E.J. Wilson's most prized memory in a Carolina uniform took place in one of the biggest stages in college football. Wilson was just a redshirt freshman adjusting to a new position during a cold November afternoon in South Bend, Ind., when during the first quarter he sacked one of college football's most touted quarterbacks - former Notre Dame standout Brady Quinn.
"I just had moved to playing defensive end and to be able to sack one of the top quarterbacks on national TV was pretty big for me - it gets no bigger than that,"
he said.
In addition to what Wilson considers the highlight of his Carolina career thus far, he finished that game with a season-best four tackles.
This season, the junior is the Tar Heels' only defensive end with any starting experience and is looking to become a force to be reckoned with. Wilson finished last season with 44 tackles, ranking him 10th in the team behind names like Kentwan Balmer, Durell Mapp and Hilee Taylor - all of whom graduated last year.
The man who will be lining up next to Wilson on game day, sophomore Marvin Austin, said he has high expectations for the 6-2 junior.
"I think he's going to be definitely somebody who other teams are going to prepare for - put certain schemes on their game plans to stop him because one-on-one I don't think there are any tight ends that are going to block him and very few tackles in college football and the ACC that will block him,"
Austin said.
Wilson, who broke the Tar Heels' defensive end squat record by lifting 670 lbs, believes that his side of the defensive line will be very dangerous to opposing offenses with both Austin, who was a first-team freshman All-America last year, and him lining up on the left side of the line.
"With me and Marvin on the same side I don't think anybody can afford to double team both of us,"
he said. "The left side is really going to be something to watch out for this year."
Although Wilson will get more attention from opponents than in previous years now that he is "the man"
at his position, he said he expects the other guys in the defensive line - Austin, Darrius Massenburg and Cam Thomas - to take advantage of the opportunity that double teaming him can provide.
"Somebody else is going to step up and make plays,"
he said.
Wilson, who played forward as a member of the state-winning basketball team at Brunswick High as well as earning all-conference honors as a defensive back and wide receiver, said that playing different positions helped him become a better defensive end.
"It helped me to see the field not only in tunnel vision and to start using my peripheral,"
Wilson said.
Wilson, who enjoys watching movies on his free days and has a collection of more than 150 DVDs in his room, is glad he chose to attend North Carolina.
"It's a great place, it's almost like my hometown - everybody here treats you so nicely,"
he said. "It's almost like a family atmosphere no matter where you go, the people here are respectful, it's close to home so my parents can see all my games - it's just a great place, I love it"
But coming to Chapel Hill was not just a football decision because Wilson places a lot of importance in academics. He graduated from high school in the top five of his class and had a 4.2 GPA.
"My parents were so happy that I chose this school because it has such a great academic reputation,"
he said. "It also carries on to the football side because I pick up on a lot of stuff - all I need is to see the play a couple of times and I already have it."
Instead of hoping to be in the cover of Sports Illustrated or ESPN the Magazine like many of his teammates, Wilson would one day like to appear on the cover of Forbes.
"If you're in Forbes Magazine it means that you are doing something with your life - you have a lot of money, you're making business moves, doing other venture, stocks,"
he said.
"Of course the NFL is there, but the NFL also stands for `not for long' so you have to invest your money, start a business and go into other stuff."
