Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Sept. 4, 1992, edition 1 / Page 16
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You want Wake Forest head coach Bill Dooley on MB r iJJ O O O O O 1 i O" ft' r hits? Try taking aim at these ruiining backs i -m-m T T I V tailback Natrone Means: That's the biggest m 1 1 1 ''V - , , " W8" 3 - V V1 - ' ' S , i, i , . .,. ' , . i ' ' i , , .In1 i v 'ill . ! - ' Hi ..-'.". - DmErin Randall human being I've ever seen, and he can run North Carolina's Twenty 1,000-Yard Seasons Year Player G Art. 1969 Don McCauley 10 204 1970 Don McCauley 11 324 1973 Sammy Johnson 11 183 1974 James Betterson 11 209 1974 Mike Voight 11 203 1975 Mike Voight 10 259 1976 Mike Voight 11 315 1977 Amos Lawrence 10 193 1978 Amos Lawrence 11 234 1979 Amos Lawrence 11 225 Note: Norm Carolina has the most Means, Jordan, r aulkerson, Henderson: Tar Heel backfield By Eric David Assistant SpoTO Editor Americans love a good fight. This nation was created because of good old-fashioned bull-headedness. The King wants to tax us; we don t want to pay. Let' s kick his ass. This same spirit carries over into sport. Bo Jackson is arguably the most famous football (non)play er in the world. But what moments in his brief career do we remember? Do we remember him juking some defensive end and then running past the rest of the defense? No. What Americans will always re member about Bo Jackson is his con frontation with Seattle Seahawk line backer Brian Bosworth in a Nov. 30, 1987 Monday Night Football game. Jackson could have avoided Bosworth as he came to the goal line in that game, but he chose not to. He instead buried his helmet in Bosworth' s chest and knocked him into the end zone. America falls in love. That being the case, UNC junior run ning back Natrone Means should be President come November. "I'd like to run around people," Means said. "But I can't, so I have to run over them instead." Means does this better than anyone in college football. "If you're a defensive back, and Natrone rounds the comer, there's only so much you can do except get on your knees and say a little prayer before he gets there," said North Caro lina senior linebacker Tommy Thigpen. 'T ve seen him punish defensive backs and I've seen him punish linebackers. You're not going to bring him down by yourself. It takes one person to stop him and another person to jump on him." It seems, in fact, that Means' body was made to punish defenders. With 230 pounds packed into a 5-foot-10 frame, Means looks like a refrigerator with legs. Those legs, though, are where the power lies. Means possesses 29-inch thighs. He holds the UNC record in the leg press, pushing an amazing 750 pounds. It is a package that adds up to mayhem for ACC defenses. "By gosh, it looked like the side of a mountain running up there," said Wake Forest coach Bill Dooley after Means had strafed the Deacon defense for 167 yards and two touchdowns in UNC's 24-10victorylastOct 12. "Damn, that's the biggest human being I've ever seen, and he can run." Don't feel bad, Bill. Means did that Yds. Ave. TO 1,092 5.4 8 1,720 5.3 19 1,006 5.5 7 1,082 5.2 9 Year 1980 1980 1981 1982 1983 1983 1984 1986 1,033 1,250 1,407 5.1 11 4.8 11 4.5 18 1,211 6.3 6 1,043 4.5 2 1,019 4.5 9 1991 1,000 - yard seasons of any team bold and bruising to a lot of people in 1991. The Harris burg native led the ACC with 1,030 yards and 1 1 touchdowns, earning first team All-ACC honors. In the process, Means became the 20th 1,000-yard rusher in UNC history. In fact, after only two years, Means is the lOth-lead-ing rusher in UNC history with 1,879 yards. Only Amos Lawrence ( 1 977-80), the Tar Heels' all-time leading rusher, car ried for more yards in his first two years. Watch Means run in the first half of a game and you may be mildly impressed. Watch him in the fourth quarter and you will be in awe . "With Natrone, the tireder he is, the better he is," said Thigpen. "I want the ball every time," Means said. "I wish Coach (Mack) Brown would just keep giving me the ball." "The thing I've been impressed with is he runs better in the last four minutes of the game than he does the first four," Brown said. "And the more you hand him the ball, the better player he be comes." In 1 992, there may be no other choice but to give Means the ball. With ayoung, inexperienced offensive line in front of him and an unproven passing attack. Means knows mat the fortunes of his team may rest on his broad shoulders. "There is a lot of pressure on me," said Means. "But to be effective, I can't let the pressure get to me." In an effort to ease this pressure, Brown has tried to diversify the offense in the preseason. "Our offense was too predictable last year," Means said. "This year we have more receiver sets. Hopefully we can break the mold this year." Also helping Means shoulder the load will be senior running back Randy Jor dan. In 1991, Jordan returned from a year lost to injury to rack up 618 yards rushing (seventh in the ACC) and seven touchdowns. Whereas Means leaves defenders gasping for air, Jordan leaves them grasping at air. If Means is "Crash", Jordan is "Flash." Jordan is one of the fastest players in the conference, hav ing run a 4.25-second 40-yard dash. This speed provides a contrast to the bruising style of Means. "It's good to know we can interchange and not skip a beat," said Means. "It's a good one-two punch." "I feel like I can give the offense a spurt," Jordan said. "I can take any handoff all the way." See RUNNING BACKS, page 20 Player G Art. Yds. Ave. TD Amos Lawrence 11 229 1,118 4.9 11 Kelvin Bryant 11 177 1,039 5.9 12 Kelvin Bryant 7 152 1,015 6.7 17 Kelvin Bryant 10 228 1,064 4.7 3 Ethan Horton 11 200 1,107 5.5 8 TyroneAnthony 11 184 1,063 5.8 7 Ethan Horton 11 238 1,247 5.2 6 Derrick Fenner 10 200 1,250 6.3 6 Kennard Martin 11 193 1,146 5.9 11 Natrone Means 10 201 1,030 5.1 11 in the NCAA. Southern California is second with 19.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Sept. 4, 1992, edition 1
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