THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 26, 1996 TAG: 9609260482
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHAPEL HILL, N.C. LENGTH: 113 lines
It didn't take long for Dre' Bly to get comfortable in the North Carolina secondary.
Bly had trouble sleeping the night before his first college game, against Clemson.
But when Clemson quarterback Nealon Greene threw a pass in his direction, instinct took over. Bly broke for the ball, cut in front of a Clemson receiver and batted the pass away.
Bly knew then he belonged.
``After I made the first deflection, I just felt real confident,'' he said.
Bly's done nothing to harm his confidence since. The redshirt freshman from Chesapeake's Western Branch High has made a huge splash for the 11th-ranked Tar Heels, who meet second-ranked Florida State on Saturday in Tallahassee.
With four interceptions in three games, Bly ranks second in the NCAA in interceptions per game, with 1.33. He's already halfway toward the UNC record of eight interceptions, set by Lou Angelo in 1972.
Bly had three interceptions in UNC's 16-0 win over Georgia Tech last weekend, tying a school record.
``Every time Dre' Bly had a chance to make a play, he had an interception,'' defensive coordinator Carl Torbish said. ``It's been a long time since I've seen a player have three interceptions in the same ballgame.''
It's been a long time since a freshman made such an impact in the North Carolina secondary. Clemson coach Tommy West credits ``those young corners'' - Bly and sophomore cornerback Robert Williams - for much of the improvement in North Carolina's defense.
Heading into Saturday's showdown, the Tar Heels rank first nationally in scoring defense and second in yards allowed.
North Carolina also is tied for first in the nation in turnover margin. Last year, the Tar Heels were 105th.
``Right now our guys are playing with a lot of confidence,'' Torbish said. ``Not an egotistical confidence, but a solid, mature confidence.''
Bly has been as solid and mature as any of them, despite his lack of experience.
Against Clemson, he followed his pass deflection with a vicious hit that brought the Kenan Stadium crowd to its feet.
He celebrated with a victory dance that drew a reprimand from coach Mack Brown.
``I was excited,'' he said. ``But I didn't have to do what I did. I'm not gonna cost the team by doing something stupid.''
Bly made amends by returning a punt 25 yards to set up a North Carolina touchdown.
The following week, against Syracuse, Bly intercepted a pass and broke up two others.
Then, came his trifecta against Georgia Tech.
Bly began in the second quarter, when he stepped in front of a Joe Hamilton pass at midfield and returned it 44 yards to the Georgia Tech 6.
He picked off Hamilton again in the third quarter.
The Tech quarterback, obviously slow to learn, went Bly's way again on the next possession, and Bly intercepted him again.
``It's a great accomplishment,'' he said. ``But I can't get my head up too high over it, because I didn't play a perfect game.''
Brown doesn't have a problem with that.
``He's exceeded our expectations,'' Brown said.
And his own.
``I didn't know how soon I'd be ready to play,'' Bly said. ``I didn't know I'd be starting my redshirt freshman year.
``But I knew it was up to me.''
Bly always has had speed, in abundance. He's run the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds.
But when he arrived at North Carolina last summer, he was struck by the size and strength of the players.
``I just wanted to play,'' he said. ``But after I saw how hard it was, how much bigger, faster and stronger everybody was, I knew I wasn't physically ready.''
He also wasn't sure where he wanted to play. The coaches had him on defense, but Bly yearned to have the ball in his hands and thought about switching to receiver.
Bly traveled to two games, and then asked to be redshirted. He packed on 15 pounds by lifting weights, and was ready to challenge for a starting role during spring practice - at cornerback, a position the coaching staff finally sold him on.
``They told me I had a chance to return punts and kickoffs,'' Bly said. ``I told myself that was my chance to handle the ball and make some plays.''
With four interceptions, Bly has handled the ball more than many receivers. He also has four pass deflections, and is averaging 7.3 yards on seven punt returns.
``Anytime he's got the ball in his hands he's pretty dangerous,'' said Ron Case, who coaches defensive backs.
``I don't know if he's the fastest guy on the team, but he's got really good speed. And he's got what you call closing speed, or catch-up speed, which is what you look for in a corner.''
Bly showed his speed to the UNC staff during two summers at Brown's football camps. He came to the camps because he liked the Tar Heels - Dean Smith's Tar Heels, that is.
``I always liked their basketball team,'' he said. ``I didn't really start following the football team until after I came to camp.''
Now, when he talks about North Carolina, Bly sounds like a recruiter himself.
After a recent practice, Bly pulled off his helmet and pointed to the trees
``This place is lovely,'' he said. ``It's everything they told me. They didn't tell me any lies when I came down here for a visit.''
It'll seem even lovelier if North Carolina upsets Florida State. No matter the outcome, Bly figures to get his toughest test against the Seminoles' speedy receivers.
``Sometime he might run into something he might not be able to handle,'' Case said. ``But he hasn't yet.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
Dre' Bly ranks second nationally in interceptions per game at 1.33,
including three last weekend. by CNB