University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Football History Book
June 21, 1999 | Football
June 14, 1999
GEORGE BARCLAY Barclay was Carolina's first football All-America. The 5-11, 185-pound guard and linebacker was a three-year standout for Chuck Collins and Carl Snavely. A fine blocker and an extraordinary tackler, Barclay lined up in the offensive interior next to tackle Jim Tatum. He was captain of the 1934 team which went 7-1-1. Barclay later served as head coach at Carolina for three seasons, from 1953 to 1955.
ANDY BERSHAK A 185-pound end, Bershak was a two-way performer for the Tar Heels. He was a fine receiver, but was even better on defense. He played two years for Carl Snavely and one for Ray Wolf. Bershak, an honor student, was also a basketball starter. He was selected to the Order of the Golden Fleece and served as president of the Carolina Athletic Association.
STEVE MARONIC Maronic was a two-way tackle for the Tar Heels and team co-captain in 1938. He was an "iron man" playing almost 60 minutes in every game that season. He turned in two of his best performances in front of the New York media against NYU at Yankee Stadium and Fordham at the Polo Grounds. Those games solidified his All-America chances. Maronic also was a place-kicker and hit 13 straight PATs in his final season.
PAUL SEVERIN Severin was a two-time All-America selection by the Associated Press (1939 and 1940) and made most of the all-star teams in his senior season. His career was filled with big playsa touchdown catch to tie Tulane in 1939, two scoring catches against Penn that same season and a touchdown-saving tackle from behind of Duke's great Steve Lach in a 6-3 win over the Blue Devils in 1940.
Guard, 1934
End, 1936-37
Tackle, 1938
End, 1939-40
Paul Severin's Statistics Year Rec Yds Avg TD 1938 6 86 14.3 0 1939 9 137 15.2 5 1940 15 185 12.3 1 Career 30 408 13.6 6
CHARLIE JUSTICE
Halfback, 1948-49
Twice a runnerup for the Heisman Trophy, Charlie Justice is rated by many as the best all-around player in the history of Southern football. He was a true triple-threat performer, leading Carolina in rushing, passing and punting from 1946 to 1949. He sparked Tar Heel teams which appeared in the Sugar Bowl twice and the Cotton Bowl once. He was the school's alltime total offense leader with 4,883 yards for more than 40 years and also ranks as the Tar Heels' third-leading career scorer, eighth-leading rusher and 16th-leading passer. He had a career punting average of 42.6 and averaged 14.2 yards on punt returns and 26.6 yards on kickoff returns.
Justice is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. In 1948 he received the national player of the year award from the Washington Touchdown Club and was recipient of the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy.
KEN POWELL Teamed with Art Weiner to give the Tar Heels a formidable pass receiving threat in the post-Wold War II "Justice Era." Was outstanding the 1947 Sugar Bowl against Georgia. Earned first-team All-America honors at defensive end in 1949 by NEA. That organization named Powell to its All-America Team on defense, the first time it selected All-Americas on both offense and defense. He finished his career with 23 pass receptions for 324 yards and three touchdowns.
ART WEINER A great all-around end, Weiner led the nation in receiving in 1949 with 52 catches. He had been seventh nationally in receiving the previous year with 31 catches. His 106 career catches are the sixth-most in school history and until 1997 he held the UNC career record with 18 touchdown receptions. However, many remember him best for a game-saving defensive play on the last snap of the 1949 Duke game. After his senior season Weiner was named the most outstanding lineman in the Senior Bowl. Weiner was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
Defensive End, 1949
End, 1948-49
Art Weiner's Statistics Year Rec Yds Avg TD 1946 3 94 31.3 3 1947 20 396 19.8 2 1948 31 481 15.5 6 1949 52 762 14.7 7 Career 106 1733 16.3 18
IRV HOLDASH
While Carolina's football fortunes slipped in the years immediately following the Charlie Justice Era, Holdash still received national attention for his outstanding play. A center on offense and linebacker on defense, Holdash was a three-year regular who never missed a game during his varsity career. He probably made All-America in 1950 with a sensational performance in a 14-7 loss at Notre Dame. Irish quarterback Bobby Williams called him "the best I've played against."
AL GOLDSTEIN
Outstanding two-way end. He earned All-America honors in 1958 by making 24 catches for 490 yards, averaging an amazing 20.4 yards per reception. Adept at making the seemingly impossible catch, he had a 68-yard TD reception at Virginia. He also starred defensively and had a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown against Maryland.
Center, 1950
End, 1958
Al Goldstein's Career Statistics Year Rec Yds Avg TD 1957 2 47 23.5 0 1958 24 490 20.4 2 1959 20 328 16.4 2 Career 46 865 18.8 4
OB LACEY
Lacey led the Atlantic Coast Conference in receiving in 1963 with 48 catches for 533 yards. His pass-catching was a key factor as Carolina rolled to a 9-2 record, defeating the Air Force, 35-0, in the Gator Bowl. Lacey was also the team's top receiver in 1962 with 44 catches. He was the first Tar Heel player to have at least 40 catches in two seasons. His career total of 102 receptions is the seventh-best in school history.
End, 1963
ob Lacey's Statistics Year Rec Yds Avg TD 1961 10 161 16.1 0 1962 44 668 15.2 5 1963 48 533 11.1 1 Career 102 1362 13.4 6
DON MCCAULEY
Don McCauley shattered the Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference record books with a dazzling senior season in 1970. He rushed for 1,720 yards and scored 21 touchdowns, setting marks which still stand. His 1,720 yards was an alltime collegiate high at the time, breaking O.J. Simpson's NCAA record. McCauley led the nation in all-purpose running that season. He was twice the ACC Player of the Year and still ranks fifth in career rushing at Carolina. He had a lengthy professional career with the Baltimore Colts.
Halfback, 1970
Don McCauley's Statistics Year Rush Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD 1968 75 360 4.8 2 23 313 13.6 1 1969 204 1092 5.4 8 14 238 17.0 2 1970 324 1720 5.3 19 15 235 15.7 2 Total 603 3172 5.3 29 52 786 15.1 5
RON RUSNAK
Rusnak was a unanimous All-America selection in 1972 as Carolina posted an 11-1 record. At 6-2 and 220 pounds, he did not have the size to play professional football, but Rusnak was a great college player. He was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference choice, starting on teams which combined for a 20-4 record. In 1972 he won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best blocker in the ACC.
KEN HUFF
Huff was a key man on one of the most explosive units in Carolina history. He was the leader of an offensive line which helped the Tar Heels accumulate 4,691 yards in 1974, at the time a school record. The 6-4, 255-pound Huff won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best blocker in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Sparked in great part by his play up front, the Tar Heels had two backs rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season. Huff was the third player selected in the NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts.
CHARLES WADDELL
Waddell rates as one of the best all-around athletes in Carolina history. He won three football letters, two in basketball and one in track. Not only was he a fine receiver at tight end, but he was also a dynamic blocker. He set a school single-game record in 1974 with three touchdown catches against Clemson. He had 41 career catches for 518 yards and seven TDs. His professional career was cut short by a knee injury.
Offensive Guard, 1972
Offensive Guard, 1974
Tight End, 1974
Charles Waddell's Statistics Year Rec Yds Avg TD 1972 3 70 23.3 1 1973 21 242 11.5 3 1974 17 206 12.1 3 Career 41 518 12.6 7
DEE HARDISON
A two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, Hardison played on one of the top defensive teams in Carolina history. 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. A big reason was the play of Hardison, a 6-3, 252-pound tackle who dominated the line of scrimmage all season. After leaving Carolina he began a lengthy NFL career with the Buffalo Bills.
RICKY BARDEN
One of the top defensive backs in Carolina history, Barden was a repeat All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 1978 and 1979. Barden made nine career interceptions. He started at cornerback for two years and then was shifted to strong safety for his final year where he broke up nine passes and was the third-leading tackler on the team. His 156 yards on interception returns are the third-most in school history.
LAWRENCE TAYLOR
From midway in his junior season until the end of his senior year in 1980, Taylor dominated the football field as few defensive players ever had. Now regarded as the finest outside linebacker in the history of the game, Taylor had a remarkable senior season which featured 16 quarterback sacks and six other tackles for losses. In Carolina's only close games in an 11-1 season, Taylor made the game-saving defensive plays against Texas Tech and Clemson. He was a runaway selection as ACC Player of the Year.
Defensive Tackle, 1977
Defensive Back, 1979
Outside Linebacker, 1980
Lawrence Taylor's Statistics (Defensive Statistics Not Kept Until 1978) Year Pri A Hits FC FR TFL QB PBU INT 1978 18 10 28 0 0 0 0 1 0 1979 80 15 95 7 0 11-70 5-51 2 1 1980 55 14 69 3 3 22-149 16-127 3 0
RON WOOTEN
Wooten won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 1980 as the best blocker in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He was the leading vote-getter in the offensive line on the All-ACC team. He was one of the leaders of an offensive line which helped the Tar Heels lead the ACC in total offense and which also helped produce two 1,000-yard backs. He went on to become a starting guard with New England in the NFL.
DAVID DRECHSLER
Drechsler became Carolina's first two-time All-America since Charlie Justice and Art Weiner when he earned first-team honors in 1981 and 1982. He played every position in the offensive interior during his Carolina career, but settled in at guard. The 6-4, 253-pound Drechsler played on Tar Heel teams which were 37-10-1 and were unbeaten in four bowl games. He also was the winner of a post-graduate scholarship from the NCAA. Drechsler went on to become a starter with the Green Bay Packers until a back injury forced him to give up the game.
WILLIAM FULLER
Fuller is one of just five Carolina players to win first-team All-America honors twice. Although powerfully built at 6-3 and 250 pounds, Fuller's greatest asset was his quickness. He used that quickness to make 13 tackles for losses and six sacks in 1982 and 17 tackles for losses with five sacks the following year. He was the only unanimous choice on the 1983 All-ACC team and is one of just three defensive linemen ever to make All-ACC for three straight years.
Offensive Guard, 1980
Offensive Guard, 1981-82
Defensive Tackle, 1982-83
William Fuller's Statistics Year Pri A Hits FC FR TFL QB PBU 1980 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1981 60 24 84 2 1 22-87 9-66 2 1982 43 16 59 2 1 13-85 6-70 3 1983 54 27 81 0 1 22-81 5-46 4 Career 157 68 225 4 3 57-253 20-182 9
RIAN BLADOS
When two Carolina tailbacks ran for over 1,000 yards in 1983, much of that yardage came behind Blados. The 6-6, 305-pound left tackle dominated the line of scrimmage as Carolina set a school total offense record and finished seventh nationally in yardage. Blados was named on 90 of 100 ballots in voting for the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team. He was a first round choice by the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL draft.
HARRIS BARTON
arton was a four-year starter for the Tar Heels, first at center and then at tackle. With so many teams playing even-man front defenses, Barton was moved to tackle in 1984 to take better advantage of his skills. He excelled at left tackle, the key blocking spot in the Carolina passing game. As a senior, he led an offensive line which helped the Tar Heels rank first in the Atlantic Coast Conference and sixth nationally in total offense. An excellent student, he was chosen for a post-graduate scholarship by the National Football Foundation and was a first-round selection in the NFL draft.
PAT CROWLEY
Crowley was a standout offensive guard and a leader of the first of Mack Brown's teams. He won first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in 1987, 1988 and 1989 and became only the second offensive lineman in conference history to win three all-league honors (Virginia's Jim Dombrowski was the other). He started every game in his college career and helped open the way for a pair of 1,000-yard backs (Derrick Fenner in 1986 and Kennard Martin in 1988). He is one of three Tar Heels to be named first-team All-ACC in three seasons.
RACEY WALKER
The first Carolina defensive back to ever receive first-team All-America honors by a major organization, Walker burst onto the scene in 1992 when he was one of the stars of the Peach Bowl win over Mississippi State. Walker blocked two punts in that game, returned one of them for a tying touchdown and set up the game-winning interception with a jarring collision. He was the Defensive MVP of the Peach Bowl.
In 1993 he led the Tar Heels with 100 tackles and was the co-leading vote-getter on the All-ACC first team defense. He also blocked four more punts, two of which were recovered in the end zone by Carolina, and was named the National Special Teams Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated.
Offensive Tackle, 1983
Offensive Tackle, 1986
Offensive Guard, 1989
Free Safety, 1993
racey Walker's Statistics Year Pri A Hits FC PBU INT 1990 24 18 42 2 0 0 1991 13 12 25 0 3 0 1992 50 46 96 0 4 3 1993 46 54 100 3 7 1 Totals 133 130 263 5 14 4
MARCUS JONES Jones became the first Tar Heel to earn consensus first-team All-America honors since Harris Barton in 1986 and the first defensive lineman since William Fuller in 1982-83. Jones had 25 career sacks and finished with 222 tackles. That included 46 behind the line of scrimmage. He broke Lawrence Taylor's school record for sacks and held that mark until Greg Ellis broke the record in 1997.
He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 1995 and earned first-team All-ACC honors for the second straight season. He became the first Tar Heel defender to repeat all-conference selections since Tim Goad in 1986-87.
As a senior he had a career-high 94 tackles, despite facing constant double- and triple-team efforts. He registered an ACC-leading 19 tackles for losses for 74 yards, seven of which were quarterback sacks. He was hampered in the first half of the season by a knee sprain. Over the last five weeks, however, he averaged 10.8 tackles per game and had 16 tackles for losses for 65 yards, including six sacks for 41 yards, and pressured the quarterback 13 times.
Quite fittingly, Jones capped his career by sacking Arkansas quarterback Barry Lunney on the Razorbacks' final offensive play in Carolina's 20-10 win in the 1995 Carquest Bowl.
Defensive Tackle, 1995
Marcus Jones' Statistics Year Pri A Hits TFL QB Pres 1992 10 6 16 4-6 1-1 1 1993 30 20 50 10.5-89 8.5-76 15 1994 39 23 62 12.5-56 7.5-44 21 1995 53 41 94 19-74 7-48 20 Totals 132 90 222 46-225 24-169 57
DRE' BLY The first freshman to earn consensus first-team All-America honors in ACC history, Bly became just the fifth freshman in NCAA history to be named to the Associated Press All-America first team. He was also a first-team All-America selection by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and Athlon Sports and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the National Defensive Back of the Year. He earned Atlantic Coast Conference first-team honors and was the league's Rookie of the Year. He is the only UNC freshman to earn first-team All-America honors.
He made two second-half interceptions, broke up two passes and had seven tackles against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl.
Bly led the nation in interceptions and interceptions per game. Just the fifth UNC player to ever lead the NCAA in a statistical category. He set an ACC single-season interceptions record with 11, one more than Bob Sullivan of Maryland had in 10 games in 1965. The Chesapeake, Va. native had three multi-interception games, including three against Georgia Tech, two at Florida State and two at Virginia. Bly had 141 yards in returns, including a 44-yard return against the Yellow Jackets to set up a touchdown and a 51-yard return for a touchdown at Virginia.
In 1997, Bly became the first player in UNC history to repeat consensus first-team All-America honors. He had five interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown in a comeback win over Virginia.
Cornerback, 1996-97
Dre' Bly's Career Statistics Year Pri A Hits INT PBU 1996 24 8 32 11 13 1997 17 9 26 5 4 1998 31 13 44 4 10 Totals 72 30 102 20 27
GREG ELLIS
A defensive end from 1994-97, Ellis is the Tar Heels' career leader in quarterback sacks. The Wendell, N.C., native had 32.5 sacks for 253 yards in his career. He anchored a defense that was second in the country in total yards allowed in each of his final two seasons. Carolina posted a 21-3 record in that span and had consecutive Top 10 finishes in the polls. Ellis is one of only three players in Carolina football history to be named first-team All-ACC three times. He was voted by his teammates as a team captain and the best overall senior. He was the eighth selection in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
Defensive End, 1997
Greg Ellis' Career Statistics Year T A Hits Pres TFL QB 1994 13 11 24 2 5-29 4-27 1995 38 33 71 11 9-64 7-62 1996 36 26 62 38 18-121 12.5-99 1997 47 40 87 32 18-79 9-65 Totals 134 110 244 83 50-293 32.5-253
RIAN SIMMONS
An outside linebacker from 1994-97, Simmons was a major contributor in Carolina's rise to the Top 10 in his final two seasons. A first-round draft selection of the Cincinnati Bengals, Simmons had 317 tackles over his last three seasons. He was named first-team All-America as a senior by the Associated Press, Walter Camp Foundation and Football News and was a first-team All-ACC selection and second-team A.P. All-America as a junior. The New Bern, N.C., native finished his career with 36 tackles for losses and 11 sacks.
Outside Linebacker, 1997
rian Simmons' Career Statistics Year T A Hits Pres TFL QB 1994 14 9 23 1 3-11 1-4 1995 59 54 113 5 11-25 5-14 1996 41 44 85 12 9-41 2-20 1997 60 59 119 17 13-27 3-14 Totals 174 166 340 35 36-104 11-52
