ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 21, 2021

Sam Howell

North Carolina Tar Heels

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Sam Howell.

Q. Obviously the NIL stuff. How are you approaching it? You're one of the more visible players in the ACC.

SAM HOWELL: Yeah, definitely, it's definitely something I thought a lot about. I hired a marketing team, so we have a marketing team working on my behalf. They've done a good job kind of lifting the weight off my shoulders. The school has been very supportive.

I think the main thing for me is I want to keep the main thing the main thing, which is winning football games. You want to take advantage of the opportunity you have. I've done some things, partnered with a charity called Table in Chapel Hill. We deliver meals to underprivileged kids come Chapel Hill. That's my first partnership.

I'm looking for more opportunities, things where I can involve my teammates, give them some opportunities as well. I think there's a good place for it. I just want to make sure as a team we keep the main thing the main thing, and that's winning football games.

Q. You had excellent chemistry with both Javonte and Michael throwing the football. Almost like an extension of your running game. Two years to develop that. Time is very compressed. Can you bring us up to date on the chemistry with Ty and the other running backs? Are you going to be able to throw the ball as effectively to the backs this year as you were last year?

SAM HOWELL: Yeah, that's a really good question. Our backs were unbelievable out of the backfield last year. I think the backs we have in that room now, they study a lot of film. I watch a lot of film with those guys. I think they have a really good understanding of what we're kind of looking for out of the backfield in the passing game.

They've worked so hard at it all off-season. This is probably the best off-season I've been a part of since I've been here. The guys have worked so hard. Our strength staff does an unbelievable job.

That running back room, they're so hungry. They're hungry every single day. They're competing with each other. They all have a chip on their shoulder because everybody is talking about Michael and Javonte. They have a chip on their shoulder, excited to go out there and show what they have, so I'm excited for them.

Q. You lost a lot of production on offense. What have you seen from those guys in practice trying to fill those roles of the guys that went to the NFL?

SAM HOWELL: Yeah, I mean, they certainly know the situation and the role they have to fill. But like I said, all those guys in the running back room and the receiver room, they have a really big chip on their shoulder. They're kind of tired of everyone talking about who we lost instead of talking about who we got coming in this year.

They've worked so hard. It's been a good challenge for me try to get those guys developed into the players we want to see this fall. They've done a really good job of that. They've worked so hard.

I'm just really excited for those guys to get out there this year and show everybody what they got because they're really talented players and nobody is giving them the credit they deserve. They haven't done anything yet, but I know they will this fall, so I'm super excited for them.

Q. Focusing on the wide receiver room, shed a little bit of light on the positives and growing pains you've seen in that room? What are the expectations looking at that room?

SAM HOWELL: That's a good question. Dyami and Dazz were amazing players for us, a lot of production. I think a lot of those guys in the room have been there for a couple years. They kind of learn from Dyami and Dazz, saw how they worked. Dyami and Dazz were two of the hardest working players on our team. They kind of followed their lead and kind of picked up their work ethic and their same work habits.

I spend so much time with those guys. Those guys, they look at good as ever. I feel really good about that room. I think everyone saw what Josh Downs could do in the bowl game. I think he's going to be a really good player for us.

We have Beau Corrales coming back. He has been a really good player for us. A couple other guys, Antoine Green, Khafre Brown, Emery Simmons, a lot of guys that can play in that room.

Same thing like I just said, those guys have a huge chip on their shoulder because everybody is talking about Dyami and Dazz. Nobody is talking about the guys in that room. They are all super talented guys. They have worked so hard. Coach Galloway does a really good job with those guys in that room, so I'm excited to get out there with them.

Q. I remember watching you at Sun Valley High School. You had hype when you were committed to Florida State. Three years later you have even more hype surrounding you. How are you keeping your head level with all this hype?

SAM HOWELL: Yeah, no, that's a really good question. I'm definitely just blessed by God in the position that I'm in. It's something I dream find of when I was a kid to kind of be in this position.

It's not something I take for granted. There's been so many people that's kind of helped me get to where I am today. That's kind of just relying on my faith and my people, just trying to stay true to who I am. No matter where I go in life, just try to be the same person, try to be who I am on a daily basis.

I don't get too caught up in what other people are saying. I'm just worried about what I think of my myself, what the people close to me say. That's the same mindset of my team. We've had a lot of hype as a team. Main thing we try to tell our guys, if people say we're going to win 10, 12 games, it's not just going to happen. We have to put the work in every day, prepare like it's the biggest game of our life. That's my mindset as a person and as a team.