This article is reprinted online with permission from Kinston.com/The Free Press. “Man of His Word” first appeared November 22, 2008 at Kinston.com. Ryan Herman is the Kinston.com sports editor.
CHAPEL HILL, NC – When Quinton Coples departed Kinston for Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy in 2007 and subsequently headed to North Carolina, he made a promise that he was going to have an immediate impact on the Tar Heels once he got to town.
Coples is a man of his word.
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound defensive end saw six snaps Saturday afternoon in North Carolina’s 41-10 loss to N.C. State on Senior Day at Kenan Stadium.
When those that have three years more experience on him were on centerstage, Coples quietly let everyone know what was to come.
Six plays, a pass rush, and three more years with the Tar Heels.
While Coples saw limited action against the Wolfpack (5-6, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), he’s doing something this season not many freshmen, especially defensive linemen, can say they do.
He’s playing.
Most non-skill position players redshirt their freshmen seasons, giving them an extra year to learn the college game and better themselves for the next four years. Not Coples.
“It’s through God’s grace and will [that I’ve been able to play],” he said after Saturday’s game. “I just go out there and play with some of the guys and go out there and have fun. I’ve got a great D-line coach and a great head coach and they’ve given me the opportunity to go out there and showcase my talent.
“So I just take advantage of it every time I go out there.”
Coples first entered Saturday’s game with 7 minutes, 58 seconds left in the second quarter, and immediately contributed. While his first snap won’t show up on stat sheets, Coples chased Wolfpack quarterback Russell Wilson – a redshirt freshman himself – to the far sideline where he was eventually taken down by safety Da’Norris Searcy.
Coples is second on the Tar Heels’ two-deep defensive depth chart, and is one of only five true freshmen on the list. Heading into Saturday, he was third on the team in sacks (1.5), has seven tackles this season and has recovered a fumble.
“Sometimes you get in the moment and you’re like, you always want to start. But sometimes you’ve just got to sit back and understand the game,” he said.
What sticks out most about Coples may not be the fact that he’s doing so well so early, but it’s what he does when he’s not in the game.
Since he spends most of his time on the sidelines, he said he’s always studying, and keeping up with what’s going on, that way, when head coach Butch Davis calls his No. 90, he’s ready to go.
“You have to observe what’s going on, on the field, and understand that when you get called in, you’ll know how to play this and how to react to that. I’m watching what the guys ahead of me do, so that I can do that when I get into the game,” Coples said.
In Coples’ junior season at Kinston, he amassed 63 tackles and seven sacks before deciding to transfer to Hargrave just prior to his senior season.
According to Coples, that transfer helped in his transition to the college game, but it’s still another world when it comes to playing football.
“There are a whole lot of things you’ve got to learn. It’s not just going out there and playing football. … You’ve got to learn technique, know your plays, know what to do in certain situations. … You’ve got to study the offensive line, study film… all that on top of being a student-athlete,” he said.
As Coples stood on the sideline Saturday, he could only watch as N.C. State forced six UNC turnovers in its largest victory over its intrastate rival since a 40-6 win in 1989. With the loss, the Tar Heels (7-4, 3-4) were eliminated from the ACC Coastal Division race, but are guaranteed a bowl with their seven wins.
That means Coples won’t be making his first trip to Tampa, Fla., to play in the ACC championship game, but he’ll still be studying, because that’s what he set out to do when he left home.
“Whatever happens happens as far as playing time,” he said. “I want to be out there playing more, but, when my time comes, I’ll be ready.”
