Davis: Trial will have an impact

 CHAPEL HILL — UNC coach Butch Davis answered a couple of questions Tuesday evening concerning the trial of a Durham man who tied up and kidnapped two Tar Heel football players after a night of drunken partying last December.

On Tuesday, the jury found Michael Troy Lewis, 32, guilty of conspiring with two women to commit larceny and kidnapping, common law robbery, misdemeanor assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.

Q: Are you concerned that so much alcohol was involved in the incident?

A: "To be honest with you, I don't know a great deal of the particulars. There was a lot of stuff they were advised not to share with anybody because of the sensitivity and the nature of whatever the case was. I know that there was alcohol involved, and we dealt with it in what we felt like was an appropriate manner as an institution and a football program. And outside of that, other than trying to be there emotionally, and supportive for those kids, that's really about all the involvement that I've had."

Q: Are you worried that this could be a distraction, with the State game this weekend?

A: "I think it's a relief for them to be back on the field. In the grand scheme of things, it's something they're going through ... and I know it's already been a lifechanging decision for them. But I think it will have an impact, and I think for them in a positive nature. And not to draw any comparisons, but I'd like to say this: In light of what's happened at Chapel Hill High School, that's a tragedy, those two kids passing away. And I think any time things like that, or things like this with our kids [happen] -- we read, we try to inform our guys of what goes on in college athletics across the country. Because every day, the newspapers are littered with 'three guys did this,' and 'two guys did that.' You try to learn from everybody experience and don't let it happen again."