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The Daily Tar Heel

UNC Training Camp `Intense' Experience

UNC coach John Bunting took his players' car keys and required them to live in a dorm during the camp.

There's the few seconds when they let their thoughts about camp run wild in their head, the brief chuckle while they search for the exact word.

Usually it's "interesting," but "intense" gets its fair share as the word to describe the experience of John Bunting's 2 1/2-week-long training camp.

Some players don't want to talk about it at all -- cornerback Michael Waddell said it was best that he not comment on the experience.

Probably a wise idea on Waddell's part. Camp started with Bunting announcing that he was taking the players' car keys. Bunting moved the team into Avery Residence Hall and took their keys to force them to get to know each other.

The training camp, borrowed from Bunting's NFL days, is designed to get the Tar Heels working out as much as the nation's top teams.

"All the top 10 schools, they're here during the summer and they're in the training camps and they're in strength conditioning," punter John Lafferty said. "It'll pay off."

Ferguson Leaves Football, UNC

Lafferty inherited the starting punting job after Blake Ferguson decided not to return to the University.

"I'm extremely disappointed and very surprised Blake did not want to be a part of our football program any longer," Bunting said Aug. 13. "He indicated to me that he wants to be closer to home and may move back to Oklahoma."

Huard Slated to Join Team

Quarterback Luke Huard should rejoin the football team today after being held out of practice so he could lose weight.

Huard is listed in the North Carolina media guide at 247 pounds, but Bunting would not say how much weight the

6-foot-4 Washington native had to lose.

"I've seen him two times," wideout Kory Bailey said Aug. 11. "Both times he was heading to work out. I can definitely tell he's lost some weight. Guys keep talking about his head getting bigger."

Stevenson, Jones, Lewis Out

David Stevenson asked for and received a release from his commitment to the team, a UNC spokesman said Wednesday. Wideout Jamal Jones and safety JoVon Lewis were dismissed from the team June 26.

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.

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