CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — He stood seven feet tall, weighing in at about 270, but Eric Montross' personality made him even bigger in life. The former UNC center from the 1993 National Championship team passed away Sunday after a months-long battle with cancer.
Wake Forest's long-time play-by-play announcer Stan Cotten says he was a gentile giant.
"You never forget the first time you meet him," said Cotten. "Number one, just because of his sheer size, but then you realize that he is one of the most approachable people you will ever meet. He was always there with a smile and a conversation. He always made time for the rest of us. Truly a loss, not only for the Carolina family, but for basketball as a whole."
Most recently, Montross served as the color commentator for UNC basketball alongside play-by-play announcer Jones Angel. Cotten said their friendship grew over the years and he will never forget how Montross inadvertently helped him every year at the ACC Tournament.
"It's a funny story," laughed Cotten. "They always placed our broadcast table just behind Carolina's, and when I would walk into the coliseum, I would just look for Eric because you could pretty much see him from anywhere in the coliseum!"
"This one stings and will take a while to get over. It just sort of stopped us in our tracks," continued Cotten. "We are praying for the family."