Sutton Embracing New Role

CHAPEL HILL – Every once in a while, when Johnathan Sutton walks past the linebackers room, he thinks for a brief second about the guys in there and how much he enjoyed being a part of the group.

Of course, Sutton is no longer a linebacker for the Tar Heels. That changed last winter when he was approached about moving to running back because the Heels had a serious need there. So he did.

“At first it was at the bowl game and (offensive coordinator) Coach Kap (Chris Kapilovic) aske de if I wanted to help with the offense because we didn’t have any big backs and didn’t seem like we were getting any from recruiting,” Sutton said. “When I started thinking about it I was like, ‘Should I continue to fight for my job at linebacker or actually get an opportunity to get a shot at actually playing’…

“He called me up to his office and said, ‘c’mon, man.’ And I was like, ‘You know what, opportunity is opportunity, when it comes knocking you’ve got to take it.’”

And when you say Sutton is a running back yes, he’s a tailback, not a fullback.

“I haven’t really (done) anything at fullback,” he said. “Some packages, like in goal line when we do – I can’t say it live – when we do certain things.”

He’s not a scat-back, that would be Michael Carter. He’s not Jordon Brown, either. Stanton Truitt? Nope, not him. Kayne Roberts? Not even him, Sutton is different, and there is a role for the 6-0, 230-pound third-year sophomore from Swansea, SC.

“Right now, I feel like I’m just a tough-yard back,” he said. “Third-and-short, I feel like I can get some yards, pound the rock, go up inside.”

As for linebacker, guys he now gets to hit some in practice, does Sutton miss it?

“I would say yeah because coach Ek (Mike Ekeler) and JP (John Papuchis) are both cool dudes,” Sutton acknowledged, with a qualification, though.

“It’s fun going against my brothers that I was with my first two years. It’s pretty cool to go strike them on the block or run around them.”