If Giovani Bernard -- Gio to his friends -- never plays a down in the NFL, he already has had a lot to be proud of. The highly decorated Tar Heels running back and brother of former Oregon State and current CFL running back Yvenson Bernard won two state titles in high school and then put together two prolific seasons in Chapel Hill, rushing for nearly 2,500 yards after suffering a torn ACL that wiped out his entire freshman season.
But Bernard’s greatest loss was the death of his mother, Jossette Bernard, from thyroid cancer when he was 10 years old. The ACC’s Brian Piccolo Award winner in 2011 and conference player of the year runner-up (by a single vote) in 2012 writes his mother’s initials on his shoes and gloves before each game, points skyward to honor her after scoring touchdowns and has two tattoos commemorating her.
The slippery-quick, 5-foot-8, 202-pound back who averaged almost six yards per carry in his career also has flashed incredible punt-return ability, taking two back for touchdowns in his final season. One was a 74-yarder against rival NC State, whom the Heels had not beaten in six years, with 13 seconds left for a dramatic victory. And that was after totaling 230 yards from scrimmage on a sore ankle.
I spoke with Bernard about choosing UNC over Notre Dame, overcoming adversity, comparisons to a few accomplished NFL backs, the 2013 NFL Draft, sleeping as a hobby, planning his brother’s bachelor party and more.
Eric Edholm: Looking back, any regrets about the way that you handled de-committing from Notre Dame and going instead to UNC?
Giovani Bernard: No, not at all. At the end of the day, the biggest question I had was how I was going to be prepared for the next level. Coming into North Carolina, I thought about doing it in three years -- that’s the fast lane. I was lucky enough to do everything I wanted to do at the college level except reach the national championship game. But no regrets otherwise.
EE: What was the hardest part about missing the 2010 season with the ACL?
GB: Seeing all my buddies, guys I had worked out with, guys from my high school who played college ball -- they were able to play that season while I had to sit and wait. It definitely hurt. I wanted to be out there with my teammates, but everything happens for a reason. Everything worked out, and I am glad I was able to respond.
EE: And you obviously came back in a big way the next year as a sophomore. How satisfying was that?
GB: Definitely. That’s the biggest thing these days. People want to see how you overcome injuries. ACLs and things like that are going to happen. You look at AP (Adrian Peterson), and he was able to come back in nine-10 months of rehab after surgery. The bar has been raised. So I knew I had to push myself, and I am glad I did.
EE: Yet some NFL teams have to be concerned about your durability. You missed a couple of games last season with a hip injury and a concussion. How do you respond to questions about staying healthy?
GB: I think the biggest thing is that you have to make your coaches trust you that you can be out there most of the time and really count on you. I was able to catch the ball out of the backfield, too. So whether it’s fourth-and-4 or whatever the situation is, you need to be available. I pride myself on that. I definitely got tired at times, but you want to be known as that guy that doesn’t want to come off the field. Usually the tired factor doesn’t come into play until you come off the field. That’s when you realize how tired you really are. While I’m out there, I really don’t feel it.
EE: During one of those tired times, you beat NC State with a last-minute punt return. You suffered an ankle injury during that game, yet you came back onto the field for a chance to win the game. Take me back through that play.
GB: Yeah, I had messed up my ankle earlier in the game. That was the biggest thing that was going on. It was a game where we thought we were going to go to overtime, and I was just mentally preparing myself for OT. Something inside me, being the type of person who wants to be on the field, I just had to be out there. And we did it. The return team did a great job setting up the wall, and it worked out pretty well.
EE: You came up one vote short of being the ACC Player of the Year to Clemson QB Tajh Boyd. What was your reaction when you heard that?
GB: Well, I lost to a great player and a great guy. He’s considered a top-tier player. There are so many guys out there who don’t have the opportunity to even be considered for it, so I am still happy. I had a great season, and I was able to accomplish a lot of what I wanted to do.
EE: There doesn’t seem to be a consensus top back in this class according to the various analysts. Have you kept close tabs on how the other RBs have worked out in this class?
GB: Yeah, I got a chance to meet everybody, a lot of the top guys, at the combine, plus a few I was training with. I was training with a few guys, Kerwynn Williams [Utah State] and Jonathan Franklin out of UCLA, and you share all these moments with these guys, all the sweat, and you see how hard everyone else is working to get [to the NFL]. I was with those guys for a short period of time, and they are all top-notch guys. You obviously want to be drafted high. But for the most part, you wish those guys well and want everyone to do well. You hope everyone can get their opportunity; after that, it’s all about competition.
EE: You’ve been compared to Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice by some folks -- are those accurate comparisons in your mind?
GB: Not really. Those are great players you just mentioned. I’d love to be on their level one day, but I am just trying to be me and bring who I am to the field. A lot of people try to compare players. But for me, the only player I can be is myself. You try to see what those guys do well and match it. Ray Rice, the way he catches the ball -- I just try to add that to my game. Guys like MJD and AP and how hard they run -- those are things I’ve tried to add. I am a versatile runner, and I’ve just tried to take pieces from each of the successful runners and bring them to my game.
EE: Running backs seem to be devalued by some NFL teams because a lot of them are part-time players and teams are throwing the ball more now than ever. Are you worried that fact could keep you out of the first round?
GB: No, not at all. If anything, [the NFL game] should help me. Nowadays, backs have to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield or stay in on third down and block. I am definitely improving on both of those things each and every day. I am just trying to be on the field as long as possible. I don’t want to be that third-down back or that change-of-pace kind of guy. I want to be a four-down back if they need that. My versatility, I think, helps me.
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EE: You left school after three years, but you’ve said you want to go back and get your degree. Do you have a timetable for that?
GB: I definitely plan next spring, after this upcoming football season, to come back. I have just about a full year left, so I have a little ways to go. I am in no rush to kill myself to get it because I know I am going to get it. I’ll be back then, but I am actually taking some online classes now to help out.
EE: Your parents ran a successful dry-cleaning business, starting from scratch when you were young before your mother died. How much do you owe your success to your family, and how much will you think of your mother on draft weekend?
GB: Oh, man. A lot. I think about what my parents have done for us and how far I’ve come, and I am going to spend [draft weekend] with my brother. We’ll be thinking of her, no doubt. It’s going to be an awesome time. They are going to be proud of me, and I am sure my mother would have been proud of me. I’ll be down in South Florida with them, most likely a small group. I can’t wait.
EE: OK, let’s have a few fun ones here. Besides football, what else are you better at than your older brother? It’s all right -- you can brag a little.
GB: [Laughs] We always say that I was better at football and he was better at baseball. We kind of traded off on that. I was a baseball player back in the day. My brother actually was drafted back in high school by the Twins in like the 30th round [in 2003], so he was definitely a good ballplayer. I’d say every other sport, we’re probably tied. Growing up, we always competed.
EE: What kind of car do you drive?
GB: A 1998 BMW that my brother got for me.
EE: Old school. How many miles you got on that puppy?
GB: Oh, it’s up there. It’s like somewhere around 150,000.
EE: I think you’ll be able to trade that in and upgrade pretty soon. Are you a big social media guy? Facebook or Twitter?
GB: I have a Facebook account I use sometimes, and Twitter, too, but I am not one of those guys who says, “Oh, my gosh. I just did something, and I have to tweet about !” [laughs] I enjoy it, but I don’t overuse it.
EE: Favorite video game?
GB: None. Nothing. Never.
EE: God bless you. Me, neither.
GB: If anything, I’ll do FIFA once in a while. But otherwise, I try to save my thumbs and sleep as a hobby.
EE: Best place to get a bite to eat in Chapel Hill?
GB: Probably Sutton’s. It’s this little breakfast kind of place, and it has been there forever.
EE: Did I hear your brother is getting married?
GB: Yeah, this summer. I am actually going to his bachelor party with some of his high school buddies right around the draft. It’s really not going to be a big thing, but we’re planning it right now and getting ready for it.
EE: Don’t get too wild. You don’t want anything messing up your draft stock last minute.
GB: [Laughs) Oh, I know! [using his best broadcaster’s voice] “Recently drafted Gio Bernard was arrested last night …” Uh, yeah, that would not be good.
EE: Just keep to this rule of thumb: Nothing good happens after 3 a.m.
GB: Exactly! He actually pushed it up so that it won’t go past 12 midnight.
EE: It’s good to have a brother looking out for you.
GB: Oh, definitely.
Eric Edholm is a graduate of University of Missouri who has covered the NFL since 1999 with Sporting News and Pro Football Weekly. You can follow him on Twitter @Eric_Edholm
