3 Quotes from Redshirt-Senior Linebacker Andrew Simpson's Presser

The last person to speak during the final media availability on Wednesday for UNC football and its final camp was Andrew Simpson, a linebacker from Wilder Ave, California. Simpson, best friends with Washington defensive back Thaddeus Dixon, was influenced by their conversation to make his way to Chapel Hill and play for the eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick. He also shared information about the defensive unit as a whole, along with the communication he had initially with Coach Belichick.

North Carolina is reaching the season opener, and with classes beginning at UNC this past Monday, August 18, the Tar Heels are in full swing of their student-athlete responsibilities. However, it is an indicator that football is approaching quickly. Below are three significant quotes Simpson shared with the media.

On His First Line of Communication with Head Coach Bill Belichick

"Yeah, so I kind of had a good feeling. I wanted to be a part of this. Just talking to Belichick was kind of like the cherry on top. He made everything seem smooth. The transition is very smooth. In our first meeting, we met face-to-face. I talked to him in person. It was a great conversation. We talked for a long time. I feel like we could have talked a little bit longer, it seemed like. "

"But he had a dream to get to. But honestly, it was with my family. He made us all feel welcome, made us all feel at home. He was a lot more genuine and a lot more authentic. And I feel like people give him credit for it. He was ready to talk to you. He made it simple. The reasons why we're here, what we want to do, what they want to do with me. It just made everything smooth."

On His Relationship with Thaddeus Dixon, Plus What It Means to Transfer to UNC

"Yeah, so, I mean, me and him go way back. We lived about five minutes away from each other back in California. And even through COVID and stuff, we'd be up at 6 a.m. most days just going to get work together, going to hit the field after, staying until it was dark, like just really finding things to do, honestly, on and off the field. We got really close then, and then through college, we ended up playing each other when he was at Washington and I was at Boise.

And it was kind of a full-circle moment there. And then coming all the way back to here, we were both in the transfer portal, and it just made it more — it just had a better understanding of what we wanted, what we wanted to go do, and how we wanted this season to turn out for both of us. And I trust him, and he trusts me, and he made a very good pitch to me when I was in the transfer portal about why I should come here, what we could do, and I'm just excited to get to work with him because that's my best friend."

On the Defensive Line, Linebackers and the Secondary

"They're all fresh faces. What I'll say is they're big. They're hungry. They come into work every single day. They're willing to learn, and they're ready to just get after it. I feel like all of us come from different places, so it's easy to see a lot of individuals."

I feel like we did a great job of mending together as a team on and off the field, getting to know each other, and just playing fast and physical. That's something we wanted to implement on a heavy scale every single day. We've been practicing a lot with the most physical team on the field every time we take it, and knowing where you're going and helping each other out. If they're in a spot, I've got to make them right. If I go somewhere, they've got to make me right. So just playing in one unit, I feel like that's what they're coming here to do."

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