With first-year North Carolina Football Coach Bill Belichick and General Manager Michael Lombardi fully embracing the qualities of the program’s past, one idea to now consider, and perhaps implement, is to finally erect statues and plaques of the greatest Tar Heels ever.
It’s simply time and has been.
Former UNC Coach John Bunting loved the idea. He once said, “Lots of real football players have come through here, we need to recognize them better.”
That was more than 20 years ago when he said that. He was right then and he’s right now.
One football player had a statue at UNC, and it’s the all-time Tar Heel himself, Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice. A two-time runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and leader of the best four-year run Carolina has ever had on the gridiron, he’s worthy of the honor. His statue stands in front of the main entrance to the Kenan Football Center.
The idea here is this: Erect statues outside of Kenan of about five-seven players and add an additional X number of plaques in some kind of Football Garden. Also, build massive plaques for some of the program’s best coaches.
With that, UNC is telling all football visitors that it has a history, it has produced serious dudes before, and that it cares deeply about football.
And with that, we begin the process of nominating players for statues as well as plaques. And, the obvious coaches who should be recognized.
Today, we do Players Statues:
Name: Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice
Position: Halfback
Jersey #: 22
Years: 1946-49
College Honors: College Football Hall of Fame; four-time AP All-America; 1948 Walter Camp Memorial Trophy (best player in college football); Maxwell Award (top player in the country) 1948; National Player of the Year (Washington Touchdown Club) 1948; Four-time All-American, Two-time first-team All-America in 1948 and 1949; Four-time All Southern Conference; Two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year in 1948 and 1949; College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 1961.
Notable Stats: 4,883 total yards; 64 combined touchdowns passing and rushing; 42.6 punting average; 14.2 punt return average.
In Closing: Justice was the only two-time runner-up for the Heisman Trophy until Arkansas’ Darren McFadden fell short twice a decade ago. Justice was UNC’s all-time total yardage leader until the early 1990s, as he did everything for the Tar Heels. He ran and passed and even punted for UNC, helping lead the program to its best four-year stretch ever. Carolina finished nationally ranked in all four seasons, including top-10 finishes in three consecutive seasons, and also beat Duke all four times during Justice’s career during a time when the Blue Devils were a nationally relevant program. In addition, Justice led Carolina to its only major bowl appearances – two Sugar Bowls and one Cotton Bowl – before the 2020 Tar Heels reached the Orange Bowl.
An AP All-American in each season, Justice was known for his ability to scramble out of any situation and dodge tackles, which is where the nickname “Choo Choo” came from. He delighted fans so much even a song was produced about him, All The Way Choo Choo, a book and even the main character for Frank Deford’s book, Everybody’s All-American, which was turned into a movie starring Dennis Quaid and Jessica Lange.
A terrific player for the Naval base team at Bainbridge, MD, before arriving at UNC, Justice is honored by a larger-than-life statue in front of the Kenan Football Center. Carolina was 32-9-2 during his four seasons. Justice’s jersey No. 22 is retired by UNC and there is a Carolina blue hashmark on the 22-yard-line on the field at Kenan Stadium honoring Justice.
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.
Note: A second statue is Justice is warranted, and this one should be of him in stride.
Name: Julius Peppers
Position: DE
Jersey #: 49
Years: 1999-2001
College Honors: College Football Hall of Fame; second-team All-America in 2000, first-team All-America in 2001, and won the Lombardi Award and Bednarik Award in 2001. He was named the nation’s top two-sport athlete in 2001 by The Sporting News, finished 10th in the Heisman balloting in 2001, was a two-time first-team All-ACC member, named to the Freshman All-America team in 1998, and named to the 50-year 50 Greatest ACC Players Ever team.
Notable Stats: Led the nation with 15 sacks as a sophomore in 2000 while also setting a school record with 24 tackles for a loss of yardage that season. Career 53 tackles for a loss of yardage and 30.5 sacks. Returned two interceptions for touchdowns, had five career interceptions. He was fifth in the ACC in 2001 with three interceptions. Had 167 tackles for his Carolina career.
In Closing: He led the nation with 15 sacks as a sophomore in 2000 while also setting a school record with 24 tackles for a loss of yardage that season. He had a career 53 tackles for a loss of yardage and 30.5 sacks. A defensive end, he intercepted three passes as a junior, returning one for a touchdown, and had five interceptions for his UNC career with two TDs while also returning a fumble for a touchdown. Pepper forced five fumbles as a Tar Heel, as well.
Peppers also played two years of basketball with the Tar Heels, including on the 2000 Final Four team and the 2001 squad that was reached the No. 1 ranking for a few weeks. He was a key reserve on both teams, logging plenty of minutes. A sometimes-theatrical player with a flair for thunderous and entertaining dunks, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds off the bench. He shot 60.7 percent from the field.
Professionally, Peppers played 17 seasons in an NFL career that will eventually land him in the Hall of Fame. He was All-Pro nine times, was on the NFL All-Decade team twice, for the 2000s and the 2010s. Peppers finished his career with 719 tackles,
He was NFL Defensive Player of the Week 13 times and was NFL Defensive Player of the Month five times. Peppers is fourth all-time with 159.5 career sacks. He intercepted 11 passes, forced 52 fumbles, recovered 21 fumbles, and scored six defensive touchdowns.
Name: Art Weiner
Position: E
Jersey #: 50
Years: 1946-49
College Honors: His number is retired by UNC; Two-time first-team All-America in 1948 and 1949; Three-time first-team All-Southern Conference 1947, 1948, and 1949; Most Outstanding Lineman at the Senior Bowl; Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
Notable Stats: His 106 career receptions and 18 career touchdown receptions were UNC career records for 36 years after he stopped playing until 1997. He averaged 16.3 yards per catch for his UNC career. In 1949, he led the nation with 52 receptions, which tied the all-time college football record at the time. He was named the Most Outstanding Lineman at the Senior Bowl in 1950.
In Closing: Played both ways at end, led the nation in receiving as a senior with 52 receptions and 762 yards. Part of the greatest tandem in UNC history with Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice, leading Carolina to 32 wins and three major New Year’s Day Bowls, three top-10 final rankings and a fourth team that also finished ranked. That period is stillr egarded as the golden era of UNC football.
Was called the “best pass catcher I ever saw” by then-Georgia head coach Wally Butts, who is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Weiner made perhaps the most famous defensive play in Carolina history when he blocked a Duke field goal attempt as time expired preserving a 21-20 UNC victory sending the Tar Heels to the Cotton Bowl. “Duke didn’t assign anyone to block me,” Weiner told the Greensboro News & Record. “I got through the line so fast that I almost overran the play. I just kind of sat on the ball, and (Duke’s kicker) wound up kicking me in the rear end.”
Weiner played one year in the NFL before moving onto a business career.
Name: Lawrence Taylor
Position: DE/LB
Jersey #: 98
Years: 1977-80
College Honors: First-Team All-America as a senior (unanimous); First-team All-ACC 1980; ACC Player of the Year 1980; Named to the 50-year 50 Greatest ACC Players Ever team.
Notable Stats: 16 sacks in 1980 (still UNC single-season record); 21 career sacks; 33 tackles for loss of yardage (22 in 1980); 192 career tackles at UNC; One interception in 1979; Three fumble recoveries in 1980.
In Closing: His 16 sacks in 1980 remain a single-season school record. Those sacks totaled 157 yards lost by opponents. His tackle of Clemson QB Homer Jordan inside the 10-yard-line saving the game for the Tar Heels and ending a seven-game losing streak in Death Valley is still one of the most memorable defensive plays in school history. But he also made a game-saving play in the win earlier that season over Texas Tech.
Professionally, Taylor was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He helped lead the Giants to two Super Bowl victories, played in 10 Pro Bowls, was an eight-time first-team All-Pro, NFL MVP in 1986, three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1981, nine-time NFL Player of the Week, and his jersey No. 56 is retired by the New York Giants.
For his NFL career, Taylor registered 132.5 sacks, 1,089 tackles, intercepted nine passes, recovered 11 fumbles and scored two touchdowns. Registered 8.5 sacks and scored a touchdown in 15 NFL playoffs games.
Taylor changed the NFL forever, not just how linebackers played but defenses in general, plus how offenses had to scheme for them.
Name: Dre’ Bly
Position: CB
Jersey #: 31
Years: 1996-98
College Honors: Two-time consensus All-America; Three-time, first-team All-America (only ACC player ever); ACC Rookie of the Year in 1996; Named to the 50-year 50 Greatest ACC Players Ever team; Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
Notable Stats: ACC-record 11 regular season interceptions in 1996; 20 career regular season interceptions; 22 career interceptions; 27 career pass breakups; 102 career combined tackles. Returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Returned 37 punts for 255 yards. Returned five kickoffs for 74 yards.
In Closing: One of the greatest defensive backs in ACC history, Bly had an immediate impact as a freshman setting an ACC record with 11 interceptions in the regular season, and he added two more in UNC’s Gator Bowl victory over West Virginia. Only three-time first-team All-America in ACC history. First freshman in ACC history to earn consensus first-team All-America honors.
Two-time finalist for the Thorpe Award in 1996 and 1997 and a finalist for the Nagurski Award in 1997, the Chesapeake, VA, native intercepted an ACC-record 20 passes in his career. The 1996 and 1997 Tar Heels finished ranked in the top-10 going a combined 21-3. Part of arguably the best defense in the nation in 1996 and 1997, UNC’s units were loaded with future NFL players. But Bly stood out more than other eventual first-round draft picks because he had a flare for the dramatic, a unique and entertaining style, and seemingly always made plays at crucial junctures in games.
Professionally, Bly played 11 seasons in the NFL. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection, Super Bowl champion with the St. Louis Rams (1999 season, 2000 Super Bowl), Super Bowl runner-up, intercepted 43 passes in his career, defended 149 passes, registered 419 tackles, recovered 12 fumbles, forced 20 fumbles, scored seven defensive touchdowns and returned a punt for a TD. Recorded 420 tackles. He was the NFL’s fumble return yards leader in 2003.
