Last Thursday night, true freshman Dominique Green, who walked on in January before earning a scholarship, picked off Miami quarterback Stephen Morris twice in a nationally-televised game, cementing his place as a fixture in the North Carolina secondary.
Green never doubted he would secure a scholarship and get his chance on defense.
“It was pressure, but I had my mind built determined,” Green, a Laurinburg native, said. “I’m determined to get it. Back at home, I didn’t want to let nobody down so I feel like I’ve got to prove something and show my city that we can make it out of my city.”
When Green returned to his hometown for a high school football game last weekend, fans told him how much they enjoyed hearing Laurinburg mentioned on ESPN.
On Miami’s fourth play from scrimmage, Green read a Morris pass and jumped wide receiver Herb Waters’ route, leaping to make a two-handed grab for his first career interception.
With just under nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Morris was flushed out of the pocket, and again Green intercepted a Morris-to-Waters connection.
“All I could hear was coach (Larry) Fedora’s voice, saying ‘If you can go on the ball, make a play and take that one more inch,’” Green said. “I just took that one inch and said ‘I’ve got to make this play.’”
Senior cornerback Jabari Price said after last Thursday’s game that UNC’s defense is full of potential.
“Guys are coming out of the woodwork,” Price said. “Dominique Green — we just have playmakers all over and when those guys can play loose and free, the sky is the limit for the defense.”
