UNC Football: This, That & the Other (Hampton's Legs, Sleep & Duck Calls)

CHAPEL HILL – The strongest Tar Heel? Madden or the Gamecocks? Storm Duck and Marcus Allen?

Those are the topics in this edition of This, That and the Other as North Carolina continues preparation for its season-opener versus South Carolina in Charlotte on September 2.

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A topic that has come up a few times with the players this month is about who are the strongest Tar Heels. It is widely recognized that senior defensive lineman Tomari Fox still pushes up more weight than anyone else three years running now. Kaimon Rucker is also up there, though he recently conceded to Fox.

What about Omarion Hampton? Listed at 6-feet, 220 pounds, the sophomore running back appears bigger than that, mainly in how thick his legs are. So, he was asked last week how much he squats.

“I haven’t maxed out, but I know last time it was like 575 (or) 580 (pounds),” he said.

Is he close to Fox?

“Me, him and Kaimon Rucker, we all squat together.”

Yes, but he's not quite there.

While a lot of the Tar Heels played Madden and other video games at the hotel during fall camp, graduate and Florida State transfer Amari Gainer was all business and all rest. He doesn’t mess around with video games, he’s at UNC so it can serve as a bridge in him getting to the NFL.

So, Gainer’s focuses at night were to get rest and prepare for the opener. It’s never too soon to learn about an opponent, especially one with Spencer Rattler at QB.

“I ain’t gonna lie, as soon as I get back to the hotel, I watch some South Carolina and I go to sleep,” he said last week. “I thought I was going to be able to play the game – one time in my off time – but other than that, (I) probably enjoy (my) sleep and a little bit of film.”

Storm Duck may no longer be in North Carolina’s football program, but he still has a small degree of impact on the current Tar Heels. Marcus Allen was a true freshman a year ago, and Duck was his assigned mentor.

So, when Allen got word he was going to start the ACC championship game versus Clemson, Duck was in his ear. Nearly nine months later, Duck still speaks with Allen on a fairly regular basis, even though Duck transferred to Penn State for the spring before ending up at Louisville, which is where he is now.

“He was giving me advice going into the (ACC championship) game, ‘Stay calm, it’s just like any other game, just go out and make plays like you normally do,’” Allen said.

And these days?

“That was my guy,” Allen said. “So whenever I have a question, I text him real quick.”