GoHeels Exclusive: Memories To Cherish

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

Woody Durham called nearly 2,000 North Carolina football and men's basketball games, including the 1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009 national championships, in 40 years as the Tar Heel play-by-play announcer.

"But to relegate his impact to just numbers," said Jones Angell, the current UNC play-by-play announcer, at a celebration of life service Sunday for Durham, "would be a great disservice."

Durham was fondly remembered by his family, friends, former broadcasting partners and other members of the Carolina community on Sunday afternoon at Carmichael Arena. A 1963 UNC graduate, Durham was the Voice of the Tar Heels from 1971-2011.

Durham died on March 7 from complications from Primary Progressive Aphasia. He was 76 years old.

"He is a true legend at a legendary University with a legendary successful athletics program," Chancellor Carol Folt said. "And I know that when UNC alums – but also probably all North Carolinians and anyone who followed UNC sports over the years – think about iconic symbols of Carolina history, they're going to think of the Old Well, the Bell Tower, the Davie Poplar and the authentic, familiar, warm voice of Woody Durham.

"I think that's something that's wonderful to be able to celebrate."

Among the most prevalent themes were Durham's work ethic, especially his preparation, and his signature phrase of "Go where you go, and do what you do."

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a UNC alumnus who spoke Sunday, said he took Durham's saying literally during the Tar Heels' run to the 1993 national title. Cooper said he dressed his daughter Natalie, then 3 months old, in the same Carolina Blue sweatsuit and placed her in a swing four feet from the television.

On the night of the national championship game, Cooper said he returned home from work moments before tip-off, only to learn Natalie's sweatsuit was wet in the dryer. But that didn't deter him from listening to Durham.

"You may think that we won that national championship in 1993 because of Dean Smith or Eric Montross or George Lynch or 'the Donald' (Donald Williams) or Chris Webber's timeout," Cooper said. "But no, it was because there was a little baby in a damp Carolina Blue jumpsuit in a swing because Woody told me to put her there."

Among the other speakers were Rev. Lynda Ferguson of First United Methodist Church in Asheboro; ACC Commissioner John Swofford, who played football at UNC from 1969-71 and was the University's director of athletics from 1980-97; John Bunting, the former Carolina football coach and player; Dick Baddour, the Tar Heel director of athletics from 1997-2011; and Montross, the former UNC basketball player and current color commentator.

Swofford, Bunting and Montross each spoke of how Durham made an extra effort to be personal with his interview subjects.

"Woody wanted people to know where you were from," Swofford said. "I think that's because he was proud of where he was from. He cared about his family, he cared about the players, he cared about Carolina, he cared about the coaches. And it was obvious he cared about doing his job well."

When Montross began his career in radio broadcasting in 2003, he said Durham, who will be inducted posthumously into the National Sports Media Association's Hall of Fame in June, helped ease his transition.

"(He) extended a gentle touch when coaching beginners on the intricacies of his craft, something that surely took a great deal of patience," Montross said. "It was all of this and more that made Woody so revered by his professional cohort, by coaches, by us as student-athletes and by you, his audience.

"For 40 years, he was Carolina Athletics' form of social media, giving the story behind the story. And the audience was addicted."

Roy Williams, who couldn't be physically present Sunday because he was on a recruiting trip, appeared in a video tribute. When he was coaching at Charles D. Owen High School in Black Mountain from 1973-1978, Williams said he, like so many other UNC fans, turned down the television and turned up the radio to listen to Durham.

"I knew I would get more information during that time period," Williams said. "Woody was the most prepared announcer I'd ever known, I had ever seen. But besides that, Woody Durham was a friend to the University of North Carolina. He was also a friend to Roy Williams and to North Carolina basketball."

Before the ceremony ended with a rendition of "Carolina in My Mind" by Holden Thorp, the 10th chancellor at UNC, and Terri Houston, the University's former chief diversity office, Durham's eldest son, Wes, thanked everyone for coming.

"Your support, your prayers and kindness to us in the last month," Wes said, "and the loyalty you showed to the son of a textile worker who grew up in Albemarle, graduated from Carolina, loved this state and along the way left us with so many memories is what we will cherish."

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