No. 25: Bob Lacey

No. 25

Name: Bob Lacey

Position: HWR

Jersey #: 85

Years: 1

Honors: 1963 All-America; 2-time, 1st-team All-ACC;

Notable Stats: 102 career receptions; 1,362 career receiving yards; average of 13.4 yards per reception; 6 career touchdowns.

In Closing: Lacey led the ACC in receiving his senior season in 1963 with 48 receptions and 533 yards and was the first Tar Heel to catch 40 or more passes in two different seasons. Lacey’s pass-catching skills and fleet feet were integral in the Tar Heels surging to an ACC championship in 1963 with a 9-2 record that included a 35-0 rout of Air Force in the Gator Bowl. Lacey caught a 2-point conversion in the Heels’ win over the Falcons.

That season was extremely important in Carolina football history because the program had hit a long tough stretch following the Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice era and apathy had settled in and the future was bleak. While the Heels, who went 13 years without a bowl game after Justice left, missed for several years after the ’63 season, this team and their exciting, dominating ways re-ignited an tense desire for UNC to return to its winning ways, and within a few years the Bill Dooley era began. Lacey was a key component, not just in production but in how he excited the fans going about his business.

Prior Ranked Heels

30 - Natrone Means

29 - Jack Merritt

28 - Landon Turner

27 - Chris Hanburger

26 - Jeff Saturday