From Florida State to North Carolina: Amari Gainer wants to make name for himself
Amari Gainer grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, and was all about Florida State and Seminoles football.
His father, Herb, was a wide receiver at FSU for legendary coach Bobby Bowden in the 1980s, helping the Seminoles go 11-1 in 1987, his senior season.
Amari Gainer was a linebacker at FSU for five seasons, playing in 46 games, making more than 200 tackles and creating his own cheers at Doak Campbell Stadium. A year ago, the Seminoles were 10-3.
Then, with one season of college eligibility left, Gainer decided to use it at … North Carolina?
No real surprise, though. Gainer fits the mold of the thoroughly modern college athlete, circa 2023.
He used the transfer portal. He’s aware of the value of his name, image and likeness and the NIL opportunities available to athletes. He wants to build his brand — he calls himself “Amari Ferrari” on social media and has “entrepreneur” in his X bio.
“You are what you personify yourself to be,” Gainer said Thursday. “To have that brand outside of football is very important. I’m blessed to be in an era where NIL is possible.”
What Gainer also wants is to win an ACC championship with his new team. He wants to make it to the NFL and believes playing in UNC’s system under defensive coordinator Gene Chizik better suits him. He can roam outside, he can blitz, he can harass quarterbacks and make the tackles for losses that can blow up offensive possessions.
“It has been a great transition for me,” Gainer said .after a practice.
Gainer said he works daily at perfecting his “craft” in the pass rush — “Just go with speed and violence,” he said — while saying his goal is to “establish dominance in all areas of the game.”
A graduate student, Gainer left the FSU program in the good graces of Seminoles coach Mike Norvell, who took to social media to call Gainer “an incredible young man” and added, “Honored for the opportunity to coach him, great leader and explosive player. Will be a great asset to a program.”
Gainer enrolled at UNC and went through spring practice, getting his first feel for the Chizik defensive system and the outside linebacker position called the “JACK.”
Returning for fall camp, Gainer and senior Kaimon Rucker have gotten much of the work at “JACK” as the Tar Heels prepare for the Sept. 2 opener against South Carolina.
“Thunder and lightning,” Gainer said, smiling. “That’s my guy. I’ve learned a lot from Kaimon. He has great intangibles.
“I love giving some of my game to him and also learning a lot from him. I’m always tuned in, watching to see what he does to make him so dominant.”
And what was new at spring practice now is more familiar, Gainer said. It was a new position, with new fundamentals, that he had to learn, he said. Now, he can just go play.
“As far as my comfort level, as far as knowing the plays like the back of my hand and not even having to think about it, it’s definitely been like night and day between the spring and the fall,” Gainer said.
There are times when Chizik can be seen on the practice field huddling with Rucker and Gainer. The coach’s message, Gainer said, is direct.
“Be dominant,” Gainer said. “Make your presence felt at all times and be violent and physical at all times. Violence makes up for a lot of mistakes. That’s mainly what he tells me, and to play fast.”
The Tar Heels, 9-5 last season in Mack Brown’s fourth year as head coach, were too much of an easy touch on defense. They gave up 30.8 points a game, last in the ACC, and allowed way too many explosive plays.
Chizik said the Heels have a “more comfortable posture” defensively in his second year as UNC’s assistant head coach for defense. And Gainer, the newbie on D, summed up the defense’s expectation for 2023 with one word: “Greatness.”
That’s setting the bar high, given last season, but ...
“That’s the only expectation,” Gainer said. “That’s what we’re striving for and what we’re pushing for.
“It’s time to prove it. That’s what Coach says every day. It’s time to prove it and there’s no more time to talk about it. So every day we come out and we prove it.”
This story was originally published August 18, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
