CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina’s football program held its summer press conference last week at the Kenan Football Center in which every assistant coach and 12 players were made available to the media.

As we roll through each interview, here is what linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen had to say during his Q&A session with the assembled media.

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*Thigpen has worked with new defensive coordinator Gene Chizik before, including winning a national championship together at Auburn in 2010. So, Thigpen was asked how Chizik has changed over time as a coach.

*Chizik sat out five years and worked for ESPN, similarly to Mack Brown after he left Texas, and Thigpen says the leader of Carolina’s defense is fully rejuvenated and dove in from day one and hasn’t let up.

*Thigpen shared his thoughts about sophomore ILB Power Echols, who continues to impress Thigpen in many ways, each of which he articulated.

*Staying on Echols, Thigpen was asked a couple of questions about the Charlotte native’s ferocity, intensity, and that he doesn’t fear or shy away from any kind of contact and activity.

*Junior ILB Cedric Gray got his first career start in the third game last season, a home win over Virginia, and realized that night he could play at the ACC level. Thigpen discussed when he knew Gray could play at this level.

*The theme for UNC’s revamped defense is simplification, or rather, “less is more,” a term used a lot during last week’s day-long media session. Thigpen went into detail about what “less is more” means.