This UNC defensive back is channeling Mortal Kombat into his everyday football routine
North Carolina sophomore Ja’Qurious Conley cemented his reputation as a hard-hitter in high school when he once broke the collar bone of an opponent while making a tackle. Conley brings mortal combat to playing strong safety.
It’s why UNC defensive coordinator Jay Batemen moved him from playing nickelback last season as a freshman to putting him in a position to have a bigger impact. The 6-foot, 210-pound Conley started the Heels’ season-opener against Virginia Tech at safety.
“I’m able to just come down hill and, smack, just play hard,” Conley said. “Last year was kind of difficult for me to learn the defense but this year, now that I’m kind of getting the hang of it, it’s just easier to play faster and aggressive.”
It paid off for the Tar Heels in their season opening loss at the Hokies. Conley led the team with six unassisted tackles and was one of four players who tied for the team lead with seven total tackles. Bateman and the Heels (0-1) expect more of the same as they play their home opener against Georgia State (0-1) Saturday at Kenan Stadium.
UNC coach Mack Brown emphasized turnovers to his defense in the offseason after they ranked last in the ACC last season with just 11 takeaways.
Conley had a fumble recovery with the Hokies threatening to score inside the UNC 20 in the first half. In the second half, his diving interception stopped another drive. Carolina only generated two or more turnovers in a game against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent once last season, when N.C. State had four.
“He’s a big presence, I mean you got to see it last year against Miami and later in the year the type of player he can be,” senior nose tackle Ray Vohasek said. “I mean he made some great plays last week on Friday and I think he’s just at the tip of the iceberg of what type of player he can be.”
Bateman said the veteran players in the secondary like Giovanni Biggers did a good job of mentoring Conley and helping him become more knowledgeable in the defense as a whole.
“We knew obviously he’s got a lot of ability so I do think he played well and he plays fast and he’s a really good tackler,” Bateman said. “And I think when we got him early on, yeah, there were some times where he wasn’t quite right (against Virginia Tech). I think once he settled down into the flow of the game, he played really good and I’m glad we got him.”
‘Finish him’
Conley’s hoping that his play with help him cash in with the passage of name, image and likeness (NIL) legislation. He wore No. 6 at Northside High School in Jacksonville, N.C. When that wasn’t available at UNC, and No. 0 was an option, he took that instead.
He’s incorporated the Sub-Zero character from Mortal Kombat, the popular video game turned movie franchise, into his branding. Conley has a line of T-shirts, hoodies, shorts and pants with his image sandwiched in between the words “Sub Zero.”
“He used to play that game when he was younger, it’s his mother’s favorite game” said Conley’s father, Terrell. “I love it, you know, being that the Carolina blue and the actual Sub-Zero his character is in Carolina blue.”
Conley wouldn’t describe his first game at strong safety as a flawless victory. He missed some tackles that he’s used to making and just chalked it up to first game jitters. Conley said he was closing his eyes too early before impact.
“We don’t tackle in practice, we just do a run through the motions, really,” Conley said. “So, you know, to go from running through the motions to actually having to do the physicality of it was just different. The first game that allowed me to get used to it, so I think next game is just going to be a freak show for me.”
How to watch
Teams: UNC vs. Georgia State
Where: Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill
When: Saturday, Sept. 11
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
TV: Bally Sports South
Streaming: ESPN3
Betting line: UNC is a 26-point favorite
Series history: This is the first meeting in series history.
This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 3:00 PM with the headline "This UNC defensive back is channeling Mortal Kombat into his everyday football routine."