Season
Second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. Led the team and was fourth in the ACC in tackles per game with 12.5. Had 138 tackles, tied for the 10th-highest single-season figure at UNC. Made 12 or more tackles in a game seven times, including each of the first five games. Had a career-high 20 hits against Miami (Ohio). Also had 18 against NC State, 16 at Stanford, 14 against Georgia Tech and Clemson and 12 against Pittsburgh and Maryland. Second on the team in sacks with five for 37 yards. Made 12 tackles, including two for losses and one quarterback sack, and recovered a fumble in the win over Maryland. Had his first two-sack game against Clemson. Had a 5-yard sack in the first half and a 7-yard sack early in the fourth quarter. Played three quarters against the Tigers with a broken nose. Was sensational in the win over NC State. Had a season-high 14 primary tackles, caused a fumble at the goal line which UNC recovered to thwart a State scoring chance, and stopped a 4th-and-1 play at midfield. On the next play after his 4th-down stop, Carolina scored on a 49-yard pass play. Started every game at inside linebacker and played 817 snaps.

1997 -- Sophomore Season
Moved into the Tar Heels’ "fourth starter" role at linebacker, rotating with seniors Kivuusama Mays and Brian Simmons and junior Keith Newman. Seventh on the team with 65 tackles, including 39 solo stops and 26 tackles. Posted 7.5 tackles for loss for 41 yards and 3.5 sacks for 32 yards. Had 10 tackles twice during the season. Tallied 10 stops against Florida State and 10 tackles at Clemson. Played in all 12 games. Sacked Aaron Brooks for a 9-yard loss. Had 1.5 sacks against Georgia Tech.

1996 -- Freshman Season
Had 26 tackles and four pressures as a true freshman. Recovered a key fumble in the Georgia Tech game. The fumble recovery came on a fourth-down play at the UNC 20-yard line. Had a season-high seven tackles against Wake Forest and had four solo hits in the season opener against Clemson. Had two solo hits at Virginia and three tackles against Duke.

Williams High School
Parade All-America selection. First-team Associated Press all-state selection in 1994 and 1995. Three-year all-conference and all-region choice. Was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Mid-Piedmont Conference as a senior. 1995 Shrine Bowl participant. Made 128 tackles in 1995, 18 of them for losses. Forced nine fumbles, eight hurried throws and had three sacks. Coached by Sam Story. Ran track for four years. 4 x 400 relay team captured the state 3-A championship in 1994.

Personal
Born Thomas Brandon Spoon on July 5, 1978. Majoring in business administration. Favorite team is the Chicago Cubs. Favorite athlete is Sammy Sosa. The person who influenced him the most is his dad. Other favorite sport is baseball. Post-college ambition is to become an FBI agent. Says the word that best describes him is "tough." Wants to improve his pass coverage skills this season.

Brandon Spoon’s Regular-Season Statistics

Year	T	A	Hits	CF	Pres	TFL	QB
1996	17	9	26	0	4	0	0
1997	39	26	65	0	8	7.5-41	3.5-32
1998	78	60	138	2	3	8-43	5-37	
1999	6	6	12	0	0	2-4	0
Totals	140	101	241	2	15	17.5-88	8.5-69