No 13: Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice
Every offseason, we run historical ranking series focusing on North Carolina basketball and football.
The purpose each spring isn’t to make declarative statements, but to have fun offering a subjective look at the best teams and players ever at Carolina. This effort is to generate discourse, debate, and take UNC fans down memory lane.
This season, we are doing something a little different, combining football and basketball, as we offer our take on the Top 40 UNC football and basketball players of all time. The criteria is quite simple: The process includes playing careers with the Tar Heels and professionally, other relevant impacts they’ve had on their sports, coaching, and championships. We also gave a lean toward all UNC accomplishments.
So, this isn’t a UNC-only list, a pro-only list, or a straight up purely best ever list. Some Tar Heels on this list didn’t have great pro careers but were so good and historic at UNC, they simply had to make the cut. Some on this list weren’t stars at UNC, but had outstanding and/or highly distinguished pro careers, that it warranted their place among these 40 athletes.
We hope you enjoy the list and feel free to disagree, as we know many will.
We continue our countdown with No. 13:
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No. 13: Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice (1946-49)
Justice is one of only four players to ever finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting twice. He was a four-time AP All-America, won the 1948 Walter Camp Memorial Trophy (best player in college football) and was named the 1948 National Player of the Year by the Washington Touchdown Club.
Playing in the single wing offense at UNC, Justice ran and passed for 4,883 total yards and for 64 touchdowns. His total offense mark at Carolina was broken in 1994 by Jason Stanicek. He also punted for the Tar Heels averaging 42.6 yards per kick, and averaged 14.2 yards for his career returning punts.
Carolina finished nationally ranked in all four of Justice’s season, which is regarded as the golden era of UNC football. Three times, the Tar Heels finished in the top 10 with Justice leading the way. In addition, Justice led Carolina to three major bowl appearances: two Sugar Bowls and one Cotton Bowl.
Justice was so popular a song was recorded about him, “All The Way Choo Choo,” by Johnny Long & His Orchestra. The main character for Frank Deford’s book, Everybody’s All-American, which was turned into a movie starring Dennis Quaid and Jessica Lange, was also based on Justice.
Before playing at UNC, Justice served in the Navy and played at the Bainbridge Naval Station, which, along with other military teams, competed versus college teams and were even ranked in the national polls. He made the AP All-Service team in 1944.
His jersey No. 22 is retired by UNC, and is the only Carolina football player honored with a statue. He was named the MVP of the College All-Star Game win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Justice is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Professionally, Justice played four years in the NFL where he combined for 2,246 yards and 10 touchdowns, plus he punted three seasons averaging 40.4 yards per kick in 94 career attempts.
Like a few others that are high on this list, his greatness and importance as a Tar Heel are enough to overcome a so-so professional career and place highly on this list.