Veteran UNC DB Discusses Defense Growth and Team Unity

North Carolina defensive back Will Hardy spoke to the media at the Kenan Football Center on Tuesday, previewing the Tar Heels' Friday night matchup against Syracuse.

Here is a video of the full press conference along with a partial transcript below.

How the team has come together?

UNC — Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels fans in the second quarer at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Yeah, I think we've had, you know, a lot of adversity throughout the year, whether that's on the field or maybe some stuff off the field. I think it's only brought us closer together. The team has solely been focused on whatever we need to do to win, and so that's performing in practice and preparing off the field for the games and Saturdays or Fridays this week.

And so we're really not listening to any of the noise of anything. It's, like you said, bringing us closer together. I think we've seen that on the field, especially from the defensive side of the ball, the past couple weeks.

On some of the fixes to become a better run defense…

UNC — Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson (94) celebrates with defensive tackle D'Antre Robinson (6) after making a sack in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Yeah, I think that unit is playing as one right now. They're playing selfless. All those guys in the front are making plays, but they're making plays that are their place to make, and they're not trying to, you know, jump out of gaps and make tackles. They're really setting the edge.

Setting the edge of the defense has been big guys like Melkart (Abou-Jaoude), Tyler Thompson, Smith (Vilbert), doing a great job. We have great interior defensive linemen, but they're playing as one unit right now. It's really making, you know, my job as a DB and the linebackers jobs lot easier to fit the run we hear all the time.

On Twitter, your mom posted a picture of you and your teammates locking shoulders during the two point conversion. Just given everything that's happened throughout the last month, what do you say about the scenes resiliency and also their constant improvement?

“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do”

I took this pic during the 2 pt conversion try in OT. This team could have quit or pulled apart through the recent adversity. Instead, they are responding with resilience, determination, & unity. So proud! #KeepSwinging #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/3vpShDJeOW
— Lindsey Hardy (@lindseynhardy) October 26, 2025

Definitely the past couple of weeks, two tough losses, where you play well in areas and other areas, and just not making the plays you need to make at the end of the games. And so if anything, I think it's encouraging for us seeing the improvement we're making week to week.

You know that picture you just mentioned, just a sign of how close we are even through the struggles, the team is not pulling apart at all, and so if anything, we're getting closer. And so looking forward to this week, and it's gonna be a great week, a short week too, but one that we've sort of dealt with a couple short weeks this year. And so I think we're prepared.

And how have the leaders of locker room, including yourself, work to maintain and also elevate the competitive edge throughout the season?

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels and Virginia Cavaliers players react at the end of overtime at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Yeah, I mean just showing up day in and day out for the practices, and bringing that competitive edge most practices, it's offense versus defense going at it. And you don't want to lose that competitive edge when you get late in the season, bodies start to wear down. You still want to be able to show up to practice, play, physical, and that's what we do each and every day.

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