ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL KICKOFF

July 21, 2021

Tomon Fox

North Carolina Tar Heels

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Tomon.

Q. You are currently tied with Lawrence Taylor for sacks. Your next sack will push you ahead of LT. Tell us about your style. Are you old enough to have seen LT in NFL films?

TOMON FOX: Yeah, I think it's an honor to even have my name brought up in the conversation with someone like LT. He is someone I looked up to once I started playing the defensive side of the ball, when I first started playing ball. People like him, Julius Peppers. People I idolized. To have my name up there with them is something to be greatly looked at from them.

Hopefully the first game when I pass him this upcoming season, it's something to be in the memory books, you know (smiling).

Q. Looking at the team this season as you step in, Coach talked about you had sugar thrown all over you, you've wiped it off, you've had the hype and criticism. How do you handle both?

TOMON FOX: We just try and not listen to it. We're all about work here at Carolina. We let people talk, we'll hear them out. Once it's time to go out on the field, we put all that aside and focus on who is in front of us.

Q. You played 47 games in your outstanding career. What has your experience taught you about the linebacker position?

TOMON FOX: Yeah, playing that many snaps as an outside linebacker, I learned you just have to be a versatile player. You have to be able to play the run and affect the pass game, too. The defense we have that Coach Bateman has brought in allows us to do all those kinds of things. He gives us an opportunity, we can make sacks, he also has us out there so we can help out in the coverage also.

Q. You guys are playing in a conference with a lot of offensive firepower. What is the importance of you on the defensive side to make this team more successful?

TOMON FOX: Like you said, the ACC has a lot of offensive firepower. We know as a defense we have to bring it every single week. We can't take any team lightly because of the weapons each team has. Overall as a defense we know we have to be consistent every single game, every single week, every single play, then we'll be able to come on the better side of things.

Q. What has it been like playing with this kid by the name of Tomari Fox on the team?

TOMON FOX: Yeah, Tomari, my little brother, man. Ever since he stepped on the field, made me want to elevate my game. Even since he was smaller, we were high school, middle school, he always wanted to compete with me in every single aspect that we do.

Having him there make me want to go hard, push him. He makes me a better brother and leader because I have someone I'm used to being with, someone I'm used to living with every single day. I know how to talk with him, what to do with him. It also translates to all the other players on the field.