UNC’s Tomari Fox to miss the 2022 football season after losing appeal
North Carolina defensive end Tomari Fox lost his appeal with the NCAA and will be ineligible for the 2022 season, the school announced Tuesday. Fox drank an over-the-counter pre-workout drink that contained a banned substance he maintains he didn’t know about.
Fox started a combined 14 games in the past two seasons and appeared in all 12 regular-season games last year for the Tar Heels. He led the team with six quarterback hurries and recorded 25 tackles including 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
“Unfortunately, I will not be able to participate in the 2022 football season for reasons I cannot control,” Fox said in a statement. “I’m disappointed in the decision, but I remain hopeful for the future. I will continue to give my all to Tar Heel Nation both on and off the field.”
The only game Fox did not play in last season was the Heels’ Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss to South Carolina. Fox was held out of the game as a precaution after it was discovered that he consumed the undisclosed substance.
UNC coach Mack Brown believed the punishment was heavy-handed, saying the rule is outdated.
“I’m really concerned about the penalty; I don’t think the penalty is fair,” Brown said. “Here’s a young guy that got some advice from somebody and drank something out of a bottle — that I would have drunk — and then he loses his entire year. So I don’t think the penalty fits the crime at all.”
Fox will have two years of eligibility remaining. He will be allowed to practice and workout with the team.
“We just got to keep him involved,” Brown said. “He can’t travel. He can’t be on the sideline, all he can do his practice. So they take away his life as a football player, so we’ve got to really make sure we help support him and keep him up through the year.”
Carolina has some depth at defensive end so it should be able to absorb Fox’s absence without it hurting the team. Desmond Evans and Beau Atkinson took most of the reps during the spring game. Kaimon Rucker, who started 10 games last season, did not participate in the spring game due to an injury, but he is expected to be at full strength when camp resumes in August.
This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 2:56 PM with the headline "UNC’s Tomari Fox to miss the 2022 football season after losing appeal."