Oct. 6, 2003

by Lee Pace, EXTRA POINTS

CHAPEL HILL - The acronym was the brainchild of a reserve in the early 1990s who wanted his fellow receivers to have a nickname, a handle to bond their abilities and commitment to winning.

"Fresh Receivers Exciting All Krowds Smoothy."

FREAKS, in other word.

"We had T-shirts made and took a lot of pride in our position," says Corey Holliday, a member of the group that also included Bucky Brooks, Randall Felton and Julius Reese. "From there, other positions on the team took on nicknames. That's when the DBs started calling themselves 'Rude Boys.'"

Receivers came and went over the next decade, apparently with none ever inquiring about the genesis of the moniker.

"They just thought it was 'freaks,' as in freaks of nature because they were so good or something," says Holliday, who went on to play in the NFL and now is on John Bunting's administrative staff.

Until now.

Mike Mason, Jesse Holley and Adarius Bowman are a little different. From the moment they arrived in Chapel Hill for summer school, they brought an air of bravado and confidence not often seen in raw 18-year-olds. If they were going to call themselves "Freaks," they wanted to know why.

"They take pride in calling themselves 'Freaks,'" says Holliday. "They want to make it happen. They're pumped up about being 'Freaks.' They've not shied away from the challenge. They understand it's about making great catches but also about blocking downfield and helping create thousand-yard backs."

Bowman, Holley and Mason call themselves "The Three Amigos" because they've bonded as one in three short months.

"People say, 'Why don't you get some new friends?'" says Holley. "We're like brothers. It's like we've known each other forever. Where you see one, you see us all."

It's a dismal fall in Chapel Hill with the Tar Heels careening to an 0-5 start and who knows what from here. But anyone who cares to pry beneath the surface can find in Holley, Mason and Bowman an example of what Bunting and staff can do with this program given a fair chance.

Each is an outstanding athlete.

Each boasts one dimension that gives him true "freak" stature--Mason's speed, Holley's leap, Bowman's power.

Each is confident and committed.

And each chose the Tar Heels despite eye-popping opportunities elsewhere--Mason at Notre Dame, for example, Bowman at Tennessee and Holley at Ohio State.

"These guys bring something different, something that's been needed here," says receivers coach Gunter Brewer. "They're Julius Peppers-type guys, Dre Bly-type guys. Right now they've lived up to their billing. That have a swagger and confidence level you don't expect from kids so young. But they've delivered and will only get better."

Mason, from Rocky Mount, has caught 15 passes for 149 yards and one TD. He's playing slot receiver, returning kicks and aggressively covering kicks. His forte is catching underneath routes and turning them into big gains. Unless a defense is in a nickel package, the two cornerbacks will match against Carolina's two wideouts and Mason, in the slot, will be covered by a safety or linebacker with much less speed.

"He's got ridiculous body control and speed," says secondary coach Jim Fleming, whose players have to defend Mason daily.

Holley, from Roselle, N.J., has five receptions for 83 yards and two TDs playing flanker. One TD was on a last-play-of-the-game Hail Mary at Wisconsin, and Holley jumped amid a crowd and came down with the ball. He was single-covered on a route to the end zone at N.C. State and used his body and leaping ability to beat the defender for the ball.

"He's a playmaker," Brewer says. "If the ball's in the air, Jesse's got a knack for catching it."

Bowman, from Chattanooga, Tenn., has five catches for 107 yards and one TD at split end. His score came at N.C. State after catching the ball at midfield and not letting a safety catch him until inside the 10 yard-line. From there, Bowman protected the ball from a strip attempt and hauled the defender around his waist into the end zone.

"Adarius is like a power forward in basketball," says Brewer. "He's a muscle guy and he's got good ball skills. His speed isn't great, but he showed against State it's good enough."

With the departure of Sam Aiken and Chesley Borders, Carolina needed help this season at wide receiver. The freshman are complimenting the efforts of Jaworski Pollock, Brandon Russell and Derrele Mitchell. At times in the second half at N.C. State, all three were on the field together.

"They're tremendous athletes," says QB Darian Durant. "They're a tremendous asset to our team. It'll be scary for other teams when they grow up and get up to speed with the playbook and the offense."

The important thing to note is that there are equally talented freshmen at other positions, but they haven't surfaced yet because receiver is a position where a freshman can find opportunity sooner.

"We hope to change the attitude of the program," says Holley. "Our class is upbeat, we have a more go-get-'em attitude."

"We can build with this group of freshmen," adds Bowman. "We're working together to make the team better."

"All three of us saw a lot of potential in this program," says Mason. "We'll win here, there's no question about that."