EXTRA POINTS FOUNDED AND PUBLISHED FROM 1990-93 BY THE GENERAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA. Vol. XI, No. 15, April 23rd, 2001, Chapel Hill, NC Spring Specialties: Kicking, Conditioning.

CHAPEL HILL That’s where conditioning and the kicking game come in. ITEM — George Allen became the first NFL “Those are places we can get an edge,” head coach to employ a special-teams coordinator Bunting says. when he hired a Stanford assistant coach named “We may be deficient in some areas, we Dick Vermeil to direct the Los Angeles Rams’ may be young in some areas. We’ve got new kicking game in 1969. “Special teams will help systems on both sides that will take some lead us to the ,” Allen said, adding time to learn. But we do have athletes. that they should not be considered a “necessary Special teams can make a difference. We told evil.” Later, Vermeil went on to the head coaching the guys that summer conditioning sessions job at Philadelphia, where linebacker John will be extremely challenging. Why? We can Bunting remembers his emphasis and attention to get an edge.” detail on special teams. Bunting saw that same Bunting and the Tar Heels completed focus when he coached on Vermeil’s Super Bowl their month of spring football Saturday on a champion team in St. Louis in 1999. beautiful afternoon in Kenan Stadium, and a I have watched many Carolina football crowd of some 5,000 fans could tell some- practices over 13 years and never have seen drills thing was different when the controlled designed to help gunners on the punt team down scrimmage hit the one-hour mark. the football at the 1-yardline; drills to help the It wasn’t over. In fact, it was only halfway punt-rush players find the ball and get a hand on through. it once they’re in position to block the kick; Predecessors Dick Crum, sessions where punters catch nearly a hundred and Carl Torbush considered the spring center snaps—some on target, some wobbly, some game as essentially public relations—give

low, some high—delivered from an automatic ball CAROLINA SPORTS INFORMATION the fans a dollop of competition, invite the machine. Those and more were part of the Tar families and recruits and pray no one gets Heels’ spring regimen in 2001. hurt. To Bunting, this Blue-White Game was “We will win every kicking game this year,” one of 15 precious opportunities in the Bunting has told his players. “That is a fact.” spring to hit and be hit and generate some sweat and grass stains. The game lasted 1 ITEM — On the Tuesday after Carolina lost hour, 45 minutes, and no one was worse for to Georgia Tech 42-28 last October, Tar Heel the wear. Quarterbacks were fresh meat strength and conditioning coach George Smith outside the pocket, making it the second put the players through extra sprints following year running the coaches have allowed the practice. “No one’s happy around here we lost John Bunting returns to the Carolina oft-coddled species to be tackled. that one in the fourth quarter,” one assistant practice field, bringing an initial empha- “Winter conditioning was really tough, coach said, noting the Yellow Jackets’ 14-7 scoring sis to special teams and conditioning. people were complaining and not wanting edge late in the game. to do it,” senior receiver Kory Bailey said. Two months later, Bunting looked at, among first Tar Heel football team, a squad that “But we eventually bought into it. It showed other things, Carolina’s 85-60 fourth-quarter opens its season with a tour of the Top 10 in today. No one was too tired. Everyone looks scoring deficit in 2000 and the fact the Heels lost its first five games (Oklahoma, Texas and bigger and stronger without losing a step, four games in a row with chances late to prevail. Florida State). He has no proven backups at without losing game speed.” Should he make a change in the S&C chief? He quarterback. Fullback and tight end are Spring ball began on March 27th with decided he should. green. The offensive line resurrection, begun Bunting donning light blue shorts, a gray He looked at the fact that East Carolina in with the recruiting year of 1998-99, has sweatshirt with a Carolina emblem and 2000 outscored its opponents 94-57 during a 7-4 spawned four newcomers to the forward taking the practice field for the first time campaign and held a 102-56 advantage in 1999. wall, but none have started a game. There since walking off it nearly 30 years earlier. It was not hard to decide to lure Pirate S&C are three walk-ons in the linebacker two- “Dickie, do you smell it, do you feel it?” director Jeff Connors from Greenville. deep. Nine members of the 2000 team with he asked athletics director Dick Baddour, “Those are amazing stats,” Tar Heel safety eligibility remaining are not returning, who was standing off to the side. Billy-Dee Greenwood says. “That’s an astound- primarily for medical reasons. “It’s Carolina football!” Bunting chirped. ing gap. That big a gap is all due to conditioning. Time, he hopes, will solve each of these “All my life I’ve waited for this.” I was definitely impressed with that.” problems. Fifteen practice sessions later, Bunting *** Yet there is no time, not with the defend- pronounced himself pleased with the John Bunting has some problems on his ing national champions looming Aug. 25th. progress, effort and enthusiasm of his squad.

PAGE ONE EXTRA POINTS “This team will battle you,” he said training facility within a Saturday. “There’s a new spirit about year. He owned a fitness them.” center on the side. But FIELD POSITION: No one would have believed that if after a decade, he was ripe they’d seen session No. 13 just three days for a new challenge. The How Great Thou Art. earlier. The intensity and focus weren’t one at Carolina intrigued FIELD RULE OF CAROLINA OPP. there, particularly on offense, and Bunting him. He knew if he waited lectured his players with high decibles and until after vacation before POS. THUMB 2000 2000 flailing arms for 15 minutes afterward. The interviewing with (%) (No./Scores/%) (No./Scores/%) message: Be good or be gone. Bunting, the job could be INSIDE 20 15 34/9/26 9/1/11 “Go play for someone else,” he scolded. gone. 20-29 25 45/7/15 19/3/15 A little-known codicil of the standard So he left Greenville 30-39 35 26/5/19 56/9/16 grant-in-aid given to athletes is that around 8 p.m., arrived in 40-49 45 17/9/52 19/4/21 scholarships are renewable on a year-to- Chapel Hill and went out year basis. Bunting’s let it be known that to eat with Bunting. They 50-(+40) 65 10/5/50 9/5/55 medical hardships will retain their didn’t return to Bunting’s +39-30 75 4/1/25 4/1/25 scholarships. Loafs and oafs will not. office until 11 p.m. to +29-20 85 2/0/0 3/3/100 “I won’t tolerate it,” he said. begin the formal inter- +19-1 95 5/5/100 7/7/100 The Tar Heels took his talk to heart. view. “You can look in his eyes and you “Don’t try to wear me know he’s for real,” senior cornerback out,” Bunting joked to This chart shows the importance of field position as Errol Hood says. “When he says, ‘Get your Connors. determined by special teams and turnovers. The “Rule of act together or don’t come back,’ you “He was still going Thumb” is the percentage of possessions a team can know he’s all business.” strong,” Bunting says. expect to score (by TD or FG) when beginning a drive *** “We talked until the wee within that area of the field. For example, there’s a 35 East Carolina’s charter flight from hours. I hired him on the percent chance of scoring if a team takes over between Houston carrying the Pirates’ victorious spot.” its 30 and 39 yardlines. The next two columns are the bowl team didn’t arrive in Greenville until Connors was on the actual figures from the 2000 season—the Tar Heels’ and mid-evening the plane to St. Thomas early their opponents. One season did not offer the number of night of Dec. 28th. the next morning, and chances to reflect the statistical validity, but you can see The next morning, upon his return the details how much difference Carolina’s chances of scoring were when it began a drive inside its 40 versus at the 40 or Jeff Connors and his were hashed out and he joined Bunting’s staff on better. Similarly, the Tar Heels allowed their opponents to wife were off to St. score every time they took possesion inside the Carolina Thomas in the Virgin Jan. 10th. 30 via punt return or turnover. Islands for a week of “Jeff will be responsible R&R. for building a stronger, “I was really faster and tougher football looking forward to team,” Bunting said. Jeff Connors my vacation,” So far, Connor appears to be doing wood, who through spring ball had regained a Connors says. “The whole grind of the exactly that. The “Son of Satan,” as half- starting spot at safety after being fired last fall, season, the travel, the bowl game—I jokingly nicknamed by Pirate coach Steve improved his vertical leap to 41.5 inches. needed a break.” Logan, instituted winter workouts that “One of the things we’ve done is emphasize But there was the matter of a job included emphasis on lower-body the legs,” Connors says. “They hadn’t been interview with John Bunting at the strength for the entire team and endurance doing that. The legs are so important in football. University of North Carolina. Bunting, just training for linemen in a wrestling setting. Legs and hips are key. We’ve raised that level of over two weeks into his new job as the Tar The team combined gained around 7,000 awareness.” Heels’ head football coach, had decided to pounds on three primary lifts—bench- Connors installed wrestling mats in the Rams make a change in the strength and press, squat-thrust and power-clean. With Room in the old Kenan Field House, and the conditioning staff. He had several names some 80 players involved, that amounts to offensive and defensive linemen faced off on his short list of candidates. Jim Webster, about 25 pounds per man, per lift—an throughout the winter. Starting from an on-the- Bunting’s first hire, had glowing things to excellent gain for 30 days of lifting. knees position, they went against one another for tell Bunting about Connors from their six- Among the impressive figures posted two rounds of three minutes each. The players year association in Greenville. by the Tar Heels over the winter were the were forced to exert their bodies for much longer “The strength and conditioning coach is all-around numbers of linebacker-turned- stretches than the six-to-eight seconds of most the most important hire,” says Webster. fullback Kitwana Jones. He benched 410 football plays. “He’s the one who spends the most time pounds, squatted 619 and ran a 4.38 time “Wrestling is one of the hardest sports I’ve with the players. The reason East in the 40 yard dash. The latter figure was ever done,” defensive tackle Will Chapman says. Carolina’s been as good as it has is Jeff challenged by ex-Tar Heel Sedrick Hodge, “It teaches you to be mentally tough.” Connors. That’s telling it like it is. Some who held the previous team record for “It was exhausting work,” center Adam Metts don’t want to hear that. I was there six linebackers at 4.45. So Jones and Hodge says. “You get unbelievably tired. It’s good years and I know what I saw. Our players ran the 40 one-on-one, with Jones prevail- cardio-vascular training, good mental training. I there were fast, strong, quick and aggres- ing. think it will definitely benefit us.” sive. And we didn’t always have the best “That gave my 40 times some validity,” Bunting and Connors have promised the Tar players. But no one was in better condi- Connors says with a smile. Heels a summer of training in the afternoon heat tion.” Cornerback Michael Waddell posted a of 3 p.m., among other exercises to help a player Connors liked his job at ECU. He’d 4.21 in the 40, tailback André Williams a who runs a 4.5 in the first quarter still be able to been there for 10 years and was looking 4.33, and defensive tackle Ryan Sims run a 4.5 in the fourth quarter. forward to ushering the Pirates into a new squatted 630 pounds. Billy-Dee Green- “I’m ready for the summer to get here,” says

PAGE TWO EXTRA POINTS tailback Willie Parker, who’s been known to defensive backs starting sprints from 15 to 20 “I think the structure is good,” place- run sprints on his own at daybreak. “We’re yards out and having to locate the ball, cover kicker Jeff Reed says. “I’ve been through going to be a more physical, tougher, faster it inside the five or tap it back to a teammate. four springs, and we’ve never done anything football team.” “Those are huge plays,” new linebackers like this. We stay busy. It’s more like a game “Coach Connors says we’ve not seen coach and special-teams coordinator Dave situation. We have to have our heads in it all anything yet,” says fellow tailback André Huxtable says. “The percentages of scoring the time.” Williams. when you give an opponent a long field are One of Carr’s drills was the aforemen- *** minimal.” tioned snap-catching session. One of Bunting’s first decisions when told Tar Heel football was enraptured in the “I’m just making sure I catch the ball first of the format for the annual Carolina early 1990s with the punt-blocking ability of and then don’t bring it into my body,” says Coaches Clinic, held each March in conjunc- Bracey Walker (eight career blocks and 1993 sophomore punter Blake Ferguson. tion with spring football, was to invite a Special Teams Player of the Year honor from The Saints had a bye-week last fall when good friend from the ’ Sports Illustrated). Since then, assorted Tar Georgia Tech played at Carolina, giving staff to address the high school coaches. Al Heels have found themselves within a Bunting a rare opportunity to watch the Everest, a three-decade veteran of the whisker of a blocked punt. Sadly, only 11 Heels on television. He distinctly remembers coaching profession, is the Saints’ special- have been blocked in seven seasons since Carolina allowing a blocked punt early in teams coordinator and a man regarded as then (while 19 Tar Heel punts have been the second half and then mishandling a punt one of the best in his specialty in all of blocked). moments later. Both miscues led to Yellow football. The trip to Chapel Hill also in- Part of the process is art and feel and Jacket scores. The loss was followed by three cluded four hours behind closed doors with knack. Some of it is acquired skill, which is more tumbles to conference foes with the Tar Heel staff. why the Heels on three sessions this spring relative commensurate talent. But the seeds Among the morsels of information and worked on sprinting to the punter, diving of doubt sprouted among the Tar Heels that opinion Everest passed along were these: and finding the ball. month—a gradual erosion of confidence that * Twenty to twenty-five percent of all “There’s technique involved,” Huxtable made each succeeding game harder to win snaps in football are special-teams plays. says. “It’s not all about scheme and breaking than the previous. * George Allen believed the punt to be the someone down at the line. Once you get And Carl Torbush was fired. single-most important down in football, that there, you have to know how to take the ball “The truth is, without those kicking-game field position is created and controlled more off his foot, where to place your hands.” mistakes against Georgia Tech, Carl Torbush on fourth down than any other play. Meanwhile, practice time for kickers has could still be here and I’m still with the * The punt team is the hardest unit in become infinitely more regimented than in Saints,” Bunting says. football to coach and to play, because you’re the past. Specialty units previously were Life has its funny twists and turns. asking players to be offensive linemen for drilled either before or after practice with the Torbush, now the defensive coordinator at two seconds and full-tilt cover guys with kickers free to go to the adjacent field to Alabama, reports that 27,000 fans showed up speed and athleticism for six seconds. work on fundamentals alone the rest of the for the Crimson Tide’s recent spring game. * The Saints in 2000 on special-teams time. Now much of special-teams work is The score was 10-6 and Torbush is a popular downs moved the football and defended the done during the normal flow of practice, and man right now in Tuscaloosa. Meanwhile, football over 19,792 yards, while the offense the kickers at other times are under the John Bunting’s back in Carolina blue, over moved it 5,641 yards and the defense direction of assistant strength coach Jeff Carr, the rainbow on the Tar Heel practice field. allowed 5,128 yards. who leads them through a variety of “That’s more than twice the combined conditioning and fundamental drills. —LEE PACE total of offense and defense,” Everest said. “If you don’t think special teams have a major, major impact on the game, you don’t understand football.” Everest showed a chart (see sidebar P. 2) demonstrating the improved chances of Spring Break scoring when taking over possession at various points on the field. If assistant In Pinehurst coaches are reluctant to have an involvement in special teams, Everest told the prep coaches, show them the chart. Nothing beats Spring Break at Pinehurst. We’re starting off our most spectacular “If they moan about the kind of field position they get, they ought to have an season with an unbeatable rate offer. Stay anytime Sunday through Thursday, March interest in helping the special teams get them 19 - April 29 and we’ll melt our normal Spring season rates to Summer prices. You better field position,” he said. can play No. 2 more than once during your stay.* There’s never been a better time to New Orleans started 79 drives between play at America’s Premier Golf Resort. its 20 and 29 yardlines in 2000 and scored on 15 percent of them. It started 40 drives between its 30 and 39 and scored on 45 Call us at percent. “Think of how many more points we 1.800.487.4653 or 910.235.8553 could have scored by starting a drive past for Spring Break Reservations. the 30 instead of inside the 30,” Everest said. “Special teams control field position.” Among the Saints’ drills imported to *Minimum night stay required based on availability Chapel Hill this spring was one where an www.pinehurst.com assistant coach would roll, bounce or lob a ©2001 Pinehurst, Inc. A Pinehurst Company Resort volleyball toward the goal line, with

PAGE THREE EXTRA POINTS

Offense Clicks In Spring Game. Other Tar Heels whose careers are over because of injury are Rufus Brown, Anthony Saunders, Bryant Malloy, Anthony Anderson and SQUIB-KICKS — After struggling to develop consistent ball Willie Quick. Nathan Sutton is graduating and passing up a final year, movement for much of the spring, the Tar Heel offense blossomed and David Scott and Chris Kocaj have left the program. Despite the Saturday in the Blue-White Game in Kenan Stadium. With starter loss of Perkins, Carolina’s defensive front of and Joey watching from the sideline, reserve QBs Aaron Leak, Evans at end and Ryan Sims and Will Chapman at tackle should be Darian Durant and Luke Huard combined to complete 21 of 34 passes formidable. for 321 yards and two TDs. Willie Parker carried 14 times for 119 yards John Bunting likes the utility capabilities of Richard Moore, and André Williams 15 times for 88 yards. Sam Aiken had five who’s holding for the place-kicker and is the personal protector for the catches for 81 yards and one TD. Jeff Reed connected on a 51-yard punter. He’s also played some at tight end and could be a starter at field goal, and Blake Ferguson cracked two punts for a 52-yard fullback in passing situations because of good pass-blocking skills. average. Number changes for 2001: QB Leak from 19 to 9, QB Huard from 9 to 7, The Tar Heels’ sophomore-dominated offensive line improved CB Derrick Johnson from 34 to 2 and TB Williams from 35 to 34. The steadily throughout the spring and now faces a key strength-and- deep snapper will be Greg Warren, a rising sophomore from Dudley. conditioning period leading into August camp. Flanking senior center Four Tar Heels were taken in the weekend’s NFL Draft—TE Alge Adam Metts will be Greg Woofter at tackle and Jupiter Wilson at Crumpler to Atlanta in the second round; LB Sedrick Hodge to New guard on the left and David Stevenson (G) and Jeb Terry (T) on the Orleans in the third; LB Brandon Spoon to Buffalo in the fourth; and TE right. The staff wants Stevenson to lose 15 pounds before August. Dauntaé Finger in the seventh. Former Tar Heel Don McCauley has Carolina’s only significant injury in the spring was defensive been named to the Hall of Fame, joining fellow Heels tackle Anthony Perkins tearing ligaments in his right knee. He will be Art Weiner and Charlie Justice and coaches and Jim lost for the coming year, which would have been his fifth in eligibility. Tatum.

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