No weight too heavy for defensive end Junior Gnonkonde
Posted Aug 28, 2015
It’s August 2008, and a plane lands in San Francisco. A boy gets out, stretches. It’s a long flight from Abidjan, a big city in Ivory Coast. They came to play basketball. Junior Gnonkonde is still 14 and rail thin. He’ll need to start lifting soon, but Junior already knows about strength. A karate background, growing up the second-youngest of eight kids — the first step of lifting is being mentally set.
(Daily Tar Heel)
Related: Football, Football Recruiting
Preview: Expectations mount for UNC's fall sports in 2026With top goal scorers Ryleigh Heck and Dani Mendez graduating, UNC field hockey will need to fill offensive gaps. Stepping into her fourth year as...
Mon Jun 8, 2026UNC Football Opponent Snapshot: Miami
After a complex offseason where former Duke quarterback Darian Mensah publicly committed to return to the Blue Devils before entering the transfer portal and signing...
Mon Jun 8, 2026
Newsletter: Diamond Heels to Omaha, Wei Lin Update, ACC-SEC Challenge, Two Football Commits
UNC Baseball is headed back to Omaha for the College World Series, Michael Malone and Carolina Basketball is pursuing another point guard, ACC-SEC Challenge matchups...
Mon Jun 8, 2026
Titans LB Cedric Gray Aiming to be a More Complete Player in Year 3
Cedric Gray made a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2. Now, the Titans linebacker wants to take things to another level. "The biggest...
Sun Jun 7, 2026