UNC walk-ons filling key offensive roles

North Carolina

UNC walk-ons filling key offensive roles

By Erin Summers

Sep 5, 2012

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Chapel Hill, N.C. — North Carolina track star Roy Smith doesn’t have a football bio but after Saturday’s debut against Elon there is bound to be one in the works.

“For the first one I was real nervous in front of all the people,” said Smith. “I looked at the sideline a lot to Coach [Larry] Fedora and he told me to calm down.”

Smith approached Fedora about walking on the football team in April. Smith, then a sophomore was in his second year with the track team. His freshman year he took second at the State Championship track meet in the 400 meter hurdles.

“He said do you have the guts? And I said yes. But at first he didn’t think I could do it,” Smith admitted with a laugh.

Smith spent the summer studying football, a sport he hadn’t played in two years.

“I died out here the first practice, I just told myself to work hard every day and it would eventually come to me,” said Smith.

And it did, in his first collegiate game Smith returned six punts for 127 yards and had a catch for seven yards.

“Basically believing in me, and my teammates believing in me and my coaches believing in me, as long as I have those three things then I believe I should be fine every Saturday,” Smith said.

Smith isn’t the only dual sport athlete on the football team. Lacrosse midfielder Mark McNeill walked on for a second season this summer.

“I didn’t really get to play a lot last year so I thought this year I would have an opportunity to contribute,” said McNeill.

Both Smith and McNeill have a lot of opportunity in Fedora’s spread offense and neither of them could stop smiling thinking about it.

“I definitely had butterflies at first but you know once those first few plays got out I felt more comfortable,” said McNeill. “It was definitely exciting. I’ll always remember my first college game.”

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RE: UNC walk-ons filling key offensive roles

Awwwwww, gotta cut the woofies a little slack here. They threw up all over themselves on national TV, lost to a MEDIOCRE UT team, and then had to deal with the NCAA clearing UNC "thus far". Now they're staring 0-2 in the face, as UCONN will be no cakewalk and they could lose to 2 straight teams that UNC has beaten the last time they recently played. They're "all world" secondary got bytch slapped too....and remember, they are a "football school" (though bass fishing school would be more appropriate). And then their "best buddy" the NCAA "picked on" their star recruit and you know Swofford and UNC are somehow behind it (giggles). So yeah, the "Red Rage" has had a BAAAAAAAD week, LOL.

RE: UNC walk-ons filling key offensive roles

Better investigate how these so-called walk-on players got to UNC and whether they were recruited as football players and given academic or other sport scholarships. I would not put it past UNC. They have bent/broken most every other rule!
- Posted by jdupree

Good grief! It's getting to the point that I almost want to pull for State to win. That way, even if only for a few moments, they can divert their attention to their beloved Wolfpack and quit their mindless and rhetorical gibberish. Nah, that'd just be silly, I speak foolishly sometimes.

RE: UNC walk-ons filling key offensive roles

PLaaayaaaa Haaattaaaas!
- Posted by vile garbage

Oh, Dear Lord......
- Posted by TruthBKnown Left The Building

Amen, Brother...Amen

RE: UNC walk-ons filling key offensive roles

As a Carolina fan I can't understand State fans and students you guys have dominated us the last 5 years in football take the high road heck if you listen to the attacks and read what has been written you would think Carolina has won the last 5 meetings don't worry be happy and enjoy your season take every game like the Carolina game and you guys will be playing for the ACC championship.
- Posted by carlamoore

Hey Carla; If you were talking about "Reasonable'" people your advice would be taken to heart...but these are STATE fans you are trying to educate. I see that you have "towel boy" status. Just keep reading for a while and you will see what I mean...nice try ,though.

RE: UNC walk-ons filling key offensive roles

Better investigate how these so-called walk-on players got to UNC and whether they were recruited as football players and given academic or other sport scholarships. I would not put it past UNC. They have bent/broken most every other rule!
- Posted by jdupree

Wouldn't surprise me a bit. We already know those bungholes will do whatever it takes over there at the dump on the hump.
- Posted by TruthBKnown Left The Building

Send an email to the NCAA. I don't think they are completely PO'd with State fans just yet.
- Posted by heelsforever

Now That's FUNNY!! LOL

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