Aug. 4, 2008

By Adam Lucas

It's always remarkable how the volume level of practice picks up as more pads are added. Sunday was easily the most vocal practice of the three the Tar Heels had held to that point, and Monday may have eclipsed Sunday. With shoulder pads instead of full pads, the defense wasn't allowed to full-speed tackle any ballcarriers, but when major college football players are running at high speeds, collisions are inevitable. The hooting and hollering began early, as Kennedy Tinsley cracked an unsuspecting offensive lineman during a 9-on-7 period. While the defense was celebrating that hit, the offense was pointing out that Greg Little picked up big yardage on the play...

During that spirited 9-on-7 drill, the offense pulled the defense offside, prompting some celebration from the offensive line. Immediately, John Blake was in the face of his defensive linemen. "Don't let them get in your head!" he barked...As a reminder that true freshmen have to learn just about everything from scratch, offensive coordinator John Shoop spent approximately five minutes lecturing Braden Hanson on the importance of taping his ankles. The guess here is that the rookie quarterback will show up for Tuesday's practice--the first in full pads--with plenty of ankle tape...

New center Aaron Stahl earned praise from line coach Sam Pittman for his shotgun snaps during a two-minute drill...During a later team period, Aleric Mullins delivered the hit of the day on freshman tailback Jamal Womble...It's not unusual to spot players looking gassed on the sidelines when they're not participating in drills. But let the horn blow to signal a water break, and suddenly they spring to life. On a day when the mercury was in the high 90s, Shaun Draughn sprinted across the turf field at the start of one water break. "Got to get a seat!" he said. There are a limited number of benches under the (very small, considering 105 players have to fit beneath it) shade-providing tent that's used during water breaks and the savvy veterans know the first players to find the tent get their pick of the seats...Kevin Reddick was on the practice field for the first time Monday...

Late in practice, Little showed some of the shake that made him such a revelation at the end of last season. On two successive plays during a third-down period, he first threw a combination hip fake and 360-degree spin that left Kendric Burney grasping at air. On the next play, he used his raw speed to pick up a huge gain catching the ball out of the backfield...Here's what happens when offensive linemen get bored sitting around the dorm during training camp: new haircuts. Stahl sported a fresh Mohawk on Monday, and Garrett Reynolds is newly bald...The happiest man on the field Monday might have been E.J. Wilson, who wore a broad smile most of the afternoon after missing the previous two practices with a hamstring injury. "It's great to be back!" he announced as he walked on the field. "Great to be back in the wide world of sports!" Luckily, there was just ecstasy and no agony for Wilson on Monday...Butch Davis will address the media after practice Tuesday, so hopefully we'll have an update on how the blind dogs in the meathouse are doing.

Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of four books on Carolina basketball.