By R.L. Bynum
Former North Carolina wide receiver Gavin Blackwell says that he saw a different Bill Belichick than the one that is often portrayed in the media, calling him a “great dude.”
Blackwell, who went through spring practice at Carolina before deciding to transfer to Florida State, was complimentary of Belichick during a press conference Thursday in Tallahassee, Fla.
Although he decided to transfer after going through spring practice at UNC, Blackwell said that he had nothing bad to say about the veteran NFL coach who is entering his first season as a college coach.
“Everything that you’ve seen online and stuff like that? I would kind of say the media kind of portrays it a little bit differently than what it is inside the building,” Blackwell said. “He loves his players. He loves his coaches, and he’s all about ball.”
Blackwell said that you could tell that Belichick doesn’t look down on anybody, even though he’s an eight-time Super Bowl champion.
“He’s [a] down-to-earth dude, not a big-headed guy,” Blackwell said. “You can go up to him, have a conversation, talk ball with him. He loves that type of stuff. And when you show that you’re interested, he’s gonna make sure that he gives you that same respect and try to help you as much as he can.”
Blackwell, who was at UNC for four seasons (although he only played one game in 2021), will be a redshirt senior for the Seminoles after catching 31 passes for 448 yards and a touchdown in eight starts at Carolina.
“Great dude, great dude,” Blackwell said of Belichick. “Wish him the best, but if we see him, you know what’s up.”
Blackwell’s best game was when he caught three passes for 78 yards in the 2023 Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss to West Virginia.
Photo via YouTube screenshot
tarheeltribune.com 