UNC’s Walker: ‘Felt blessed’ in long-awaited launching

• Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterOct 7, 2023, 08:52 PM ET Close ACC press reporter.
• Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
• Graduate of the University of Florida.North Carolina

receiver Tez Walker made his long awaited go back to the field Saturday, catching six passes in a 40-7 win over checking out Syracuse.The NCAA granted Walker immediate eligibility on Thursday, reversing course after initially ruling he would need to sit out this season as a two-time transfer. North Carolina figured out that Walker would play however not begin since he had invested the previous three weeks dealing with the scout team. However he was chosen to lead the team onto the field, carrying the North Carolina state flag.”I simply felt blessed to be out there,”Walker said.”My teammates have remained in my corner since I got here. Regardless if it’s on the field or off, my colleagues are there for me. I’m genuinely blessed.”Editor’s Picks His very first catch can be found in the first quarter. Walker ended up with 43 backyards getting.”We wished to work him in,”coach Mack Brown said.” We didn’t desire him to be overwhelmed with being tossed out there

, then the fans responded to him so well because the story is so important. I do not understand if I might have managed it with all the emotion going on, and I thought he did so well.”Walker stated he was “shocked”when he discovered the news however likewise happy it was over. “It simply seemed like a weight was just taken off my shoulders,”he stated. North Carolina receiver Tez Walker, revealed leading the Tar Heels onto the field Saturday, was approved eligibility to play this season by the NCAA on Thursday. Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports Quarterback Drake Maye had a lot of options, playing his finest game of the season. Maye tossed for 442 yards and 3 goals and added another 55 yards and a score rushing.He likewise finished at least 70%of his passes in 5 straight games, passing Mitch Trubisky for the longest streak by a North Carolina player in the previous 20 seasons, according to ESPN Statistics & Information.In his postgame television interview, Maye

said it was incredible to see Walker out there. “It makes me tear up, “Maye said.And though he had nearly 500 backyards of offense, Maye blamed himself for toppling Walker on what would have been a touchdown.The saga between North

Carolina and the NCAA lasted two months, as the Tar Heels put public pressure on

the national governing organization to

permit Walker to play this year, mentioning psychological health as his reason to move from Kent State to North Carolina to be closer to his granny, Loretta Black. In January, 2 days after Walker enrolled at North Carolina, the NCAA announced it would punish instant eligibility for two-time transfers.Citing”new details,”the NCAA reversed course. Walker said his grandmother made it to the game to enjoy him play for the first time in his college career. When he informed her the news on Thursday, Walker stated,” She shouted. I needed to turn my phone down since she screamed so loud. She was really pleased and my mama teared up.

It was a special minute.”