Searcy’s play a testament to grandmother’s life

Virginia Searcy is the reason for the No. 21 across Da’Norris Searcy’s back and a cross tattooed on his right arm.

“She was a real inspiration to me,” Da’Norris said. “She always told me to never give up. Never let anyone turn you away. Just keep pushing.”

Virginia Searcy was born in 1921, the inspiration for his number.

She raised 15 children — one of whom was Da’Norris’ father. And until she passed away in 2001, she was also one of her grandson’s best friends.

“That’s a bond that nobody can break,” his mother Tracy said.

When his grandmother’s health began to falter, she moved in with the Searcys. There Da’Norris began his favorite childhood tradition.

“We had our special date, our Monday date,” he said. “The only day of the week I could stay up. We watched Monday Night Football together.”

When asked who he would most like to have dinner with, Searcy answered Walter Payton, God, Sean Taylor and his grandmother.

“I feel like I put a little inspiration in his life, but his grandmother is really who influenced him,” his father, Donald, said.

“My mom raised 15 kids by herself. He saw adversity. Sometimes they had to go without. He just admired the woman.”

When Virginia died in 2001, Da’Norris was in eighth grade.

“It was difficult coming home and not hearing her voice,” he said.

So he acquired a tattoo to remind him of the woman who came to every one of his baseball games — but never saw him play the game they loved.

“She couldn’t come to football games because it was too cold,” he said. “But I know she’s watching me now.”

Gridiron beginnings

Searcy might have grown up in Decatur, Ga., but he was raised on the football field.

He spent his childhood glued to his father’s side, a former high school All-America and semi-professional football player.

Except on one occasion.

When Da’Norris was 3 years old, his father awoke in a panic. During his nap between his night shift and day practice, his toddler had escaped.

“‘Norris? Norris?’ I was calling his name,” he said. “I looked across the street, and he was with the football team.”

At Towers High School, Searcy emerged as a standout at defensive back and running back. In eight games his senior year, he rushed for 1,607 yards and 16 touchdowns.

When his team’s quarterback quit at halftime, Searcy suited up and threw for 199 yards and rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown.

What can this kid not do, Searcy’s father was asked.

His answer? Stop.

He recalled his son’s reaction to a knee injury.

“I kicked him out of the game for two weeks,” Donald said. “He cried. He fussed. Because if he ain’t playing, he’s crazy.”

‘Never give up’

At UNC, crazy takes on a slightly different form for Searcy.

“You know, we’ll be chilling in the living room somewhere and he’ll go missing,” cornerback Kendric Burney said.

“You’ll go look and realize that he done took all the sheets off the bed, all the pillow cases off the bed, he done threw pretty much everything on the floor.”

But times at UNC were not always so upbeat for Searcy.

Before this season, Searcy played primarily on special teams and as a reserve safety behind the departed second-team All-America Trimane Goddard.

“Him being such a big superstar in high school, it was a big change,” his father said. “He would call me, feeling down. I’d say, ‘Look man. You can’t. There’s a plan in front of you.’”

That’s when he remembered to never give up. Just keep pushing.

In the last game of the season, he received his chance.

Searcy started in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, recording a career-high 10 tackles and two sacks.

This season, Searcy starts as a safety and the team’s leading punt returner. He ranks third in the ACC for punt return average.

“I’m very excited,” Searcy said. “I’ve proven to the coaches I can do more. Coming into training camp, I wanted to get the coaches to trust me. Now they trust that I can do it.”

Family matters

Da’Monta is just one of Da’Norris’ three younger siblings.

He talks to his big brother on the phone every day — and Da’Monta knows there is no question as to why he is calling.

“Grades.”

Da’Norris’ concern for his younger brother came as no surprise to his father.

“I told him, ‘You might be the one to take this family on,’” Donald said. “He believes it in his heart.”

Da’Norris credits a strong sense of familial obligation to his grandmother, who also made sure all family members were accounted for at Christmas dinner.

“She always told me, you act like a man and you’ll be treated like one,” he said.

Before Searcy left Georgia, his father left him with one final piece of advice.

“You’ve got to make a statement for yourself,” his father said.

Da’Norris Searcy has already chosen that statement. That’s why he bears it on his jersey.

It reminds him to never give up, to never let anyone turn him away.

Just keep pushing.