June 18, 2001
By Joe Bray
A Friday Morning Workout
Tuesday Afternoon Sprints
It's no secret that the 2000 edition of the North Carolina football team
struggled in the second half of games last year, particularly during a
four-game losing streak in the middle of the season.
Consecutive home losses to Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Clemson, followed
by a frustrating loss at Virginia, cost Carl Torbush his job.
When a team consistently loses to squads with comparable talent, often fading
in the fourth quarter, coaching and conditioning are two obvious culprits.
AD Dick Baddour chose John Bunting to fix the first problem, and Bunting
has lured Jeff Connors away from East Carolina to address the issue of
conditioning.
Connors inherited a squad that had become soft both physically and mentally.
His goal since arriving in January has been to develop the complete
football player, a superbly conditioned athlete with the mental toughness
to survive adversity.
His players have enthusiastically bought into his system. They want to win
more than anyone, and they know they're on the right path to success.
Extremely intense workouts have helped to build a camaraderie that comes
from shared sacrifice and suffering. There is a renewed sense of pride
and confidence.
TarHeelBlue was at two workouts last week, a
morning session
in the weight room and an afternoon of
running sprints
on Navy Field,
capturing images of the Tar Heels at work.
It's a brand new ball game in the world of strength and conditioning
at Carolina.
