THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701240179
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REA McLEROY, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: 67 lines
DRE BLY NEVER KNEW what was in store for him on that fateful day when he selected the University of North Carolina.
After debating a variety of choices, Bly went on an official visit to UNC. He shocked his high school coach, Lew Johnston, by making his collegiate choice on the spot.
``He had gone to Virginia Tech for an official visit and he absolutely loved it,'' Johnston said. ``He was very impressed with the facility and the coaches. I really thought he was leaning that way. The next week, he went to Carolina and came back and said he'd (committed).
``He said he had loved Carolina basketball since he was a kid and going into the Dome and meeting Dean Smith clinched it. The Carolina mystique for basketball won him over.''
Bly now sheepishly admits that the allure of Carolina was more than college football - it was a young boy's dream.
``It was a great environment,'' he said. ``It was a childhood school I admired. I started out looking at the basketball team and I decided to come to a football camp here. When I was little I thought I would play basketball here. As I got older, I decided football was my speciality.''
He specialized well. This season, the defensive back became only the fifth freshman in Division I college football history to be named first team All-America by the Associated Press.
He led the nation in interceptions with 11 and then picked off two more in the Gator Bowl. Bly was runner-up for the national Jim Thorpe award and Tuesday earned the Norfolk Sports Club's McArthur Award.
``The season was amazing,'' Bly said. ``I had no clue. The only thing I was striving for was to be Rookie of the Year (in the ACC).''
His accolades did not end with the season. Last Tuesday, Bly returned to his stomping grounds at Western Branch and was honored in a special assembly to retire his jersey. Johnston fondly remembers years of No. 24 running around the Southeastern District fields, terrorizing opponents and earning a slot on the All-Tidewater team.
But Johnston takes little credit for creating Bly, only for molding what was already there - a pure athlete.
``He's very gifted,'' Johnston said. ``Obviously, he showed talent and ability way beyond lots of kids at this level. All the makings were there. The only way we helped him was helping him mature and develop a work ethic.''
Bly had started playing youth ball when he was 12 - his parents made him wait until then out of fear of injury. He developed quickly into a solid player and a young man his coaches both admired and respected.
``He comes by here every time he comes home,'' Johnston said. ``He's very appreciative of the things he got here. He's very level-headed, very humble about the whole thing. He's made everyone at Western Branch very proud. He's one kid - I still have to laugh - he's the only football player who smiles for a head shot.''
But the smiles stop on the field. Bly is serious about his career and his potential to be one of the top college players in the country for the next three seasons.
``My goal is not to fall off,'' he said. ``I'm going to prepare myself harder than ever. Some guys have a good first year and then that's it. I would like to have the chance to play in the national championship.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
Last Tuesday, Bly returned to his Southeastern District stomping
grounds at Western Branch and was honored in a special assembly to
retire his No. 24 jersey.
KEYWORDS: FOOTBALL TRIBUTE