Pro Day at North Carolina is the football equivalent of graduation — football players who played at North Carolina work out at an official UNC event for the last time in their collegiate careers.
While the chance to work out for scouts from the NFL is largely exciting for the players, there is also a twinge of bittersweet finality added to the proceedings.
“I’m going to miss Carolina,” former UNC running back Johnny White said. “Just the experience, the fans here, the social life and stuff like that, but it is a stepping stone, and now I have to move on with my life.”
Only this year, there was a sense of novelty, as well. Marvin Austin, Greg Little and Robert Quinn — none of whom played a down this season after they lost their eligibility — were added to the cadre of seniors.
“It gave everybody a bit more energy,” UNC quarterback T.J. Yates said. “They were always leaders on our team, and part of our whole senior class. Obviously it created a huge buzz out here with the scouts around.”
Quinn, Little and Austin were openly contrite about their roles in UNC’s investigation and subsequent season.
“We’re all humans,” Quinn said. “We all make mistakes, I just made mine at a crucial time. Like I said, it was a mistake, but I’m not perfect.”
Austin said that the biggest annoyance from the last season, aside from not playing, was all the negative press that he felt he had to suffer.
“My whole family is from D.C., and my mom had to go to work every day, where people were talking about her son being a knucklehead,” Austin said.
