UNC Athletics' Top Awards
The University of North Carolina Department of Athletics sponsors several awards for its staff and student-athletes, honoring the best achievements and attributes that work toward the mission statement that "We educate and inspire through athletics."
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Patterson Medal The Patterson Medal is Carolina Athletics' top honor for career athletic achievement, awarded annually to one male and one female junior or senior who has completed his or her collegiate eligibility. Based primarily on athletic accomplishment, recipients must have played at least three seasons for the Tar Heels. Sportsmanship and leadership are also considered. Dr. Joseph Patterson first presented the medal in 1924 to honor the memory of his brother, John Durand Patterson. |
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Tar Heel Trailblazers Carolina Athletics honors pioneering former African-American student-athletes with the Tar Heel Trailblazers award. Â First recognized in 2014, the award recognizes individuals who paved the way for success in all aspects of the student-athlete experience. |
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Ernie Williamson Award The Ernie Williamson Award is an annual award that is presented to deserving staff members of the Department of Athletics and Rams Club. The award is given annually to the employee(s) who best exemplifies the spirit of the late Ernie Williamson.  Ernie played football at Carolina in the 1940s, was the executive director of the Rams Club for 30 years and a beloved member of the Tar Heel family for generations. |
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R.I.S.E. Awards The R.I.S.E. Awards (Responsibility, Innovation, Service, Excellence) are given monthly by UNC Athletics to praise the values the department wants to see repeated by its employees. These are the values Carolina believes will ensure organizational success. The nomination and recognition process foster opportunities for staff members to consistently reflect on, be aware of, acknowledge and articulate Carolina's values. |
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OTHER UNC AWARDS
C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Award
The C. Knox Massey Distinguished Service Awards recognize University of North Carolina employees each year for unusual, meritorious or superior contributions. In 2021, Dr. Mario Ciocca became the latest athletic department staffer to win the Massey Award.