K.J. Sails thinks about what’s back in Tampa, FL, all the time. Not a day goes by, not even an hour, unless he’s asleep or grinding on the practice field, do his thoughts go back home and what lays and crawls there.

Actually, King Sails just started walking as his first birthday approaches, and his proud daddy is super excited. His father, a junior starting cornerback at North Carolina, has also matured a great deal during the 12 months since King was brought into this world.

K.J. Sails is becoming a man.

“I matured a lot,” he said, noting the year since his son was born. “Me having my son really made me grow up a lot, so I matured a lot. A lot of things I used to do much more.

“I think a lot differently now, move a lot differently now. That’s the biggest part of it.”

Perhaps Sails would have made these personal strides had King not been born. Most college athletes make significant strides while in school, and it’s usually most noticeable between their second and third years in school. Sails is now beginning his third year at Carolina.

Sometimes, however, it’s easily traceable. UNC’s most flamboyant player on the field has become more rock-like away from it. He’s got plenty of reasons to do the right things, so Sails views his time and purpose at Carolina differently than when he arrived.

“Most definitely,” he said. “When I got here at first, my mind was all over the place. Coming from where I come from, my mind was all over the place. Me having my son – I thank God for that – really made me calm down, think about things before I do things… and think about him first.”

Even when a reporter asked Sails a totally football question, about a potential future in the NFL nonetheless, the 5-11, 175 pounder with impressive cover skills veered back to his little boy.

“That’s the main goal is to get to the NFL,” said Sails. “I’ll get there, (but) right now I’m focused on playing right now this season, my teammates and focusing on my son and having fun, man, that’s what it’s all about.”

So, there are two of Sails’ driving forces. Most people have three, so what’s his third source of motivation?

“God, family and football,” he replied. “God’s first before anything else.”

On the football field, Sails has been known to dance and celebrate after good plays as much as any Tar Heel in recent memory as if he was ordained to put on such shows. UNC Head Coach Larry Fedora doesn’t want Sails shying from being who he is out there. Fedora doesn’t want it taking away from Sails’ game.

But, he must regularly make plays for that parading to not fall into the laps of critics who apply an -act-like-you’ve-been-there-before attitude to athletic success. They say the gyrations can be counterproductive.

Finding more consistency, though, will make those moments rest easier on the head coach and probably many UNC fans. Sails knows this, too. It’s also true, however, that as his game evolves every bit of that B12 personality must be intertwined every time he crosses the white lines. So, shoring up some deficiencies was an eight-month offseason mandate Sails embraced.

“My weight was the biggest thing and working on my footwork,” Sails said were his points of emphasis since last season ended. “I’m correcting those things and getting better at it each and every day.”

He put on 10 pounds since last November while zeroing in on the few things that personally mean the most. As a result, Sails has adopted a laser focus.

“It’s very narrow,” he said. “Straight.”

God. King. Ball.

That’s not a bad trifecta.