Only one day after signing day and the North Carolina staff has landed it's first commitment for next year in North Moore High School junior, Cam Thomas, who made a verbal commitment to play football for the Tar Heels for the 2005 season. The 6'5, 300lb junior currently plays both defensive line and fullback for the North Moore Mustangs. Cam is sure to be one of the largest running backs in the state and playing a skill position at his size is a testament to his agility and athletic ability.
"Cam is great football player and athlete," comments Lee. "He is deceptively quick for his size and not afraid to be physical. I believe he will be a great addition at UNC and I am very impressed with what they are building there. Coach Bunting and his staff are serious about building greatness at UNC and I believe Cam can be an important part of that equation. We are thrilled to see Cam going to a great school, where he will get a stellar education."
In two brief years, under coach Bryan Lee, the Mustangs have almost doubled participation in the program and made much headway on the field. The Thomas-led defense gave up nearly 200 fewer points to opponents in 2003. The Mustang offense, of which Thomas was also a part, scored over 100 more points and avoided being shutout in the regular season, after two years of shutouts in sixteen of twenty regular season contests.
Although Thomas has received interest from many schools across the country, including Miami, Florida State, Indiana and others, he is very excited about the prospect of playing for the Heels and is thrilled to be staying so close to home.
Education was a factor that weighed heavily for Thomas in making his decision. In the small town of Robbins, which boasts two stop lights, Cam comes from a very humble environment. Thomas's mother, Janet Milton, works in a local factory and with the help of Cam's father and stepfather, have made education a priority for Thomas household. "I got a ton of letters from schools, but when momma saw the information from Chapel Hill, she got a little twinkle. I love football and momma loves the idea of a diploma hanging on our wall, so UNC became a perfect fit," said Thomas.
Thomas also stated, "I like UNC because they are aggressive. They told Coach that they did not want to wait to get rolling for 2005 and I guess they were serious. UNC is a lot like North (Moore), they are hungry and want respect. Both schools are coming out of a rough time in the recent past but are looking forward to great things in the future."
During the 2003 Mustang season, Thomas rushed for over 600 yards and 6 touchdowns, in 2003 and tied for the team lead in tackles with 49. His speed and aggressive play style led to several tackles for loss, forced fumbles and sacks. Thomas knows that Carolina is looking to him as a defensive lineman and not as a ball carrier. However, Cam is quick to mention, "Two words…Warren Sapp." whether running the ball or playing solid defense, Thomas looks forward to Saturdays as a Tar Heel.