Q&A: Carolina Panthers S Tre Boston on UNC football

Ten questions about life off the field with Carolina Panthers S Tre Boston:

Q. You went to UNC. I went to UNC. We’re talking UNC. They’re 8-1 right now. Did you expect to see them at 8-1?

A. Yes. I believe. That’s it. I believe. Gene Chizik. Larry Fedora. Enough said.

Q. The defensive backs at UNC have long been called the Rude Boys. How much swag are they playing with?

A. I definitely see them playing with that Rude Boy swag that we used to have back in the day. You can tell they’re being coached up well. They’re loving the new scheme. I would have loved to play in a 4-3 (defense). My last couple years I was in a 4-2-5 and that was honestly one of the worst things we did. We didn’t have the talent to utilize that and that’s why I led the team in tackles the last three years at safety. But I’m happy those guys are playing Rude Boy football in the back.

Q. They added argyle to the uniform since you’ve left. Do you love it or hate it?

A. Whew, I love it. To have it on everybody’s on uniform throughout the athletics program, I love it. I’m about to get back and find my way into a No. 10 jersey with “Boston” on the back.

Q. Are you excited that they’ll potentially be playing in Charlotte in the ACC Championship Game?

A. Well we don’t want to get ahead of schedule because right now they have a good game in Miami. I won’t be able to see them in Charlotte but it’d be great if they came here. We’re trying to do things the right way after everything happened with the program and they’re doing a great job of turning the program around.

Q. You would have been in Charlotte in 2012 had you been eligible for the postseason. I remember y’all got rings for “winning” the Coastal Division. Do you still have the ring?

A. Yes. I got mine at home. It sucks because we were punished for stuff we didn’t do. Sometimes it works like that where guys get punished who didn’t have anything to do with it.

Q. You were recruited by Butch Davis. What do you think about his name being thrown around for a head coaching job in college?

A. I love it. I’m a supporter of Butch all day, every day. He gave me an opportunity to come from Florida to UNC and make a living playing in the NFL. I thank him for that. I did everything that he told me was possible: Getting a degree and being in the league. Honestly I hope he gets the University of Miami job, me being a Florida boy.

Q. If he were the coach of The U when you were in high school – and I know you love Carolina – would you have gone to Miami?

A. Oh I’m gone. I only went to Carolina because of Butch Davis. And that’s how a lot of kids thought. I went to Carolina because of what I saw Butch Davis do at Miami. If he would have been at Miami at that time, I would have been at Miami.

Q. With the season they’re having, do you think Fedora or Chizik leave at the end of this season? I think they stick around. What about you?

A. I mean I don’t know. It’s always possible, especially Gene being a defensive coordinator. Anything’s possible. The head coach being fired a week before training camp (Butch Davis in 2011). Anything can happen because I’ve seen it.

Q. You’re over here beside an Alabama guy (Roman Harper), a TCU guy (Colin Jones) and an Ohio State guy (Kurt Coleman). Now UNC is making some noise. Does that make you feel a little better?

A. Yes it does. All of our teams are doing great. We all have one loss except Ohio State. It feels great to talk about college football because they went to such prestigious schools, and for Carolina to be better, I’ve been able to talk a little more than last year. I can’t lie about that.

Q. The men’s basketball team is No. 1 in the preseason. Will they win it all?

A. I don’t want to jinx them. But I hope they do take it all. And didn’t we just get Seventh Woods? I saw that guy on YouTube when he was in sixth grade. Baller! I don’t get geeked about who we get in recruiting, but that one right there is huge for the program.

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Q&A: Carolina Panthers S Tre Boston on UNC football."