University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Football History Book
August 6, 1999 | Football
Carolina's Honored Jerseys (PDF Format)
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Eighteen former University of North Carolina football players have been honored in special fashion as their names and jersey numbers have been placed on the facade of Kenan Stadium's upper deck. The most recent - cornerback Dre' Bly - was honored in the fall of 1999.
The men being honored include five who have already had their jersey numbers retired, Carolina's consensus first-team All-Americas and any athlete who was named Atlantic Coast Conference Football Player of the Year. Consensus All-Americas are those players who made the majority of the first-team selections in any given year. The players whose names and numbers are honored in the stadium are:
GEORGE BARCLAY #99
A guard and linebacker from 1932 to 1934, whose number has been retired. He was the school's first football All-America and is a member of the state of North Carolina's Sports Hall of Fame. A guard and linebacker at 5-11, 185 pounds, Barclay was a standout for three seasons under coaches Chuck Collins and Carl Snavely. A tremendous blocker and ferocious tackler, he was captain of the 1934 team that went 7-1-1. Barclay later served as UNC's head coach from 1953 until 1955.
ANDY BERSHAK #59
A great two-way end from 1935 to 1937, who was a consensus All-America in 1937. His number has also been retired. Bershak was a brilliant defender and his team's top receiver. He also was a starter on the basketball team and an honor student. Bershak was selected to the Order of the Golden Fleece and served as president of the Carolina Athletic Association.
BILL SUTHERLAND #46
A blocking back on the 1946 Sugar Bowl team, whose number has been retired. He died in an auto accident after his freshman year, stunning his teammates and Coach Carl Snavely. Sutherland was named one of the Tar Heels' three captains for what would have been his sophomore season and Snavely worked to ensure that his number would be retired.
CHARLIE JUSTICE #22
Arguably the most famous and popular athlete in the history of the state. Justice was a consensus All-America and twice runnerup for the Heisman Trophy. During his four seasons, 1946-49, Carolina went to the Sugar Bowl twice and the Cotton Bowl once. A single-wing tailback, he still holds many of the school's total offense records. In addition, he was a sensational punter and kick returner. He was the 1948 National Player of the Year.
ART WEINER #50
An outstanding two-way end from 1946 to 1949, whose number has been retired. Weiner won All-America honors in 1948 and 1949 and was the nation's leading receiver as a senior. He teamed with the legendary Charlie Justice to form perhaps the most potent offensive duo in school history. Voted the top lineman in the Senior Bowl, Weiner is a member of the National Football Hall of Fame. He is still fifth in UNC receptions with 106.
DANNY TALBOTT #10
A star quarterback from 1964 to 1966 and the 1965 ACC Player of the Year under Head Coach Jim Hickey.
Talbott led the league in total offense and scoring that season. He had 318 yards of total offense in one game against Georgia, at the time a school record.
DON MCCAULEY #23
The ACC Player of the Year as a junior and senior and a consensus All-America in 1970, his final season. McCauley was the first of Carolina's NCAA-record 23 backs to rush for 1,000 yards. He twice led the ACC in rushing with 1,092 yards in 1969 and 1,720 in 1970. That latter total at the time broke O.J. Simpson's single-season NCAA record. He also led the nation in all-purpose running as a senior and his 126 points that year still is the league record.
RON RUSNAK #62
An offensive guard on three bowl teams from 1970 to 1972, who won unanimous All-America honors in his senior season. At 6-2, 220 pounds, Rusnak wasn't as big as some linemen, but had great technique. He was the cornerstone of the offensive front on the 1972 team which went 11-1. Rusnak was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference choice on teams which combined for a 20-4 record. He won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 1972 as the best blocker in the ACC.
KEN HUFF #68
A three-year starter at offensive guard from 1972 to 1974 and a consensus All-America as a senior. Huff was a dynamic blocker at 6-4 and 250 pounds. He was the key figure on the 1974 line which helped Carolina boast a pair of 1,000-yard backs and lead the ACC in total offense, rushing and scoring. Led by Huff, UNC accumulated 4,691 yards, at the time a school record. The Tar Heels were fifth nationally in total offense and ninth in scoring that season. Huff won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best blocker in the Atlantic Coast Conference and was the third player selected overall in the 1974 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts.
MIKE VOIGHT #44
A hard-running tailback from 1973 to 1976, who was the ACC Player of the Year as both a junior and senior. Voight is second in Carolina history in scoring and rushing with 254 points and 3,971 yards, respectively. He had three 1,000-yard seasons and twice was the top ground-gainer in the ACC. In 1976 he scored 110 points and ran for 1,407 yards, including 261 in his final game --a dramatic 39-38 shootout with Duke.
DEE HARDISON #71
A defensive tackle from 1974 to 1977 and a consensus All-America as a senior. Hardison was the star of one of Carolina's greatest defenses in his final year. He dominated the line of scrimmage all season long as the Tar Heels led the nation in scoring defense in 1977, giving up just 7.4 points a game. Carolina also topped the ACC in total, rushing and pass defense that year. No team would lead the league in all four again until Florida State in its 1993 national championship season.
LAWRENCE TAYLOR #98
Lawrence Taylor (98), an outside linebacker from 1977 to 1980, who is regarded as the greatest player of all time at that position. Taylor was a consensus All-America and the ACC Player of the Year in 1980. He had a Carolina-record 16 quarterback sacks that season for losses totaling 127 yards. Sparked by his play, the Tar Heels went 11-1 in 1980 and won the ACC championship.
WILLIAM FULLER #95
A defensive lineman from 1980 to 1983, who was a consensus All-America as a senior. Also honored as a first-team All-America as a junior, he is one of only six Tar Heel players to be named first-team All-America twice. Fuller, who utilized his tremendous quickness to slice through offensive lines, had 22 tackles for losses in both 1981 and 1983. He is one of only three defensive linemen ever to make the All-ACC team three times.
ETHAN HORTON #12
The Associated Press ACC Player of the Year as a senior, Horton rushed for 1,247 yards in 1984 after a 1,107-yard performance in 1983. He was named the game's co-MVP in UNC's 1981 Gator Bowl win over Arkansas and was the MVP of the 1982 Sun Bowl.
MARCUS JONES #71
A defensive end/tackle from 1992-95, who was a consensus All-America and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. Jones had 24 career quarterback sacks to break Lawrence Taylor's school record. A two-time first-team All-ACC selection, Jones led a Tar Heel defense which had the ACC's number-one rated total defense in 1995. He finished his career with 222 tackles, including 46 for losses. Jones helped Carolina to four straight bowl invitations and wins in the 1993 Peach and 1995 Carquest Bowls.
DRE' BLY #31
The Chesapeake, Va., native is the only player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to earn first-team All-America honors in three different seasons. Bly became the first freshman defensive player in college football history to earn consensus first-team All-America honors in 1996. When he repeated consensus honors in 1997, he became the first two-time consensus All-America in UNC football history. In 1998, he set the alltime ACC record for interceptions with 20 and was named first-team All-America by the Walter Camp Foundation.
ly led the nation as a freshman with 11 interceptions in the regular season and added two more pass thefts in the Gator Bowl win over West Virginia. Bly was named first-team All-America in 1996 by the Associated Press, The Sporting News, the Football Writers and the Walter Camp Foundation. In 1997, Bly added five more interceptions and was named All-America by the Associated Press, the Walter Camp Foundation, the Football Writers and Football News.
GREG ELLIS #87
A defensive end from 1994-97, Ellis is UNC's alltime 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 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.
RIAN SIMMONS #41
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.
