DUBLIN - For most of North Carolina’s roster, this week in Ireland has been a crash course in a new country. For freshman punter Adam McCann-Gibbs, the surprise is on the other side: the place is home, but the sport is still the part he’s figuring out.
McCann-Gibbs grew up in Glen, Northern Ireland, and came to Chapel Hill after playing only soccer and Gaelic football. Since joining the program, he’s leaned on teammates to help him understand American football, while also becoming the guy giving them the local rundown on Ireland.
That made him a natural talking point once UNC landed in Dublin. Belichick said the questions about McCann-Gibbs have kept coming from reporters since arrival, including one who mentioned that “The entire town of Newry supposedly is coming down to watch Adam McCann-Gibbs,” and asked whether fans should expect to see him on Saturday.
After a long pause, Belichick said, “Maybe,” with redshirt junior Australian Jacob Horvath likely to handle punting in Saturday’s Aer Lingus College Football Classic against TCU at Aviva Stadium.
Belichick said McCann-Gibbs has made noticeable progress since arriving, even if the details of punting are still a challenge for someone who had never played the sport before college.
“Adam’s worked hard. He’s made an adjustment.
It’s different. American football is different than what he’s been doing,” Belichick said.
“Dealing with the rush, dealing with some of the situational plays that come up in punting.”
He added that the job asks for more than just leg strength.
“It’s not like going out to the driving range and just hitting a golf ball out there. You actually got to hit different shots,” Belichick said.
“You got plays where you need to punt the ball one way or the other, to the right, the left. Sometimes you got to rush, and you got to get it off, and other times they’re in a return, and they’re not really rushing anybody.
So, the timing can be different as well.”
Belichick said the freshman’s development is moving in the right direction, though he’s still far from a finished product.
“He’s done a good job adapting to it. He’s a good kid.
He works hard. He’s got a good leg,” Belichick said.
“But there are a lot of things in the punting game that need to be mastered, and he’s working on them. Certainly not there yet.
Never punted in a game. So, he’s definitely coming along, but long way to go.”
His teammates see more than just the leg.
Defensive back Kaleb Cost described McCann-Gibbs as someone whose daily habits have earned real respect inside the building.
“He’s an unbelievable, unbelievable guy. The work that he puts in, the work ethic, he’s always one of the last guys to leave the facility,” Cost said.
“Being able to see his journey, see where he came from, everyone on the team has a greater sense of appreciation for Adam, for his journey. It’s pretty cool to be able to be here for him, and see what Saturday has in store.
But we’re all fired up.”
Center Christo Kelly, who made a May trip to Dublin with teammates including McCann-Gibbs, said learning more about his story made the week mean even more.
“For Adam and his story, and sort of what he went through to be able to get here, and just how big of a game this really is,” Kelly said. “There’s a greater sense of appreciation for what you’re really doing when you get that.”
So while most of UNC is discovering Ireland for the first time, McCann-Gibbs is the one player who knows the country already - even as American football continues to introduce itself to him.
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