Players' Tuesday: Gemmel, Fox, Morrison & Howell

CHAPEL HILL - Four Tar Heels that will all be taking part in North Carolina’s senior day this Saturday, met with the media to discuss their time at UNC, and how both them personally, and the program has grown in their time in Chapel Hill.

Below are full videos, and a few excerpts of interviews with Trey Morrison, Tomon Fox, Jeremiah Gemmel, and Sam Howell.

UNC Coach Mack Brown has called Jeremiah Gemmel one of the best leaders he has ever coached. Gemmel did not step onto campus as the defensive leader, so how has he grown over his time at UNC, to be where he is now?

“I’d say it’s definitely been a lot more vocal,” Gemmel said. “In the locker room, and then outside, around the team, and when we’re not around the team, I also became more vocal. I think that’s come along since Mack and the staff have came in.

“Playing that first year, and with the older guys, them coming to me for advice, and them coming in to check with me with stuff on the field, I think that gave me the confidence to start being more vocal on the field, and in the locker room.”

Gemmel did not come into Chapel Hill as a top recruit. He had to work his way, and prove that he could play. What was the moment early in his career, that he knew that he belonged at this level?

“I think the year before Mack got here I figured that out,” Gemmel said. “When I came in, I was like 190 pounds, 195 pounds, I wasn’t at the weight or size at all to really play power five football at inside linebacker at an effective level.

“When my second year came along, I really got the confidence that I could play on this level. When Coach Mack came in, and his staff, they just boosted my confidence, knowing that I could play on this level, and I think that carried out onto the field.”

Tomon Fox has been at UNC for six seasons now. He’s played close to 3,000 snaps, he’s been through coaching changes, good seasons, bad seasons, and everything in between. What is it going to be like to go out on that field one final time on Saturday?

“My last time at Kenan Stadium is gonna be a memorable day, especially since I’ve been here so long,” Fox said. “It’s gonna be a time for me to put everything I got on the field, just to show them I’m a true Tar Heel at heart. Put everything out there for my teammates.”

Six years is a long time to grow both as a person, and as a player. What changes has Fox seen in himself both on, and off the field since he arrived in Chapel Hill?

“I think I’ve definitely become a better leader, both on and off the field,” Fox said. “Due to my position being one of the older guys on the team, I had to lead a lot of the things we do out here, from the weight room, the field, and the classroom. That just leads to everything I do outside of football too.”

When Trey Morrison arrived at UNC, the Tar Heels were coming off a 3-9 season. His freshman year was even worse, but he got to spend his final three years under Coach Brown, and see the turn around of the program. Where has Morrison seen this program go from when he got to Chapel Hill, to where it is now?

“Coming in, we were like 2-9 my freshman year,” Morrison said. “Coach Brown got here, really changed everything around. Coach Brown really does everything for the players, he’s gonna make what you want out of it.

“As a team we all just dove into it, and tried to make it the best it could be, and got better and better every year.”

Lots of Carolina defensive players will be honored on Saturday as seniors. What have the fellow seniors, such as Tomon Fox, Jeremiah Gemmel, and Kyler McMichael meant to Morrison as he prepares for his final home game with those guys?

“They mean everything to me,” Morrison said. “Coming in here, Gemmel, Tomon, they both are from Georgia as well, so I already knew about them. Came in here a brotherhood, it’s been amazing.

“Kyler, he’s been my best friend since high school. Went to high school together, we’ve known each other since middle school. Him coming here, it was already like family before that. It’s always been a family atmosphere here with those guys.”

Earlier this week, it was announced that Sam Howell was dealing with some type of upper body injury, and that his status for the game this Saturday versus Wofford was up in the air. Where is Howell at with the injury now?

“It’s getting there, I’m making progress everyday,” Howell said. “It’s just something we’re kind of monitoring everyday, just trying to see my progress, we’ll see how it is come Saturday. It’s something that I’m putting a lot of time into, and I really wanna get out there as soon as possible, get back out there with my team.”

If Howell can not play, Carolina will have to turn to sophomore Jacolby Criswell, and freshman Drake Maye at quarterback. What has Howell seen in them, and how confident is he in them, should they have to play this weekend?

“They’re both super talented guys,” Howell said. “They work so hard, they watch a ton of film, and they really prepare like they’ve been starting, that’s probably what’s most impressive. They’ve both had really good years in practice, and they’re doing a lot of good things.

“Me along with the rest of the team, we have a ton of confidence in those two guys, so if I can’t play on Saturday, then we’ll be in great hands with those two kids. They just work so hard, and they prepare like professionals. That’s what’s gonna prepare them for too, for whoever starts moving forward, they’ll be ready.”

It was also announced this week that Howell will be taking part in senior day this weekend, leading many to believe that he will not be returning to UNC next season. Does this mean that Howell is leaving?

“I’m graduating, so technically, academically, I’m a senior,” Howell said. “I still have a lot of decisions to make. I’m not ready to say I’m declaring for the draft, or ready to say I’m coming back, or anything like that.

“It’s just something where I’m academically a senior, so I’m graduating. I know this could be my last home game, could not, I still have a lot of decisions to be made, a lot of things I got to pray about, so I’m not making a decision yet.”