UHfpSaily SJarlM Friday, September 3,1993
Block Eat Block Eat
Block Eat Block Eat
Block Eat Block Eat
Linemen Really
Do Have A Lot
To Worry About
BYJACSONLOWE
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
It seems offensive linemen never re
ceive due credit for one ofthe toughest jobs
on the gridiron. Last year’s North Carolina
front line received an extra pounding in the
1992 preseason, mainly surrounding the
group’s lack of experience.
What a difference 365 days can make.
The 1993 Tar Heel line features four
returning senior starters and junior tight
end Greg DeLong, a starter in all 12 games
last seasodheif sophomore center Pat
Conneely can step in for third-team All-
American Randall Parsons, the Tar Heels
can look back at the skeptics and smile.
“We all came in as freshmen together,
were redshirted together apd have worked
togetherforfiveyears,”seniortackle Ethan
Albright said. “Even though last year we
caught some heat for not being experi
enced, we actually have worked together a
lot.”
In fact, the only rookie figuring into the
offensive line scheme is first-year coach
Eddie Williamson. Williamson joins UNC
after a two-year stint as Bill Dooley’s offen
sive coordinator at Wake Forest. He also
feels that experience will pay off for the
front line down the stretch.
“The offensive line is a very technique
oriented, very assignment-oriented posi
tion and that makes experience a big plus, ”
Williamson said. “The more experiences
you’ve been in, the better you are able to
react to a situation or make an adjustment
if needed.
“As an offensive lineman, most of the
time no one knows you are out there, save
your mother or girlfriend,” Williamson
added. “There has to be a special bond
between that group.”
Onefacetoftheoffensivelinethatneeded
revamping, according to Williamson, was
strength conditioning. The Tar Heels
looked to another new face on the staff to
help remedy the problem.
“Asa group, I drought our body strength
was a little down,” Williamson said. “Our
new strength coach Jeff Madden has done
agreatjob in increasing their body strength
level and their power level.”
“We have a lot of young running backs
this year, so it’s going to be a little more
responsibility on the offensive line to hold
the blocks longer and make the holes a lot
bigger, ” senior guard Shawn Hocker said.
“It’s a matter of getting adapted to their
style, and hopefully it’ll be a nice marriage
between the offensive line and the running
backs."
Williamson feels that no matter who the
running back, the Tar Heel line knows
what it must do to get the runner to the
OFFENSIVE LINE
defensive secondary.
“What you hope you can do is get any
quality running back to the line of scrim
mage untouched so he can make his cut,”
he said. “Whether its Natrone (Means,
former Tar Heel standout), Curtis
(Johnson), Leon (Johnson) or whoever,
you don’t want those people to have to
make a cut in the backfield because of a
missed block.”
If Sunday’s blowout ofUSC is any indi
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FOOTBALL '93
cation of how the team will block on the
season, Williamson knows exactly what
he is talking about. North Carolina run
ning backs consistently found holes the
size of small countries to run through en
route to a 312-yard performance.
Albright, a 6-foot-6,280-pound Greens
boro native, will be joined on the right side
by fellow senior Scott Falise (6-3, 265).
Both started all eleven regular-season games
last year.
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DTHFFILE PHOTO
Curtis Parker is one of the ACC's top offensive tackles
Albright was a member of the 1992
Academic All-ACC Football Team and
member of the Dean’s List during the fall
of 1992 and has made impressive strides
since moving to tackle from tight end after
the 1990 season.
Falise was named ACC Offensive Line
man of the Week after a September 5 vic
tory over Wake Forest last year. The Tar
Heel backfield followed Falise and his fel
low linemen into the end zone a season-
high five times on opening day.
Hocker lines his 6-4,280-pound frame
up on the left side alongside 1992 second
team All-ACC tackle Curtis Parker. Both
players figure to be in die running for post
season awards. According to Williamson,
Parker is at-or-near 100 percent after sur
gery March 1 to repair his dislocated left
shoulder.
Please See LINE, Page 19
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