Tez Walker to serve as honorary team captain following NCAA decision

The North Carolina football team will have an honorary team captain on Saturday in a gesture protesting the NCAA’s decision on an immediate eligibility waiver appeal for receiver Tez Walker.

Walker will serve as one of the team’s four captains on Saturday, joining Corey Gaynor, Kaimon Rucker and Ben Kiernan.

The talented wide receiver transfer from Kent State had his final NCAA appeal for an immediate eligibility waiver denied this week by the governing body. The decision drew immediate and vociferous criticism from across the sport.

ESPN’s Jay Bilas outlined why the decision was so ‘senseless.’

“The NCAA’s decision in the Tez Walker case is senseless, it’s wrong, and frankly, shameful,” Bilas said. “Tez Walker is a football player at the University of North Carolina. He started his career at North Carolina Central, when Central cancelled their season due to Covid. He transferred to Kent State, where he played two seasons. He lost his head coach and his offensive coordinator. And he decided for mental health reasons and to be closer to a family member who’s ill, to transfer to the University of North Carolina.

“After transferring, he was notified by the NCAA that they changed their transfer policy. Both North Carolina Central and Kent State supported his transfer waiver and yet the NCAA has still denied it. It is wrong. And when the NCAA says student athlete welfare, that’s pretty far down the list, behind money and behind what they think is their reputation. And it’s not a question of trying to establish credibility because the NCAA has none in this area.

“And new NCAA president Charlie Baker, instead of petitioning Congress for an antitrust exemption and to try to get a federal law to pre-empt all the state NIL laws, what he should do is step in here and make Tez Walker immediately eligible. Especially when you have all these two-time transfers. Some who have transferred three and four times who have played six years. This makes no sense and it’s wrong. Tez Walker should be eligible right away and I wouldn’t blame him and his lawyers if they stepped into federal court tomorrow and filed suit against the NCAA. That’s how wrong this decision is.”

North Carolina will take on Appalachian State today at 5:15 p.m. ET on the ACC Network. Before the game, Walker will undoubtedly get the support of the Carolina faithful as an honorary team captain.