March 2, 2002

By Mick Mixon, Tar Heel Sports Network

At a cryptic and unusual press conference on Monday, February 25th, Tar Heel quarterback Darian Durant announced he was leaving Carolina for personal reasons. He read a prepared statement, got up, briefly hugged Coach Bunting, and left.

He took no questions, gave no details, offered no explanation.

And that bites.

This school, his coaches, his teammates and Carolina fans deserve better than just "personal reasons."

Larry Gallo, UNC's Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Administration, is a very wise man. I once heard him say, "If you play the whole song, the party is over and everybody can go home."

Isn't that so true? Aren't endings difficult enough without the additional baggage of mystery? And could his "personal reasons" be so inflammatory as to be best left unsaid?

A theory making the call-in show circuit is that Durant is leaving because of big, bad Florida transfer CJ Stephens and the possibility of being beaten out for his starting job next season. Darian says this is not the case and believing him is easy. After all, any place he transfers to is going to have other talented quarterbacks on the roster, and Durant certainly didn't shy away from competing with Ronald Curry last season. Plus, if he doesn't want to compete than Carolina isn't a very good place for him anyway.

Could Durant be homesick? Could he not like the offense? Sure he could, but if so, why not just say it!?

Girlfriend trouble perhaps? We're all adults here, so who among us couldn't understand the call of one's heart?

What if a palm reader out on Highway 70 told him to transfer? Fine. At least you could respect Darian for wanting to act on advice he paid $25 to get.

Pretend for a moment that you are Columbo (Or Kojak, Beretta, Barnaby Jones, Cannon, Rockford, Matlock, or any of your favorite TV sleuths) and let's see if we can't figure this thing out. Assuming that Durant himself actually knows why he is leaving, "personal reasons" must translate into something potentially unflattering to Durant and/or the University, otherwise the likelihood that he would have included his reason in his statement is high.

Consider this line of thought. Last spring, John Bunting wrapped both of his meaty hands around the trunk of the Carolina football tree and he began to shake it. Workouts got more rigorous. Demands increased. Rules were strictly enforced. Practice got tougher. He wanted to find out who had stem enough to cling to the tree and who didn't. A few pieces of fruit fell off, like Luke Huard and Blake Ferguson. Is it possible that Darian Durant just didn't want to work as hard as he was being asked to work?

Only he knows for sure, of course, and he isn't saying. But that would explain his unwillingness to go into detail about why he is leaving. He couldn't very well say he didn't have the commitment, nor could he say that too much was being asked of him.

A.J. Davis, the Northern Durham High School defensive back who chose NC State at the eleventh hour, doesn't owe Carolina any explanation whatsoever. He went red on signing day and doesn't need to give a reason why, and all a Tar Heel fan can do is wish him well and move on.

But Darian Durant was one of us. He was, and always will be, a big part of the history of this program. Without him, Carolina doesn't win 8 games and go to the Peach Bowl in John Bunting's all-important first year.

Durant chose Carolina originally because he said that UNC was the only school that didn't give up on him after a serious leg injury in high school. So Darian, isn't it a bit ironic that you are giving up on Carolina now?

You'll be missed here, but it's okay that you are leaving. It really is. Just play the whole song. Then, the party can be over and everybody can go home.