Matt Merletti has plenty of great memories during his decorated football career, both as a Tar Heel and in the NFL. But as he thinks back on those moments, it's one in particular that still makes him smile.
"Sometimes," he says, "it's unintentionally starting a tradition that becomes one of the best moments."
That's what happened in July of 2008, when Merletti—then a Tar Heel defensive back—requested that his brother, Mike, do him a favor. At the time, Mike was an Army Ranger deployed in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.