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ACC Kickoff breakout interviews with Melkart Abou Jaoude, Christo Kelly and Jordan Shipp. #UNC
Jul 17, 2026
ACC Kickoff breakout interviews with Melkart Abou Jaoude, Christo Kelly and Jordan Shipp. #UNC
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0:00
Christo, obviously the offensive line
0:03
maybe last year. I know you were
0:04
[clears throat] out for a good bit
0:07
kind of struggled a lot of the time.
0:09
Have you seen progression from that
0:12
unit? I mean, I guess part of it you
0:14
didn't have all five guys at any point
0:15
in the season.
0:16
>> Yeah. Yeah. You know, the the focus for
0:19
us, right, is just, you know, day in day
0:21
out, you know, how are we going to get
0:22
better? You know, coach friend is a is
0:24
an unbelievable coach. You know, Coach
0:26
Forward Gainer, you know, helping out as
0:28
well. Um, you know, we had such a great
0:30
room, such a tight-knit room. You know,
0:31
one of the, you know, we got so many
0:33
young guys that are in the room as well,
0:35
but you we have a lot of cont more
0:36
continuity, right, from last year,
0:38
right? More guys that know each other,
0:40
have played together before, you know,
0:42
also one of the big things, right, you
0:43
know, there's no, and I'm sure a lot of
0:44
teams have touched on this, right, but,
0:46
you know, not having a spring portal,
0:48
right? So, you go into this, you go
0:49
into, you know, winter workouts in
0:51
January and you know who you know who
0:52
your team is, you know who your guys
0:53
are, and you know, it's just a continue
0:55
building, continue bond, right? And you
0:57
obviously having a guy like Coach
0:58
Patrino, new offensive coordinator, you
1:01
know, unbelievable. You know, it's
1:02
clear, it's easy to see why he's been
1:04
successful.
1:05
>> Christo, when you came over here last
1:07
year from Holy Cross, I'm sure you
1:09
envisioned yourself playing quite a bit.
1:10
Obviously, that didn't happen with the
1:12
injury. How frustrating was that to just
1:14
have to stand on the sideline and how
1:16
much motivation is that going into this
1:18
fall?
1:18
>> Yeah, obviously it's tough, right? You
1:20
know, the biggest thing, right, is you
1:21
want to go out there for your teammates,
1:23
right? It's the guys that you, you know,
1:25
are going to war with. And, you know,
1:27
when something like that happens, it's
1:28
it's tough. It sucks. You know, you get
1:30
beaten down and, you know, you have two
1:33
options, right? You can sulk, you can
1:35
complain about it, you can wallow,
1:37
right? Or, you know, you take ownership
1:39
of it, right? And I think biggest thing
1:41
for me, right, was seeing like, all
1:42
right, you know, it's a little bit of
1:43
adversity, right? It's an opportunity,
1:45
right? You know, how am I going to get
1:46
better, right? You know, maybe, you
1:47
know, leadership, it's a little
1:48
different, right? When you're hurt, when
1:50
you're not playing, right? So, how can I
1:52
how can I make an impact on this team?
1:54
And you obviously just, you know, a lot
1:56
of guys will tell you, right, when
1:57
they're hurt, you know, their love of
2:00
the game, right, their appreciation for
2:02
everything becomes far greater, right?
2:04
Just when something gets taken away, you
2:07
understand more the the passion of it,
2:09
right? I didn't think that loving
2:10
football could, you know, anymore could
2:12
be possible, right? But, you know, it
2:13
is. And, you know, getting to go out
2:14
there, you know, with the guys, right?
2:17
That's, you know, that's what it's all
2:18
about, especially in a position like old
2:19
line where, you know, it's just a bunch
2:21
of big dudes who like eating food like
2:24
like uh like pushing people around. It's
2:26
uh you know, it's a blessing.
2:28
>> What What are the biggest differences
2:30
with the offense under coach Petrino
2:32
than under Kitchens? I know he
2:34
emphasizes the running game a lot.
2:36
>> Mhm. Yeah. You know, Coach Belich talked
2:38
about this a little bit. there's a
2:40
little bit more of what uh the Patriots
2:42
were doing uh you know in terms of you
2:43
know some of the similarities and you
2:45
know some of the pass protections a
2:46
little bit in the run game but you know
2:48
Patrino does a tremendous job getting us
2:50
in good situations right we're you know
2:52
we're trying to run the ball to you know
2:54
to good boxes right we can you know
2:56
basically call anything at any time and
2:58
you know being able to have that a coach
3:00
like him I mean I describe him he's a
3:02
good old fashioned ball coach he loves
3:03
football breathes it through and through
3:05
he loves teaching the game to everybody
3:06
else and you to have a guy like that
3:08
it's Um, you know, it's a lot of fun.
3:10
You know, I'm excited for, you know,
3:11
excited for everything that's to come.
3:13
>> I think Jordan referenced this in in the
3:15
room, but did you guys get the sense
3:17
last year that teams are trying to sort
3:18
of make a point, you know, against you
3:21
guys because of
3:23
>> Yeah, of course. I mean, you know, if
3:24
you're an opposing team, opposing coach,
3:26
you're going up against the greatest
3:27
coach of all time. There's probably, you
3:29
know, there is something to it, right?
3:31
And you know, you obviously reference
3:33
just, you know, all the stuff in the
3:35
media and whatnot, but the cool thing
3:37
is, right, you know, a guy like Coach
3:38
Bell sets the tone for how to approach
3:41
all of that, right? Just blocking out
3:43
the outside noise. And, you know, for
3:45
him, he's just so dialed in, he sets the
3:46
tone for the rest of us where, you know,
3:48
you don't pay attention to it, good or
3:50
bad, right? Cuz you, you know, you look
3:52
at the good stuff, you put stake into
3:53
it, right? You're going to do the same
3:55
thing when it's, you know, bad stuff.
3:56
Ultimately, all we're really concerned
3:58
about is, you know, inside that
3:59
building, you know, what we're doing day
4:00
in and day out.
4:01
>> Do you think though that's going to
4:02
continue? I mean, even though you guys
4:03
went 4 and eight last year, teams are
4:05
not going to look at you guys like like
4:06
a team that went 48.
4:07
>> Yeah, of course. You know, I think every
4:08
team looks at, you know, every game the
4:10
same, right? You everything's one, you
4:12
know, one day at a time, one week at a
4:14
time. You know, you know, one and0
4:16
versus a, you know, FCS team is one and0
4:18
versus an, you know, FBS team. But yeah,
4:20
you know, maybe there's a little extra
4:22
element, you know, to that. But, you
4:24
know, we'll, you know, we'll see as we
4:25
kind of go forward.
4:26
>> You mentioned your faith. Do you have a
4:28
specific like favorite verse or passage
4:30
and how has that kind of helped you
4:32
through time and especially in that time
4:34
of adversity?
4:35
>> Yeah. uh you know prodical son you know
4:37
I think you know I heard that you know
4:40
obviously you know you read you know
4:42
scripture throughout you went to you
4:44
know Catholic uh middle school high
4:46
school and college but you know having
4:49
it really resonate with me you know I
4:51
went to you know a public school or
4:52
maybe it's not ingrained in the
4:54
curriculum right and you know this idea
4:57
of kind of taking ownership of you know
5:00
your fa of my faith right being able to
5:04
you know really just kind of take some
5:06
of the pressure off of myself, right?
5:08
You know, Jesus Christ died for our
5:09
sins, you know, and you know, he paid
5:12
the ultimate price, you know, so all
5:14
that, you know, once you kind of, you
5:15
know, put your faith in the Lord,
5:17
everything just kind of gets lifted,
5:18
right? And it's not necessarily I turned
5:20
my back, you know, on my faith, but, you
5:22
know, I really just wasn't, you know, as
5:25
in the, you know, forefront, right? And
5:26
being able to go through something like
5:28
that, being able to like, all right, you
5:29
know, you I'm going to take ownership of
5:31
that, you know, it's been a tremendous
5:32
blessing. Everyone connected with this
5:35
team has said how far how much farther
5:37
ahead you guys are than you were last
5:39
year. Can you quantify how different it
5:42
feels in the building this this spring
5:44
and the summer as compared to last year?
5:47
>> Yeah. You know, again, this has been a
5:49
common theme, right? The continuity,
5:51
right? Especially having guys that have
5:53
played for Bellich before, gone through
5:55
the system, know how everything's going
5:57
to work, know how practices are going to
5:58
work, you know, day in day out. um you
6:00
know the approach to the game being able
6:03
to have those guys who can then
6:05
influence other people right other
6:06
transfers especially you know our
6:08
freshman right you know we have you know
6:10
I it's like 40 guys you know 40 freshman
6:12
who are on the roster a lot of them
6:13
early enrolling so being able to have
6:16
people that understand you know what it
6:17
takes you know to to succeed what it you
6:20
know what it takes day in and day out
6:22
and be able to kind of articulate what
6:24
the standard is hold guys to it and
6:26
continuing to build on it is an
6:28
important thing but you know that
6:29
continuity is piece. Do
6:30
>> you have a funny or amusing story about
6:32
Bellic that would maybe put him in a
6:34
light that people outside of the program
6:37
might not know about him?
6:39
>> Yeah, I think I told this to a couple of
6:40
guys earlier, right? But, you know, he
6:44
drives he drives this Red Vogle. So, his
6:46
his parking spot obviously, whatever,
6:48
you know, front of the building,
6:49
whatever it is. And I remember one day I
6:52
see this car in his parking spot. I I'm
6:54
confused. I'm like, whose car is that? I
6:56
see the Massachusetts license plate. I'm
6:58
like, there's no way that that's Coach
6:59
Pelichek's car. But, you know, you see
7:01
him get into it and it's like, wow. I'm
7:02
like, all right, this, you know, this
7:03
is, you know, this is on par. But, you
7:05
know, he's a simple guy. The guy just
7:06
loves football, right, through and
7:08
through everything he does, right? His
7:10
humility, you know, he's just trying to
7:11
find ways to win football games. And,
7:14
you know, you see that, right? And
7:15
you're like, "All right, this makes
7:16
sense why he's successful." Because he's
7:18
doing he's willing to do whatever it
7:20
takes to win. He's, you know, there's no
7:22
ego or anything to it, right? You know,
7:24
we're just trying to focus on today. He
7:26
echoes that message and you know another
7:28
thing right just the genuine care that
7:30
he has for everybody right it's not like
7:32
he's up there he doesn't talk to us
7:34
right he's you know rolling up his
7:36
sleeves he's getting involved in drills
7:38
he's you know we're working out in the
7:39
weight room he's on the treadmill
7:40
watching everything and he's he's
7:42
involved in he's involved in so much of
7:44
what we do and you know be able to you
7:47
know see that it you know sets the tone
7:49
for everybody else
7:50
>> so how much was last year sort of a
7:53
fishbowl I know you say you try to block
7:54
out everything else But did it feel like
7:56
it was maybe more than football at times
7:59
with all the outside attention and
8:00
spotlight that was put on the program?
8:02
>> Not really. You know, Jordan alluded to
8:04
this, right? You know, we we see all
8:06
this stuff, right? But so much of it
8:08
being untrue, we just laugh about it in
8:10
the locker room, right? You know, Jordan
8:12
talked about, right, they said that
8:14
coach Bich wasn't there during the
8:15
by-week and, you know, you're reading
8:17
this as you're standing next to him and
8:19
it's, you know, it's, you know, it's
8:20
almost laughable, right? So, if
8:21
anything, it actually kind of brought us
8:22
together.
8:24
You talked about the running game a
8:25
little bit. What have you seen?
8:26
>> Oh god, we see a light from
8:30
>> Go ahead. I remember I remember last
8:31
year you talked a lot about you and Gio
8:33
hitting the ground running. As soon as
8:34
he got there, you guys were working out.
8:35
Was it the same this year with Billy
8:37
Edwards as soon as he got onto campus
8:38
where you guys immediately going out
8:39
working out or
8:40
>> I feel like that's kind of hard to
8:41
compare to me and Gio's relationship
8:43
with me and Gio just just kind of
8:45
clicked instantly stuff that kind of
8:47
happened. But I mean I feel like me and
8:48
Billy have clicked for sure and he was a
8:50
great quarterback, great crowd. I would
8:52
say um that we have a pair relationship.
8:54
We throw a good amount and everything
8:55
like that and we work out a lot. We work
8:57
out a lot together. So, I mean I would I
8:59
would never compare the two
9:00
relationships cuz it's two different
9:01
things going on and everything like
9:02
that. But, I mean, I feel like I'm uh
9:04
definitely close to Billy and still
9:06
close together.
9:07
>> I know Bill this morning talks a lot
9:08
about Billy at Maryland and how he was
9:10
one of the best pastors in the the Big
9:12
10. Did have you watched film of Billy
9:14
from his year at Maryland?
9:15
>> I don't really I mean, there was really
9:17
no point of going that far back just to
9:19
kind of watch film. just more like we're
9:21
going to be we're going to be practicing
9:22
together. Like why go watch film and
9:24
have like it could be something negative
9:26
I see that could change like my thoughts
9:28
or anything like that but like why even
9:29
like risk that why not just go what the
9:31
president is not today that was so long
9:34
ago
9:35
>> with ahead to go from a four- win team
9:38
last year to a winning team this year.
9:40
What does that make you have to comfort
9:43
winning more games? You just got to win
9:45
games. You got to win for the game.
9:47
>> But what do you need to do to get better
9:48
too to win that game?
9:51
>> Whatever you got to do to win. It's not
9:53
like you're saying there's no magic pill
9:55
you can take. You just got to keep
9:56
working and getting better and better
9:57
and just growing.
9:59
>> How much different is it coming into
10:01
this preseason practice having
10:03
experience with the quarterbacks that
10:05
you're going to play with unlike last
10:08
year when when that wasn't the case? I
10:10
mean, um, I would say it's just more
10:12
like not different. It's just at the end
10:15
of the day, it's football. Football is
10:16
football. No matter who's playing it, no
10:18
matter who's at quarterback, whatever.
10:19
Like I said, don't drop the ball. No, be
10:21
in the right spots. Do what you got to
10:22
do and just make the plays when they're
10:24
supposed to.
10:24
>> When there's competition at quarterback
10:27
and you're trying to build a
10:28
relationship, you know, obviously like
10:29
if you know who the starter is, hey, I
10:31
need you to bend this route a certain
10:32
way, whatever it might be, but you don't
10:34
know who that guy is going to be. How do
10:36
you build that type of chemistry when
10:38
you guys are just doing seven on seven
10:39
and throwing on your own? Like who do
10:41
you go to to say, "Hey, I need to defend
10:42
this route or like I need you to dig
10:44
here a little bit tighter." Like how
10:45
difficult is that for you as a receiver
10:47
when you don't know who that number one
10:48
guy is quite yet?
10:49
>> I mean um I feel like he could
10:51
definitely be looked at as difficult,
10:52
but I mean at the same time I feel like
10:54
this quarterback battle is going to be
10:55
really good because the quarterbacks
10:57
can't afford to come and have a bad day.
10:59
They're going to push each other.
11:00
Competition build like brings out the
11:02
best in everybody. So, I mean there at
11:04
the end of the day, like yeah, the
11:05
relationships might not be as strong as
11:07
we knew God was going to be, but the
11:09
quarterback battle is going to produce
11:10
just better quarterback play overall.
11:12
>> Does it make it more difficult in terms
11:13
of learning like the tendencies of
11:15
players? Not that saying like what one
11:17
player does is right or wrong, but
11:19
people are just different like the ball
11:20
might come out a little bit differently.
11:22
How difficult is that adjustment if you
11:24
guys aren't getting consistent reps
11:25
together?
11:26
>> I don't look at it as being difficult. I
11:28
feel like um if you can catch the ball,
11:29
you catch the ball no matter who it's
11:30
coming from. If you're going to get
11:31
open, if you're going to get open,
11:32
you're going to get open. My job is why
11:34
not call, why not create as much
11:36
separation as possible to where he can
11:38
throw the ball however late, however
11:39
early, whatever it is. I got enough
11:41
separation. Just go get the ball and go
11:42
get the first.
11:43
>> How would you describe the personalities
11:45
in that quarterback room? What are those
11:46
guys like? And what is your relationship
11:48
like?
11:49
>> They're all different. Everybody's
11:50
different in the room. Everybody's
11:51
different, everything like that. But I
11:52
mean, I feel like that's every
11:53
quarterback room. Not everybody's the
11:54
same person, but they jail a good
11:55
amount. I know they hang out a good
11:56
amount. I hang out with all of them a
11:59
good amount as well. you know, yeah, I
12:01
mean, I feel like everybody's just
12:02
different.
12:03
>> How how different is this offense under
12:05
Patrino going to be than the offense
12:07
under Kitchens last season? What are the
12:09
biggest differences?
12:10
>> Yeah, uh, Kitchen is a great coach, man.
12:12
K coach Ken is a great coach. Um, he has
12:14
some stuff going on and everything like
12:15
that. So, I mean, um, in terms of it
12:18
being different, Kitchen is a great
12:20
coach. Coach Mr is a great coach. I
12:21
mean, at the end of the day, football's
12:23
football. It's only so many concepts in
12:24
the game of football you can run. So, I
12:26
mean, we're going to run curl flat.
12:28
They're gonna run digs and whip routes.
12:30
I mean, we're gonna run that stuff. The
12:32
same stuff we run. We're gonna run
12:33
choice routes, the same stuff we running
12:34
with coach Kitches, you know. So, I
12:36
mean, at the end of the day, football is
12:37
football. We're gonna throw the ball
12:38
down the field just like we did with
12:39
kitchens. We're going to hit windows
12:40
just like we did with pitches. And, um,
12:42
we're just going to get play quick and
12:44
run it just the way the defense is
12:45
doing, just like Kitchens.
12:46
>> So, not necessarily different ways to
12:48
get you the ball.
12:50
>> Whatever, however they find a way to
12:52
give me the ball, I'll just be happy as
12:53
long as we're winning games. I could
12:55
care less. I can have one catch, a
12:56
thousand catches, or anything in
12:58
between. As long as we finish the season
13:00
with more wins than we did this year,
13:02
I'm happy.
13:03
>> Obviously, you ultimately chose to
13:04
return to Carolina, but you've I've
13:06
heard you talk about like the end of the
13:08
season, getting calls, your family
13:09
getting calls, your agent, all these
13:11
different things. How did you balance
13:12
that?
13:13
>> Um, it wasn't really a balancing. I knew
13:16
I wasn't leaving. So, I mean, I didn't I
13:18
I don't I don't have an agent or
13:19
anything like that. Everything just went
13:20
through my mom. My mom's my agent. So, I
13:22
mean, I just everything was just like
13:24
directed to her. A lot of people didn't
13:25
even know that. A lot of people are
13:26
trying to reach out figuring out who my
13:28
agent was really just I don't find a
13:29
need for an agent. I'm not transferring
13:31
nowhere. I'm not I wasn't draft eligible
13:34
last year. So there's no point in agent
13:35
that's just giving money away for what a
13:38
reason. So I mean just why not run it
13:40
through the person I trust like the
13:41
most.
13:42
>> At what point did she start hearing from
13:44
teams?
13:45
>> Probably like halfway through the season
13:48
like um
13:51
like game seven. And when she when she
13:54
hears some of those things, is she
13:55
calling you like, "Hey Jordan, just
13:56
heard from or is it is she keeping that
13:58
away from you?" Like at first like it
14:00
was definitely like a narrative to get
14:01
through at first because I mean that's
14:03
the first time we ever experienced that
14:04
together. It was just more of like I
14:06
told her she was like she had she was
14:08
like do you want to know what like this
14:09
is what we're saying? I was like I'd
14:10
rather not know until after the season
14:12
that's when you get off track and she
14:13
would just agree. And that's just what
14:14
we did. So I mean she kept of course she
14:16
took the call she talked to the people
14:17
whatever whatever they wanted to do.
14:19
They wanted to talk to her she talked to
14:20
them. But I mean, she let him know that
14:22
I'm 100% focused on the targets and
14:24
that's where my focus is going to be.
14:25
So, it wasn't really too much
14:26
entertainment or anything outside of
14:28
like what we were.
14:29
>> So, did you guys even talk at all after
14:31
the season? Have that meeting? You you
14:32
said, "Let's hold it for after the
14:33
season." Did you guys even talk or was
14:35
it just like this?
14:35
>> It wasn't really more of a meeting. It
14:36
was just more like she told me what
14:38
schools were calling. She as she like
14:40
brought up some more offers and stuff
14:41
like that. And I was like, "It's just
14:42
it's not about the money. It's not if it
14:44
was about the money. I mean, if it was
14:47
about the money, I would have like when
14:49
I first got here my freshman year, I
14:50
didn't make anything. I had schools that
14:51
are offering me like huge six figure
14:53
deals. It was like it's not about money.
14:55
It's about what is going to help me,
14:56
what is going to set me up mostly for
14:58
life after football and what is going to
14:59
help me get to the NFL like the quickest
15:02
and most like prepared and developed
15:03
most. So, I mean, it wasn't about money.
15:05
If it was about money, I probably
15:07
wouldn't have been in Carolina.
15:09
>> Who are the people that were reaching
15:10
out? Were they general managers of other
15:11
teams? like who was like younger than
15:13
the
15:13
>> No, but just like but like not
15:15
necessarily name like particular schools
15:17
but like were was it assistant coaches?
15:19
Was it general managers?
15:20
>> Like a mixture between like uh position
15:22
coaches uh some surprisingly some head
15:25
coaches just like a mixture of like the
15:27
game just a mixture of like
15:29
>> No, I wouldn't say temp just checking on
15:32
some folks. That's all.
15:33
>> Let's be clear is the best place for you
15:36
to kind of prepare and get ready for the
15:38
NFL. Why do you feel like this is the
15:40
place for you and why do you think it's
15:42
the best?
15:43
>> Um, the first thing is just like how
15:44
comfortable I am here. Like like I said,
15:46
this is home. Like I know like
15:48
Charlotte, I'm 2 hours away from home.
15:50
I'm a big family guy. You know, my
15:51
parents are getting older. I'm able to
15:53
come home and visit them and everything.
15:54
My nieces and nephews are getting older
15:56
and like I'm just able to like not miss
15:58
those big moments. I'm able to come back
15:59
for the little recital and all their
16:01
dances and their games, sports games and
16:03
stuff like that. And that means way more
16:05
to me than football does. Being able to
16:07
come and my niece seeing me in the crowd
16:09
for her dancing and her running up like
16:11
that means so much more to me than any
16:12
touchdown I've ever done or anything
16:13
like that. Just really the knowing that
16:15
I'm a family oriented person and I want
16:17
my family to know that I'm here for them
16:19
especially about my younger niece and
16:20
nephews. They might not understand I'm
16:22
not able to come back on certain things
16:24
and get practic.
16:26
So when I'm able to come back I want to
16:28
be able to. So that was the first thing
16:29
and just also I know I've had a lot of
16:32
people that have been successful here
16:33
and I know as long as you work you can
16:35
be successful no matter where you are.
16:37
>> How do you look at this this system? I
16:39
mean they're contacting you mid-season.
16:40
They're not even supposed to be doing
16:42
that. How does that happen? How weird is
16:44
that?
16:45
>> I mean
16:46
>> I don't find it weird. I think it's just
16:47
trying to win football games. You do
16:49
whatever you can to win. It is what it
16:51
is. Do what you can to win. And I mean
16:53
like I said I wasn't really paying just
16:56
it is what it is. Jordan, you're a
16:57
full-time
17:00
you're you're a full-time student. I
17:02
mean, you're a full-time athlete, but
17:03
then also at the same time, you're a
17:04
full-time student, and you graduated in
17:06
two years. How'd you do that?
17:08
>> A lot of summer credits, a lot of summer
17:10
hours. I kind of um I loaded my um
17:13
spring schedule, my summer schedule.
17:14
That way, my during the season, I wasn't
17:16
in like hard hard classes. I was able to
17:18
focus more on football, but still
17:20
maintain a higher GPA and everything
17:21
like that, and still be able to like
17:22
pass on my classes, of course. But I
17:24
really just loaded those two and I was
17:26
just like why not get it done as quick
17:27
as possible. That way I can once I start
17:29
my masters it's not your undergrad is
17:32
always a lot harder than your masters
17:33
program or something like that. So being
17:35
able to try and make this my last year I
17:36
can focus a lot more.
17:39
>> Do you have AP credits that transferred
17:40
from high school or anything like that?
17:42
>> Uh PD is more of like a college prep
17:43
school. Probably is like a college prep
17:45
school. So couldn't really transfer
17:46
credits cuz you were already kind of
17:48
taking like college level classes. So
17:49
you couldn't really transfer Chris. So I
17:51
came more.
17:51
>> Okay. I wouldn't sure if like if they
17:52
had AP classes
17:55
so uh we can all be on the same page on
17:57
the field.
17:57
>> I love it. Now, last question.
18:00
>> What is your favorite um guilty pleasure
18:02
restaurant to go to in Chapel Hill?
18:05
>> You know, I'm a disciplined young man. I
18:07
don't I don't indulge in sweets
18:10
>> or anything like that. So, I can't
18:12
answer that question.
18:13
>> Okay, fair enough. And one day, I'll
18:15
have your willpower just Thank you. You
18:18
talked a little bit about want to elbow.
18:20
What was that transition like?
18:25
>> Yeah, you know, uh, kind of reminded me
18:27
of my first transition from high school
18:29
to UNCC. Like, I came to a new program,
18:31
new faces, new teammates, and I just I
18:34
had to prove myself again. You know,
18:35
nobody knew what I could do. Nobody knew
18:37
who I was. Nobody knew how I worked. So,
18:40
I just had to show that all again. And
18:41
that's what I did last year.
18:44
>> Talk question here. Um, as a standout
18:46
defensive lineman, what and I know you
18:49
are a key player on defense as well.
18:51
What's the biggest thing that you
18:52
learned from Bill Bich?
18:54
>> Yeah, I've learned a lot from Bill
18:55
Bichc. I've learned the simplicity of
18:57
the game, you know, not to over
18:58
complicate things, but but to know your
19:00
assignment, know what you're supposed to
19:02
do, know how to do it, and just to do it
19:04
fast and do it consistently and do it
19:05
all over again.
19:06
>> What kind of statement do you want the
19:08
your defense to bring? Yeah, I want our
19:11
defense on tape to be seen as fast and
19:14
and and hard hitters and, you know, all
19:16
on the same page, all 11 working
19:18
together and just swarming to the ball.
19:20
>> You know, as a UNCC student, this has
19:22
been exciting to see y'all grow more.
19:24
What kind of what can we do to help
19:27
bring y'all to a successful season,
19:29
>> man? Come to the games and be loud. You
19:31
know, that TCU game, first game of the
19:34
season last year, you know, there was
19:35
nothing like [clears throat] that. Great
19:36
atmosphere. you know, the the stadium
19:38
was rocking and, you know, y'all bring
19:40
that, you know, we got y'all. We going
19:41
we going to put on the show this year.
19:42
>> Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate talking
19:44
to Jordan about all the other schools
19:46
and contacted his family.
19:48
>> How How was that for you? I know that
19:50
you probably were shown a lot of
19:52
possible money from other schools. How
19:54
did that go?
19:55
>> Yeah. Um, you know, transferring again
19:58
wasn't really a goal of mine. You know,
20:00
something I could have done, but you
20:02
know, where's the loyalty in that? What
20:04
do I get out of that? you know, my goal
20:05
is to play in the NFL and to be a great
20:06
NFL player. So, you know, I'm just
20:08
taking it day by day. You know, just
20:10
improving myself and, you know, I'm not
20:12
I wasn't really worried about all that
20:14
stuff.
20:14
>> So, but a lot of schools probably did
20:16
contact you and you just told them
20:20
>> you didn't go anywhere.
20:21
>> Yeah, I'm I'm good where I met.
20:24
>> You talked a little bit about having
20:26
your shoulder mentality. Do you have
20:28
like a specific story or like moment
20:29
that you think kind of encapsulates?
20:32
I wouldn't say a specific story, but
20:34
just, you know, when you grow up and
20:36
struggle, when you don't have a lot of
20:37
things other people have, you know, that
20:38
just
20:40
puts that chip on your shoulder and you
20:42
don't you don't ever lose it. I don't
20:44
think, you know, I'm I'm not going to
20:45
lose it.
20:46
>> And pivoting a little bit, have there
20:48
been any newcomers on the defensive end
20:50
or just anyone in general that has stood
20:52
out to you this season?
20:54
>> Yeah, you know, there's I mean, we got a
20:55
lot. Our freshman are very talented. you
20:57
know, they're big players, fast players,
20:59
a little little raw in their technique,
21:01
but um I've I've shadowed them out
21:03
before. You know, David Jackson, you
21:05
know, he's a dog. He shows up, he works
21:06
hard, and he's got some pretty good
21:08
technique for a freshman, for sure.
21:10
>> Can I ask you about Isaiah Johnson? Know
21:12
him a long time. He This is
21:14
>> Jersey.
21:14
>> This is really his opportunity to break
21:16
out and show what he can do. What can he
21:18
do?
21:19
>> Yeah, Isaiah.
21:20
>> Yeah,
21:21
>> he can he can sit in the run. He can
21:23
anchor the double teams. He can get
21:25
TFLs, you know, he can he can get in a
21:27
quarterback's face and he's for as big
21:30
as he is, he's very athletic. You know,
21:32
he can change direction quickly and he's
21:34
a dog. You know, he loves the game and
21:36
he plays hard.
21:37
>> Obviously, you ultimately chose to stay
21:39
at Carolina for a reason. We've talked
21:41
about that before. Ship said that like
21:43
midway through last season, his mom was
21:44
getting calls from other teams talking
21:46
about, hey, what would this look like?
21:48
What would this look like? Was it did
21:49
you did it you experience similar things
21:51
and how hard was it to balance sort of
21:53
those in the middle of a season?
21:54
>> Yeah, I mean I had nobody calling my mom
21:56
but you know I have an agent agent.
21:58
>> Okay. Yeah. I had people talking to my
22:00
agent and you know I'm just I feel like
22:03
I'm a pretty grounded person and I just
22:04
take each day for itself. So, you know,
22:07
I wasn't I was more worried about the
22:09
game I had that week and I didn't really
22:10
care about what was going on after the
22:13
season at that point.
22:13
>> I guess that's what an agent for. But at
22:15
what point did did your agent start
22:17
hearing some some of those things? Was
22:18
it like midway through the season? Was
22:19
it towards the end? Was it just after?
22:22
>> Yeah, probably towards the end of the
22:23
season,
22:24
>> but still during. Correct.
22:25
>> Did you talk to your agent during the
22:26
season at all? Like, hey, I'm getting
22:28
these calls. Let's move these to the end
22:30
of the season or did he just let you
22:32
totally play or what was
22:33
>> Yeah. No, he just he left me alone. You
22:36
know, he he he knew what I had to focus
22:38
on. He knew that, you know, the mission
22:39
wasn't done. I had a game that week so
22:41
he didn't bother me with any stuff.
22:42
>> So, it wasn't hard for you to balance
22:43
anything? Uh, I don't think so.
22:45
>> After the season, did you discuss a lot
22:47
of those options or were you more so
22:50
like, hey, like it's just let's not even
22:52
talk about it. I'm staying here.
22:54
>> Yeah, we talked about it. You know, I
22:55
thought about it for a little bit, but
22:56
it just didn't make sense for me to
22:57
leave a place that gave me an
22:59
opportunity. And, you know, just
23:03
>> How did you develop into the pass rusher
23:06
that you become is one of one of the
23:08
most respected pass rushers in the
23:10
country? How did how did that come
23:11
about? just consistency, you know, just
23:13
working hard every single day. You know,
23:15
I I pride myself. I was telling him
23:17
earlier that I have a routine and I set
23:19
up a routine based on uh whatever
23:21
semester I'm in and I just stick to it,
23:23
you know? You know what I'm saying? Like
23:25
I'm out working. I know I'm out working
23:27
the person that I'm going against once I
23:28
get to the game. So, just having that
23:30
peace of mind and having that confidence
23:32
is very helpful.
23:35
>> How's the defense evolved from from the
23:37
unit last season with the changing
23:39
personnel? You lost some defensive backs
23:42
and you guys coming in. How how's it
23:44
setting up?
23:45
>> Yeah, I mean we lost some players, but
23:47
we also we also got some some very good
23:49
players as well. And you know, Coach
23:51
Steve and Coach Bich, they're going to
23:53
put us in the right positions and
23:54
they're going to put everybody where
23:56
they can utilize their strengths the
23:58
best. So, um I'm very confident in the
24:00
defense that we have. And
24:02
>> yeah,
24:03
>> if I told a young Mard at the Bagel
24:04
shop, if I said that this is you would
24:06
be at this podium representing North
24:08
Carolina, the sack leader, all these
24:10
things, like what would you have told me
24:11
in that time when you're sitting there
24:12
behind the counter?
24:14
>> I would have believed you, man. You
24:15
know, you would have or wouldn't know.
24:16
>> I would have believed you. You know,
24:18
since high school, I've been putting in
24:19
that work. I was working, then I was
24:21
working out, then I was getting field
24:22
work. You know, I was always I mean,
24:24
this was this is my goal, you know. My
24:26
goal was to be pro. My goal was to be
24:27
the best player that I could be. So, you
24:30
know, it would have been a little would
24:31
have gave me a little bit of relief, but
24:34
you know, I I wouldn't change a thing.
24:36
>> Have you been back since
24:37
>> to the big shop? Yeah, for sure. You
24:39
know, the the boss in the big shop,
24:41
Christian Boza, you know, that's that's
24:42
my guy. You know, we stayed in touch.
24:44
He's he came to a few games.
24:46
>> Yeah.
24:48
>> What are your impressions of the
24:49
quarterbacks that have come in
24:51
>> that you've seen you saw during spring
24:52
practice and during summer drills?
24:54
>> Yeah, I mean, they're they're different
24:55
players. is, you know, Billy transfer,
24:57
you know, he's got a lot of experience.
24:58
He's an older guy. Miles is younger,
25:00
taller, more athletic,
25:03
and a lot of other quarterbacks we have,
25:04
they're good players. So, I'm excited to
25:07
see who who wins the battle.
25:09
>> Other than play the game, are there
25:10
things that you're looking forward to
25:11
doing in Ireland?
25:14
>> I mean, I'm a Conor McGregor fan. Let's
25:16
Let's get his ass to the game.
25:18
[laughter]
25:19
That would be cool.
25:22
>> Just hopefully no leg injury.
25:24
>> Yeah. No, no, no. It's okay. Miss, I'm
25:28
really sorry, but I thought I'd hit a
25:29
record, but I didn't. Do you mind if I
25:30
have asked you those questions again?
25:32
>> Go ahead.
25:33
>> Thank you. I'm sorry.
25:36
I thought I stay with
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