Among the many concerns North Carolina football coach Mack Brown has during such a strange and challenging time in the world is how his players are handling being suddenly thrust outside the controlled environment in Chapel Hill and forced to essentially fend for themselves.
Now, the UNC staff is on the Tar Heels each day using various technological instruments to stay in touch, so it’s not as if the players are wandering in the wilderness with zero accountability and no compass in hand. When the Zoom camera is off, however, what are they eating, how much sleep are they getting and are they working out enough to satisfy daily requirements?
Brown, strength and conditioning coach Brian Hess and the rest of the staff may not know everything about the players’ disciplines right now, but they will once norm is restored and the Tar Heels return to Chapel Hill.
“Do we lose strength at this time? Probably, because we don't have the same availability,” Brown said recently during a virtual press conference. “Your guys that are really dedicated and work hard all the time, they will probably be fine. The ones that slack off some when they're on campus are probably going to do the same academically and in the strength program.”
As for what they put in their mouths?
“They don't have the same nutrition as here,” the coach said. “So, if a guy's too heavy and we had to really work with him or he’s too light and needed to eat more because they had really bad habits, that's all on them and their parents now.
“So all of those things are things that are of risk and unless we can get the guys back on campus this summer if we don't see them again until we start the fall, all these will be things that we're going to have to really evaluate before you put a guy on the field.”
That can be worrisome to Brown and his staff. The players were on a similar track before the shutdown, but their courses may now veer off in many directions, though he has an idea of which Heels the staff must stay on the most.
“It’s a real concern,” Brown said. “And, again, the ones that you have concerns with here with nutrition are the ones you’ll have concerns with at home. And that’s why we have to really call on the player to step up if he wants to play and be healthy.”
How long they’re away remains unknown. All team-related activities in the ACC have been cancelled through the end of the spring semester, so the earliest the Tar Heels can theoretically get back together would be early May, and with proper training necessary, an early June “spring camp” could be a possibility. But none of that is on the table until decisive steps are taken with respect to restoring norms.
How quickly the Tar Heels can get in a pseudo spring practice upon their return will depend on how they exercise proper discipline while away. If one is digging for a positive here, perhaps the staff learning even more about their players will payoff down the road.
“There's absolutely no doubt that the kids that didn't work as hard here will be the ones that are going to struggle in this format,” Brown said. “I was on a call like this (Zoom) with 22 of our leadership committee members last week and I told them, you know who the guys are, you know who really struggles…
“So, I really feel like we’re going to find out who is disciplined enough to handle all of this and put themselves back in positions to play better. This will be an advantage for the disciplined kids that can handle things themself.”
In an unforeseen twist of fate, the pandemic-forced shutdown may allow the UNC staff to find out more about their players than they ever would have had everyone remained in the regimented confines of the Kenan Football Center.
It’s not ideal, but this is now Brown’s new reality so he will make the most of it.
