University of North Carolina Athletics
Brewer: Voight Leaves Great Football Legacy
May 24, 2012 | Football
May 24, 2012
by Rick Brewer, UNC SID Emeritus
When Mike Voight passed away this week, he left behind a legacy of football greatness at North Carolina.
He is still the second-leading rusher in school history and ranks second in career touchdowns. He was ACC Player of the Year in both 1975 and 1976.
Voight ran for 3,971 yards and scored 42 touchdowns from 1973 to 1976 at Carolina. He was the first ACC player to ever post three 1,000-yard rushing seasons. At the conclusion of his career he ranked fifth in college football history in rushing.
He led the ACC in rushing in 1975 with 1,250 yards and in 1976 with 1,407. Voight had split time with James Betterson at tailback in 1974, but still finished with 1,033 yards. He finished sixth nationally in rushing as both a junior and senior.
Voight was one of the most highly recruited running backs in the nation at Indian River High School in Chesapeake, Va. He could have played anywhere in the country. But, Carolina Coach Bill Dooley had built a strong recruiting base in the Tidewater area.
Plus, Voight felt the Tar Heel offense would be perfect for him. Just as importantly, he would be close to home and his mother could see every game. She also travelled to every road game during his time here. In the end, Carolina was the choice over Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama and all the others.
Not since Charlie Justice, or perhaps Danny Talbott, had such a heralded football player arrived on campus. Still, Voight played strictly on special teams for his first seven games. An injury to Billy Hite finally got him into the offensive backfield. Then came his 1,000-yard seasons.
Voight was as well known for his off-the-field life as for his play on it. Teammates called him "The Space Cowboy." He understood why.
"Sometimes I do a few wild things," he admitted. "But, I've never been in serious trouble. I just do a few things out of the ordinary."
Like sleeping in the locker room before games.
"Once I get taped, I like to find a quiet corner and doze for a little bit" he explained. "It helps me relax. I actually dream about the game itself. I guess they call me Space Cowboy because they see me daydreaming. I do that a lot, just stare off into space and get caught up in my own little world."
His teammates agreed he usually seemed in a trance before games. They sometimes had to touch him just to get his attention.
Cornerback Russ Conley called him "a wild dude", while defensive tackle Dee Hardison referred to him as simply "a free spirit." Dooley admitted, "I've never had one like him."
Wide receiver Walker Lee once said he thought Voight was misunderstood by most people.
"He's just an independent guy," said Lee, his roommate. "He does what he wants to do and has a good time doing it. He's really easy-going and generous. He's just a big cutup, but he's serious on the field."
Voight agreed with that.
"Once you put on a helmet, you've got to be serious," he said. "You can't joke around with a 280-pund tackle who wants to plant you in the ground. "
He was the centerpiece of Carolina's successful I-formation. That made him the target of every opponent. Like tailbacks before and after him, his body was battered and bruised after every game. He usually saw limited action on the practice field between games as coaches gave him time to recover. That was needed since he would get the same treatment the following week.
Voight didn't help matters as he often appeared to look for contact. He had sprinter's speed and won the ACC high hurdles title as a freshman. But, it seemed he almost preferred to run over and through tacklers than around them. He also did not mind blocking and was good at it.
He was a favorite of sports writers. Not only was he the best player in the ACC, but he also was the most quotable. He could be funny or thoughtful. He publically feuded with Virginia Coach Sonny Randle and sometimes second-guessed his own coaches. But, Dooley never tried to muzzle him. He understood his tailback better than Voight imagined.
Voight had an amazing five-week stretch as a junior that included 169 yards against Notre Dame, 155 at NC State, 209 against East Carolina, 148 against Wake Forest and 228 against Clemson.
His senior season got off to a rocky start. Two weeks prior to the opening game, it was discovered Voight had tendonitis in his right achilles. He was placed in a cast until the day before the opener.
Despite missing so much practice and conditioning he still had 21 carries for 72 yards against Miami of Ohio in that first game. He followed that up a week later with 142 yards and the big plays in the fourth quarter as Carolina stunned Florida in Tampa.
Two weeks later he had 168 yards and four touchdowns at Army.
"Looking back on it now, it's amazing he was even able to play at all," said Dooley. "He was running simply on determination and guts."
As if things weren't bad enough, he bruised his rib cage and injured his shoulder against the Gators. He continued to play and began to work himself back into top shape. By mid-season his leg was almost 100 percent and he had gotten his timing and stamina back.
In his last five games, all Tar Heel wins, Voight ran as only he could. In that stretch he had 112 yards against East Carolina; 74 yards and two touchdowns at Wake Forest; 161 yards, three touchdowns and an 84-yard run, longest by a Tar Heel since 1939, at Clemson; 190 yards and three touchdowns against Virginia; and then a monster game against Duke.
He saved his greatest performance for the final home game of his career. He ran for 261 yards on 47 carries in a 39-38 win over the Blue Devils. He scored four touchdowns that day. Three times he scored touchdowns to bring the Tar Heels from behind. He added the winning two-point conversion with 37 seconds to play.
He finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting after his senior season.
Voight never seemed overly concerned about records.
"Maybe they'll mean more to me later," he said. "But, I believe records are over-rated. All the yards I've gained are meaningless unless I can come through the next time we need a yard. But, I guess it would have been nice to get an extra 29 yards somewhere during the year to finish with 4,000 in my career."
He was once asked how he wanted Carolina fans to think of him.
"I would like to be remembered as one of the best who played here," he said. "Even more importantly, I would want people to remember that I always did my best, that I never quit or gave up, that I always kept trying."
That is the best epitaph that can be offered for a remarkable player.
