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:
*************************************************************************************
And Remember, for just $8.33 a month, YOU CAN BE AN INSIDER, TOO!!!
*************************************************************************************
No. 20: Harrris Barton (1983-86)
Barton was a first-team All-America in 1986 and two-time first-team All-ACC during his time at UNC. He was named the ACC’s Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 1986.
Barton started all four seasons, the first year at center and his last three as the Tar Heels’ left tackle. He was an excellent run blocker, aided by his athletic ability leading the way on the many toss sweeps the Tar Heels ran with its stable of talented running backs. Yet, he may still be the best pass blocker in the program’s history and he was the anchor of an offensive line that helped the Tar Heels lead the ACC in total offense and rank sixth in the nation in 1986.
The Tar Heels had four 1,000-yard rushers during Barton’s career, including two in 1983, his freshman season. The Tar Heels went 3-1 versus both N.C. State and Duke in his four years, averaging 31.3 points versus the Wolfpack and 28.5 versus the Blue Devils in an era when teams didn’t score as prolifically as they do currently. The Tar Heels started a decline overall during Barton’s time in Chapel Hill, but the offense remained strong and one part of the program that didn’t struggle.
An academic All-America as well, Barton was indicted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021. He also won the Jim Tatum Award in 1987, as the ACC’s top scholar athlete for that academic year.
A first-round NFL pick in 1987 by the San Francisco 49ers, Barton played 10 seasons starting 134 of the 138 games he played. All were with the 49ers.
He was runner-up for NFL Rookie of the Year in 1987. Barton missed the entire 1994 season with an injury, and eventually retired following the 1998 campaign. He was named All-Pro in 1992 and 1993, and started for three San Francisco 49ers teams that won Super Bowls.
Member of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
