Grimes, Green Talk Themselves, Mindsets, 'Enter Sandman' & More

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina players Tony Grimes and Antoine Green met with the media following Monday’s practice to field questions about themselves, their development, their position groups, “Enter Sandman” and more.

Below are video interviews of Grimes, a sophomore cornerback, and Green, a junior wide receiver, along with some notes and pulled quotes from what they had to say:

*Grimes was thrust into the lineup late in a win over Wake Forest last November and has held onto the spot ever since. He finished the season having played 317 snaps (14 tackles, one sack, one interception) on defense and is a likely starter at one of the corners this fall. What did he focus the most on in improving, not just in the offseason, but also during these first couple of weeks of fall camp?

“What I focused on mostly is route recognition, getting my football IQ much better on the field,” Grimes said. “The talent will take you far, but once you know football, once you know the IQ, the route combinations, where they’re lined up, when they’re gonna run this, that’s when you separate yourself.”

*Mack Brown said Sunday the staff has challenged the corners to not let so many deep balls get by them, some of which happened during Saturday’s scrimmage. But in what other ways has the staff challenged the corners to elevate their games to a level where it can help the Tar Heels reach their considerable goals?

“Make plays on the ball, that’s the one thing,” Grimes said. “That’s the one thing Coach (Dre’) Bly really critiques on and pushes, and Coach (Jay) Bateman and Coach Brown: When the ball is in the air, the DBs, we have to make a play on the ball, because that what changes the game.”

*Grimes is a known commodity now, though this time a year ago he was just a kid trying to find his way at UNC after arriving a year early. So how does he handle the challenge of being more the guy now entering the season expected to perform as an exceptionally high level?

“I take pride in it,” Grimes replied. “I know offensive coordinators are going to try to come at me, you know, a young Rude on the field. But, I embrace the challenge, honestly.”

*The Tar Heels don’t open their season at Virginia Tech for another 18 days, but they are occasionally turning their attention toward Blacksburg and all they will encounter in perhaps the best environment in the ACC. Part of that is that sometimes the Metallica song “Enter Sandman” is played during practice. It is the song famously used by the Hokies before they run out of the tunnel before home games at Lane Stadium.

Grimes, who is from Virginia and visited Virginia Tech, was asked about what it does for the players to hear that.

“It really gets us prepared, because we know Virginia Tech’s stadium is amazing, the atmosphere, the fans,” Grimes said. “So, we know they’re going to come out with energy, so we’re trying to get that feeling at practice, hearing that, getting it turnt up, getting ready to play the game.”

*Much has been made about Antoine Green coming back from his horrible injury at Syracuse in 2018, and it appeared Monday he is a bit tired of answering questions about it. But it is a really good story, he has handled it quite well, and has clearly grown from the experience.

The injury forced Green to become an even more cerebral player than he was, so he put in the time and has come out a mature, knowledgeable, and confident player.

“That whole process was mainly a mental thing and getting confident in my steps,” Green said.

*But Green had to work through some stuff. Mental blocks had to be unlocked.

"I kind of handicapped myself in the past when it came to certain steps, whether I had three steps on a route, four steps on a route, and I’d baby-step just to protect myself. So, I kind of handicapped myself mentally. I’ve grown out of that phase.”

*Staying on the injury, sort of, but is Green back to the same speed he ran with prior to the injury?

“Absolutely,” he replied.

*UNC playing “Enter Sandman” at practice has received a lot of attention in Virginia, as one might expect. In addition to a Virginia writer asking Grimes about it, he also asked Green, who played in the 43-41 six-overtime loss in Blacksburg two years ago. Green caught a 68-yard touchdown pass in that game. So what does he have to say about the staff having the Metallica song blaring at some practices.

“It gets us fired up, for sure,” Green said. “And it’s definitely gotten us ready, and we look forward to coming out and hearing it as well.”