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, busts and plaques. And, the obvious coaches who should be recognized.

Today, we do Players Plaques:

Name: Paul Severin

Position: End, both ways

Jersey #: 87

Years: 1938-40

College Honors: Two-time, first-team All-America in 1939 and 1940; Two-time, first-team All-Southern Conference; Patterson Medal.

Notable Stats: Six career touchdown receptions at a time when teams rarely passed; Five TD receptions as a junior in 1939; Caught 15 passes as a senior at a time when teams did not often pass.

In Closing: Defensive stats were not kept when Severin played at UNC, but if they were he would have racked up tackles at a rate like few Carolina players before or after. That combination with his offensive prowess is why he ranks here. It does not hurt that he was a two-time, first-team All-America, and in November of 1940 college football writer Harry Grayson the NSA wire service wrote that Severin “did in superlative fashion for North Carolina everything a splendid end is supposed to do.”

Severin led defenses that averaged allowing 6.2 points per game over three seasons. He missed some time with an injury in the middle of his senior season but came on strong at the end of that season to notch another All-America achievement after a pair of huge plays late in the season helped UNC salvage a tie with Tulane (touchdown reception) and then one of the biggest defensive plays in Carolina history when he made a game-saving tackle from behind of Duke great Steve Lach to preserve a 6-3 UNC win.

Fought in WWII instead of playing in the NFL.

Name: Harris Barton

Position: OT

Jersey #: 67

Years: 1983-86

College Honors: First-team All-America in 1986; Two-time first-team All-ACC; ACC’s Most Outstanding Lineman in 1986; 1987 Jim Tatum Award; Will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

Notable Stats: NA

In Closing: One of the most consistent and durable offensive linemen in Carolina history. Barton started all four seasons, the first at center and his last three as the Tar Heels’ left tackle. Barton was an excellent run blocker, aided by his athletic ability leading the way on the any toss sweeps the Tar Heels ran to 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.

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.

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.

Name: Marcus Jones

Position: DL

Jersey #: 71

Years: 1992-95

College Honors: Two-time All-America, first-team All-America in 1995; Three-time All-ACC, Two-time first-team All-ACC; ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 1995.

Notable Stats: 24 career sacks, the UNC all-time record at the time; 132 career tackles, including 94 as a senior; 46 tackles for a loss of yardage; 57 career QB hurries.

In Closing: Marcus Jones was one of the best defensive linemen in UNC history, not just one of the program’s top defensive ends. He spent some time at defensive tackle, a move coach Mack Brown felt was not just a need at the time for the Tar Heels but would make Jones a better end. It worked, as he turned in a career that by the time he graduated was one of the best in ACC history.

Jones was a key component to the top-rated defense in the ACC in 1995. He could shed blockers with power but also get around them with his moves and quickness. When he graduated, he was UNC’s all-time leader in sacks, a mark that was broken a few years later by Greg Ellis. On the final play of his Carolina career, Jones sacked Arkansas’ QB to end the game, a 20-10 UNC victory in the Carquest Bowl.

A first-round selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he played seven seasons recording 124 tackles and 24 sacks.

Name: Ken Huff

Position: OL

Jersey #: 68

Years: 1972-74

College Honors: Consensus All-America 1974; First-team All-ACC 1974; Jacobs Blocking Trophy 1974; Jim Tatum Medal 1975; Finalist Outland Trophy 1974; Captain College All Stars; Walter Camp Alumni Award (2013).

Notable Stats: NA

In Closing: Huff arrived at UNC as a defensive tackle, but on his second day of practice he was moved to offensive guard where he ended up starting for three years for the Tar Heels. He helped lead the Tar Heels to Sun Bowl appearances in 1972 and 1974, and an ACC championship in 1972 with a final AP ranking of No. 12. He led part of a line that paved the way for three 1,000-yard rushers, including two in 1974.

Huff was the lead lineman of a UNC offense in 1974 that racked up 4,691 total yards, a school record at the time. That Carolina team also scored 364 points, an average of 30.3 per game, and this considering they managed just 12 and 14 in two of their games. The Heels scored 40 or more three times, including totaling 56 in a win over Army.

The 1972 ACC title was the second straight for the Tar Heels and is the only time the program has ever won consecutive ACC championships on the gridiron.

Huff was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1975 NFL draft and played 11 years in the league, eight with the Baltimore Colts and three with the Washington Redskins. He played 145 games starting 104 times plus he started for the Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII, though they lost to the Los Angles Raiders. Huff recovered four fumbles in his NFL career.

Name: Dee Hardison

Position: DT

Jersey #: 71

Years: 1974-77

College Honors: First-team All-America 1977; Two-time first-team All-ACC 1976 & 1977.

Notable Stats: NA

In Closing: Hardison arrived at UNC as a running back but was moved to the defensive side of the ball, first at linebacker and later to tackle once the staff beefed him up, as he eventually putting on close to 50 pounds so he could play the position. Known as an excellent pass rusher from the tackle position, he occupied multiple blockers, freeing up rushing lanes for teammates.

UNC led the nation in scoring defense in 1977, giving up just 7.4 points a game.

The Tar Heels led the ACC in total, rushing, passing and scoring defense. No team would lead the ACC in those categories until the 1993 Florida State team that won the national title did so. The Heels in 1977 shut out two foes, held two others to 3 points, and two others to 7 points. Only one team, Nebraska, scored more than 14 points, and that was in the Liberty Bowl.

Hardison played 10 seasons in the NFL recording 17 sacks. He first played with the Buffalo Bills but spent five years with the New York Giants while first-year UNC Coach Bill Belichick was its defensive coordinator.

Name: David Drechsler

Position: OG

Jersey #: 43

Years: 1979-82

College Honors: Two-time, first-team All-America in 1981 & 1982; Two-time, first-team All-ACC in 1981 & 1982; Patterson Medal 1983.

Notable Stats: NA

In Closing: One of the most athletic offensive linemen in UNC history, Drechsler played every position on the line, but was entrenched at guard his last couple of seasons. Perhaps the best pulling guard in Carolina history, too. The Tar Heels had five different running backs run for 1,000 yards or more during Drechsler’s career. And in 1981, the offensive line was opening holes early in the season for Kelvin Bryant, who was on pace to make a major challenge for the Heisman Trophy through the first month of the season until an injury derailed that effort.

The Heels also won all four of their bowl games in those seasons producing at least one 100-yard rusher in each contest, plus two in a win over Arkansas. The Heels defeated Michigan once and Texas twice, both times in the state of Texas, in the other bowl games. The 1980 and 1981 teams finished ranked in the top 10 in part because of smash-mouth offenses that were led by some of the best offensive lines in Carolina history, and Drechsler was the leader of that group.

A second-round pick by the Green Bay Packers, he spent two seasons with the team starting 15 games.

Name: Brian Simmons

Position: LB

Jersey #: 41

Years: 1994-97

College Honors: Consensus All-America 1997; Second-team All-America 1996; Two-time, first-team All-ACC 1996 & 1997; Two-time semifinalist for Butkus Award in 1996 & 1997.

Notable Stats: 340 career tackles (317 over his last three seasons); 36 career tackles for a loss of yardage; 11 career sacks; six interceptions; one touchdown; one safety.

In Closing: Unassuming and quiet off the field, Simmons was a menace on it. A team captain as a senior, Simmons didn’t lack in any area of the game. Supremely athletic, he could swarm from sideline to sideline but also play at the line of scrimmage and make plays. The last two units Simmons led were ranked No. 2 in the country in total defense while those teams finished in the top-10 in the AP rankings. The 1997 defense had three first-round picks in the following draft, with another going first round the following year.

To illustrate just how good those defenses were, in Simmons’ three years starting, the Tar Heels held high-flying Florida State to its lowest offensive games of those seasons. In FSU’s 33 games against other teams, the Seminoles averaged 40.4 points, 442.9 yards and 21 first downs per game. Versus the Tar Heels, they averaged only 20.3 points, 308 total yards and 14 first downs.

In his last game, Simmons forced a fumble sacking Virginia Tech’s QB who fumbled into the end zone. UNC recovered and rolled 42-3. Simmons also caught a pass on a fake punt and rambled 28 yards for a first down. The Heels scored a few plays later.

Simmons spent 10 years in the NFL, nine with the Cincinnati Bengals. He made their 40th Anniversary team, recorded 753 tackles, 55 TFLs, 24 sacks, 11 interceptions with two returned for touchdowns.

Name: George Barclay

Position: OG, LB

Jersey #: 99

Years: 1932-34

College Honors: Consensus All-America in 1934; All-America in 1933; All-Southern Conference 1933 & 1934; Jersey number has been retired; Barclay Road in Chapel Hill is named after him.

Notable Stats: NA

In Closing: Carolina’s first All-America, Barclay started both ways for three seasons. Described as a “tremendous blocker and ferocious tackler,” Barclay was literally all over the field every time Carolina played a game. A captain as a senior, Barclay led UNC to the first season in one of UNC’s best stretches ever, a six-year run that saw it go 44-8-4. The Tar Heels were 7-1-1 that final season of Barclay’s.

This period, ignited in large part by Barclay and the teams he played on, are very important in Carolina’s football history. College football was a fast-growing sport, but just 10 years earlier, UNC adopted the Ram mascot nicknamed “Rameses,” so it was still a bit behind certain other parts of the country. But the six-year run during Barclay’s career, and a decade later with the Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice era, firmly put UNC football on the national map for most of more than a decade. Barclay was later UNC’s head coach from 1953-55.

Name: Leon Johnson

Position: RB

Jersey #: 12

Years: 1993-96

College Honors: Three-time All-ACC; First-team All-ACC 1996; ACC Rookie of the Year 1996.

Notable Stats: 3,693 career rushing yards; 43 career rushing TDs; 151 career receptions; 1,288 career receiving yards; four career receiving TDs; Returned 16 punts for 390 yards and two TDs; Returned 19 kickoffs for 457 yards and a TD; Scored 50 career touchdowns total; completed four passes in seven attempts for 130 yards and a TD; 4,981 career total yards; 5,828 career all-purpose yards.

In Closing: Johnson ran for at least 800 or more yards in each of his four seasons, including 1,012 in 1993. Also had 29 or more receptions each season, with a high of 54 in 1995. Johnson may be the second most multidimensional offensive player in Carolina history behind the great Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice. Vastly underrated, he never got the recognition he deserved in terms of honors and awards. Was part of two 10-win UNC teams, and his 28-yard touchdown run put Carolina ahead for good over Arkansas in the 1995 Carquest Bowl. He also ran for 195 yards in that game.

Amazingly, Johnson is the only player in ACC history to be in the top five in career all-purpose yards, career touchdowns, career scoring, top 10 in career rushing yards, and top 10 in career receptions. His 50 touchdowns remain one shy of the all-time ACC career mark. He is one of two non-kickers to score 300 or more points in his career.

Johnson played eight years in the NFL making the All-Rookie team as a punt returner in his first season. He amassed 4,305 return yards in his career, 799 rushing yards, and 489 receiving yards with 13 touchdowns.

Name: Ethan Horton

Position: RB

Jersey #: 12

Years: 1981-84

College Honors: Two-time All-America 1983 & 1984; Two-time, first-team All-ACC 1983 & 1984; ACC Player of the Year 1984; Co-MVP of the Gator Bowl 1981; MVP of the Sun Bowl 1982; Patterson Medal 1985.

Notable Stats: 3,074 career rushing yards; 5.1-yard average on 604 attempts; 22 career rushing touchdowns; 46 career receptions for 495 yards and 5 TDs; 27 career TDs scored; Threw a touchdown pass; eight kickoff returns for 164 yards.

In Closing: The Co-MVP of the 1981 Gator Bowl when he rushed for 144 yards and two TDs (bowl stats didn’t count toward career stats back then) as a freshman. Ran for 119 yards and a score in a Sun Bowl win over Texas the following season. Horton was reliable, strong, sure-handed and could spring big runs or power in tight situations.

Taller than most tailbacks at the time, Horton ran for 1,000 or more yards twice, finishing his junior season with 1,107 yards and his senior campaign in 1984 with 1,247 yards. He also caught 25 passes for 254 yards and three scores that season. Furthermore, Horton, a quarterback in high school, threw a touchdown pass as a senior. The ACC player of the Year in 1984, Horton could have been even more productive had he not shared so many carries with other Tar Heels, who were also worthy.

A first-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs, Horton played eight seasons in the NFL with his highest honor being named to the Pro Bowl in 1991. He converted to a tight end after one NFL season and ended up catching 212 passes for 2,360 yards and he scored 20 TDs.

Name: Bracey Walker

Position: Safety

Jersey #: 27

Years: 1990-93

College Honors: First-team All-America 1993; Two-time All-ACC, first-team in 1993, second-team in 1992; National Special Teams Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated 1993; MVP of the Peach Bowl 1982.

Notable Stats: 263 career tackles; four career interceptions; 14 career pass break ups; four career blocked punts.

In Closing: Few Tar Heels entertained fans with their spirit, passion and obvious love for the game like Bracey Walker. The gifted safety came along when Mack Brown’s Tar Heels were ascending into national relevance, and Walker, with how he played the game, drew eyes generating plenty of a attention. His explosion onto the scene raised UNC’s profile in one of the most thrilling and important bowl victories in the program’s history.

Walker was the Defensive MVP of the 1992 Peach Bowl (played on Jan. 2, 1993) as the Heels defeated Mississippi State 21-17. He blocked two punts in that game, returning one himself for a touchdown and the other set up one. Walker also broke up a pass late in the game, deflecting so it was intercepted by the Tar Heels’ Cliff Baskerville, who returned it 44 yards for the game-winning score. That win set up a 10-win season in 1993 for the Heels, the first of three double-digit victory campaigns in a five-year stretch.

Walker played 13 seasons in the NFL and is responsible for the second longest blocked punt return for a touchdown (92 yards). He recorded 41 tackles, had 8 interceptions, 7 fumble recoveries, and played in 167 games.

Name: Ryan Switzer

Position: PR/WR

Jersey #: 3

Years: 2013-2016

College Honors: Two-time first-team All-America 2013 & 2015; Four-time All-ACC, first-team specialist in 2013, second-team in 2015, third-team in 2014 & 2016; First-team WR in 2016, second-team in 2015; CFPA Punt Returner of the Year 2013; Belk Bowl MVP 2013; Patterson Medal 2017.

Notable Stats: UNC school-record 243 career receptions; Single-team school-record 96 receptions in 2016; UNC-record 2,907 career receiving yards; 1,112 receiving yards in 2016 is third all-time at UNC; 19 career receiving touchdowns; 99 career punt returns for 1,082 yards, UNC-record seven punt returns for touchdowns.

In Closing: Upon closely examining Switzer’s numbers, he might be one of the most underrated players in UNC football history because he still doesn’t make many of these lists. But when you look closely at his accomplishments and understand how he is one of the gutsier players in recent UNC history, he belongs without question. Switzer was fast, shifty, could explode on a dime, had a penchant for making tough chain-moving catches, and played with moxie that was infectious onto his teammates.

He is the best returner in UNC history, and his senior campaign might be one of the top handful of seasons ever by a Tar Heel. Switzer arrived at UNC undersized at 5-foot-8 and not expected to do much in the ACC, but he erupted onto the scene as a punt returner, setting an ACC mark by returning punts for scores in three straight games midway through his first season. He turned himself into an NFL player by getting better each season as a receiver, and he ranks among the best in UNC history there, as well, and not just statistically.

Switzer played five seasons in the NFL, though one was on the Oakland Raiders’ taxi squad. He caught 50 passes for 321 yards and 1 TD. He returned 67 punts with a TD and returned 63 kickoffs.

Name: Michael Carter

Position: RB

Jersey #: 8

Years: 2017-20

College Honors: First-team All-ACC 2020; Third-team All-America 2020; Third-team All-ACC 2019; Pro Football Focus first-team All-America 2020; 2020-21 Patterson Medal.

Notable Stats: Carter is UNC’s all-time single-season and career leader in yards per rush; fifth all-time at UNC with 3,403 rushing yards; Second-highest single-game rushing total with 308; t tenth-highest single season rushing mark in UNC history.

In Closing: Was a vital part of the 2020 Tar Heels that reached the Orange Bowl, the program’s first major bowl in 71 years. Teamed with Javonte Williams to pace an NCAA-record 644-yard rushing performance in a 62-26 rout of No. 8 Miami on the road in 2020.

In split duty his first two seasons, Carter still excelled averaging 6.4 yards on 181 carries to go with 11 more rushing touchdowns. He also caught 82 passes for 656 yards and six TDs as a Tar Heel. In 2019, Carter averaged 24.5 yards on 19 kickoff returns.

Carter has played four seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets and now Arizona Cardinals, and has run the ball 326 times for 1,359 yards and 8 TDs, plus he has caught 112 passes for 771 yards and 1 TD.