Elijah Hood: The Most Interesting Man in Chapel Hill

For thousands of years scientists have held that each day consists of 24 hours. This discovery has gone unchallenged for much of human history.

That is, until UNC’s star tailback Elijah Hood made it his life mission to stretch the limits of time.

For most mere mortals, the grind of a high-level Division I football schedule brings with it an overwhelming workload.

That’s not even including all the schoolwork and extracurricular activities that come with it.

But for Hood–a former Eagle Scout who maintains a GPA above 3.8—comparisons to mortals don’t really do him justice.

He consistently seeks out new and exciting off-the-field opportunities in an effort to expand his worldview—a trait head coach Larry Fedora says sets him apart

“He really wanted an internship this summer and he turned one down up in Washington [D.C.] because he didn’t want to leave his teammates,” Fedora explained to reporters after Thursday’s practice.

“He ended up taking one over here in Raleigh. Every day he would work out, then put on a tie and go to work,” the coach continued. “He’s just a special guy.”

The job Hood took this past summer was with the North Carolina General Assembly.

There, the man who tallied the second-highest single-season rushing total in UNC history was tasked with duties much different than running over defenses.

Working under a legislative services officer, Hood helped senators and house representatives with fiscal analysis and research as they worked to make decisions for the state.

And while he was definitely interested in what he was doing, don’t pencil him in for a career in politics just yet.

“I don’t know about Senator Elijah Hood,” the running back said, with a laugh.

“But understanding some things about law, fiscal analysis and things like that—looking at the way they do budgeting,” he continued. “It’s really opened my eyes to how complex things get when you talk about running a state.”

What makes Hood’s journey into the legislature the most impressive is that it really was something he did out of his own natural interest.

A perfect world might see Hood– playing for his hometown Carolina Panthers–knock someone’s teeth out on Sunday, before fixing their computer on Monday. After all, the information science major has gone on the record before saying his dream job is to be an IT security analyst.

However, his busy schedule requires him to put in an extreme level of commitment toward different goals. But it’s something his teammates—like quarterback Mitch Trubisky—have certainly taken notice of.

“Elijah’s just an all-around great person,” Trubisky said. “I mean, that’s what [we all] want to be.

“It’s not just on the football field,” he continued. “It’s off the field, how you carry yourself in the community and especially in the classroom.

“He’s a top-notch guy, and it really shows with his work ethic and how he carries himself all the time

Even when you do talk to him about football and his role for this upcoming season, Hood likes to focus on the mental aspect.

As someone who’s visibly confident in his running ability, he said his biggest focus this offseason has been on studying the playbook the same way a quarterback would—learning each person’s role on every play.

“The way I read defenses is quicker now—way faster,” Hood said. “That’s helped slow the game down.

“It’s kind of weird sometimes,” he added. “The way I feel I can predict blitzes that are coming just by looking at safety rotations and the fronts—whether it’s three down linemen or four down linemen.”

It goes without saying that a bright future awaits Hood, no matter what he chooses to do.

Before turning 21 years old, he’s already turned himself into quite possibly the most interesting man in Chapel Hill.

How has he done it, though?

Well, when asked Thursday how he stays motivated, he simply shrugged and said: “It’s not work if you’re having fun, right?”