UNC Football: Renner and Bernard: Good enough to be great, or are they just good?
Former late night talk show host, Arsenio Hall is known for the catch-phrase, “Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmm.” This topic makes me wonder the same thing. Are Bryn Renner and Giovanni Bernard
great players in the making? When their careers at Carolina are over, will they be amongst the best at their positions? Some people look at records as an indicator of how good a football is. I think this is valid. However, when you compare how much the game of football has changed over the years, you have to ask yourself, “Do statistics lose meaning?” When I ponder this question, I tend to lean towards the answer, “No.” Statistics allow enthusiasts like us to compare present players with past players. Statistics give rise to the “Who’s the best?” discussions and arguments. Statistics, rather stats, tell us how well a football player performed during a particular season.
Fast forward to Carolina’s current starting quarterback and running back, Bryn Renner and Giovani Bernard. Both players are on pace to break the top 10 lists for Carolina players at their respective positions. Last season, Bryn Renner threw for 3086 yards as a sophomore. For his career at Carolina, Renner has thrown for 3,100 yards. If Renner duplicates last season, he will be #3 on the list for most passing yards at UNC. He would be behind Darian Durant, who finished his career at Carolina with 8,755 yards. T.J. Yates leads the list with 9,377 yards. I think that breaking this record is within Renner’s reach. I predict that the addition of Fedora’s west coast offense will increase Renner’s numbers and productivity. Once Renner finds a new threat in receiving corps, then it’s on like Donkey Kong as far as his passing yards go.
Giovani Bernard will benefit from a west coast offensive scheme, as well. As a freshman running back, Bernard rushed for 1,253 yards. Similar to Renner, Giovani will most likely break the top 10 list for his position before the end of the upcoming season. Curtis Johnson is currently #10 in rushing yards with 1,999 yards. On the other hand, Amos Lawrence leads all rushers at Carolina with 4,391 yards. I think that Giovani has the ability to be one of the greatest running backs, if not the greatest, in the history of North Carolina football. Why? Well, here is my reasoning. Bernard was a focal point of Carolina’s offense as a freshman. Since Giovani proved that he is dependable, his productivity will only increase. His stats indicate how much we relied on him during the season. Giovani has the ability to join the likes of Leon Johnson (3,653 yards), Kelvin Bryant (3,267 yards), Ethan Horton (3,074 yards), and Natrone Means (3,074 yards) before he concludes his football career as a Tar Heel. These individuals are currently the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th leading rushers in the history of Carolina football. One thing that all of these guys have in common besides being a Tar Heel, of course, is that all of them played in the NFL.
Rest assured, Tar Heel Nation has a couple of record setters at the quarterback and running back positions. In my opinion, breaking records and setting records also indicate your dominance as an athlete. Carolina football is in good hands, when it comes to Renner and Bernard. I only hope that each player stays healthy and maintains the right attitude that will place them amongst an elite set of players who ever wore a football jersey at the University of North Carolina.
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