University of North Carolina Athletics
Football To Unveil Hall Of Fame Displays At Kenan Stadium
September 28, 2026 | Football
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Carolina football will celebrate its decorated history on Saturday, Oct. 3, when the Tar Heels unveil new permanent displays inside Kenan Stadium honoring the program's College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame members during UNC's game against Notre Dame.
The displays will recognize 12 Tar Heel legends who have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, or both. UNC's College Football Hall of Fame honorees will be recognized on the northeast corner of the stadium and its Pro Football Hall of Fame honorees featured on the southeast corner.
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Carolina's Hall of Fame honorees and their families have been invited back to Chapel Hill for a weekend-long celebration beginning Friday, Oct. 2. The weekend will include a welcome reception Friday evening, followed Saturday by the Carolina football Family Tailgate and an on-field recognition and signage dedication during the first half of the Notre Dame game.
Kickoff for Carolina's sold-out matchup with Notre Dame is set for noon on ESPN.Â
The Oct. 3 celebration will serve as the formal dedication of the new Kenan Stadium displays and recognize the lasting impact of Carolina's Hall of Famers on the program's history.
Below are the biographies of the Hall of Famers to be recognized:
College Football Hall of Fame
Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice – Inducted 1961
Halfback, 1946–49
Twice a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, 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 all-time total offense leader with 4,883 yards for more than 40 years and still ranks as the Tar Heels' ninth-leading career scorer and 10th-leading rusher. In 1948, he received the national player of the year award from the Washington Touchdown Club and was the recipient of the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy.  Justice is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He later played for Washington in the NFL, and his No. 22 is retired at UNC.
Carl Snavely – Inducted 1965 (Coach)
Head Coach, 1934–35 & 1945–52
Known as "the Grey Fox," Snavely helped North Carolina produce one of the most celebrated stretches of Tar Heel Football. From 1946 through 1949, Carolina emerged as one of the nation's prominent football programs, led by All-American halfback Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice. The Tar Heels won Southern Conference championships in 1946 and 1949 and made three bowl appearances during Snavely's tenure. The 1946 team played in the Sugar Bowl, while the 1948 team finished the season ranked No. 3 nationally. He finished his Carolina career with a 59-35-5 record.
Jim Tatum – Inducted 1984 (Coach)
Head Coach, 1942 & 1956–58
A Chapel Hill native and UNC alumnus, Tatum coached the Tar Heels in two separate stints and led Maryland to the 1953 national championship in between his tenures with Carolina. He earned All-Southern Conference honors during his playing career and graduated from Carolina in 1935. Tatum had a career record of 100-35-7 across 14 seasons as a head coach, earning National Coach of the Year honors in 1953.
Art Weiner – Inducted 1992
End, 1946–49
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. Until 1997, he held the UNC career record with 18 touchdown receptions.  Many remember him best for a game-saving defensive play on the last snap of the 1949 Duke game. Weiner was named the most outstanding lineman in the Senior Bowl.  Weiner was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992. His No. 50 is retired at UNC.
Don McCauley – Inducted 2001
Running Back, 1968–70
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 19 touchdowns, setting marks which still stand. His 1,720 yards was an all-time collegiate high at the time, breaking O.J. Simpson's NCAA record. McCauley led the nation in all-purpose yards that season. He was twice the ACC Player of the Year and still ranks seventh in career rushing at UNC. He had a lengthy professional career with the Baltimore Colts. He played 11 NFL seasons and was a member of the Colts' Super Bowl V championship team.
Dré Bly – Inducted 2014
Cornerback, 1996–98
The first freshman in ACC history to earn consensus first-team All-America honors, Bly became just the fifth freshman in NCAA history to be named to the Associated Press All-America first team in 1996.  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 Thorpe Award as the National Defensive Back of the Year.  He earned ACC 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. Bly set UNC's single-season interception record before becoming a first-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in 1999. He played 12 NFL seasons and won Super Bowl XXXIV.
William Fuller – Inducted 2016
Defensive Tackle, 1981–84
Fuller is one of just nine Carolina players to win first-team All-America honors twice. He was the only unanimous choice on the 1983 All-ACC team and was one of just three defensive linemen at the time to make All-ACC for three straight years. Fuller was selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers and earned four Pro Bowl selections during a 14-year NFL career.
Mack Brown – Inducted 2019 (Coach)
Head Coach, 1988–97 & 2019–24
Brown built Carolina into a national top-10 program in the mid-1990s and later returned to become the school's all-time wins leader. During 16 seasons as the head coach at North Carolina (1988-97, 2019-24), Brown won 113 games. The 1996 ACC Coach of the Year led North Carolina to three 10-win seasons, and the team finished in the top 25 four times. Between his two stints in Chapel Hill, Brown led Texas to the 2005 national championship.
Harris Barton – Inducted 2021
Offensive Tackle, 1983–86
Barton was a four-year starter for the Tar Heels, first at center and then at tackle. 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. An All-American and All-ACC selection, Barton was a first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 1987 and started at tackle for three Super Bowl championship teams.
Julius Peppers – Inducted 2024
Defensive End, 1998–2001
Peppers became the first Tar Heel defensive player to win a national college football award by winning both the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman and the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player in 2001.  In just three seasons, Peppers finished second at Carolina in career sacks and tackles for loss. He became just the second Tar Heel and the first since Lawrence Taylor to earn unanimous All-America honors.  The second overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 NFL Draft, Peppers became one of the most dominant pass rushers of his era. Playing for three franchises over a 17-year career, Peppers was the single-season sack leader for each at least once (Carolina, seven seasons; Chicago, four; and Green Bay, one). As a rookie, Peppers earned AP and PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year after averaging a sack per game, totaling 12 on the season. Peppers would register 10-plus sacks in 10 seasons, tied for third most in NFL history at the time of his retirement. His 2024 enshrinement made him a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Lawrence Taylor – Inducted 1999
Outside Linebacker, UNC 1977–80 | NFL 1981–93
During his time at Carolina, Taylor dominated the football field as few defensive players ever have. Now regarded as the finest outside linebacker in the history of the game, Taylor had a remarkable senior season which featured a school-record 16 quarterback sacks and six other tackles for losses. He was a runaway selection as ACC Player of the Year in 1980 and was also tabbed an All-American that year.  Taylor was the first-round draft pick of the New York Giants, and the second player selected overall in the 1981 NFL Draft. A dominant force on defense, Taylor was named first-team All-Pro in each of his first nine seasons. Taylor earned 10 Pro Bowl selections, was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times and won the 1986 NFL MVP award during his career with the New York Giants, helping the franchise win two Super Bowls.
Chris Hanburger – Inducted 2011
Linebacker, UNC 1961–64 | NFL 1965–78
Hanburger was a two-time first team All-ACC selection at Carolina, playing center on offense and linebacker on defense. The now Washington Commanders picked Hanburger in the 18th round of the 1965 NFL Draft. He was an integral part of the dominant Washington teams of the 1970s. He was selected first-team All-Pro four times in a five-season span from 1972 to 1976 and named All-Eastern Conference in 1968 and 1969 and All-NFC six times in seven seasons from 1970 to 1976. Hanburger also was voted to nine Pro Bowls in his 14-season career.
Julius Peppers – Inducted 2024
Defensive End, UNC 1998–2001 | NFL 2002–18
Peppers became the first Tar Heel defensive player to win a national college football award by winning both the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman and the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player in 2001.  In just three seasons, Peppers finished second at Carolina in career sacks and tackles for loss. He became just the second Tar Heel and the first since Lawrence Taylor to earn unanimous All-America honors.  The second overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 NFL Draft, Peppers became one of the most dominant pass rushers of his era. Playing for three franchises over a 17-year career, Peppers was the single-season sack leader for each at least once (Carolina, seven seasons; Chicago, four; and Green Bay, one). As a rookie, Peppers earned AP and PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year after averaging a sack per game, totaling 12 on the season. Peppers would register 10-plus sacks in 10 seasons, tied for third most in NFL history at the time of his retirement. His 2024 enshrinement made him a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
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The displays will recognize 12 Tar Heel legends who have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, or both. UNC's College Football Hall of Fame honorees will be recognized on the northeast corner of the stadium and its Pro Football Hall of Fame honorees featured on the southeast corner.
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Carolina's Hall of Fame honorees and their families have been invited back to Chapel Hill for a weekend-long celebration beginning Friday, Oct. 2. The weekend will include a welcome reception Friday evening, followed Saturday by the Carolina football Family Tailgate and an on-field recognition and signage dedication during the first half of the Notre Dame game.
Kickoff for Carolina's sold-out matchup with Notre Dame is set for noon on ESPN.Â
The Oct. 3 celebration will serve as the formal dedication of the new Kenan Stadium displays and recognize the lasting impact of Carolina's Hall of Famers on the program's history.
Below are the biographies of the Hall of Famers to be recognized:
College Football Hall of Fame
Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice – Inducted 1961
Halfback, 1946–49
Twice a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, 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 all-time total offense leader with 4,883 yards for more than 40 years and still ranks as the Tar Heels' ninth-leading career scorer and 10th-leading rusher. In 1948, he received the national player of the year award from the Washington Touchdown Club and was the recipient of the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy.  Justice is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He later played for Washington in the NFL, and his No. 22 is retired at UNC.
Carl Snavely – Inducted 1965 (Coach)
Head Coach, 1934–35 & 1945–52
Known as "the Grey Fox," Snavely helped North Carolina produce one of the most celebrated stretches of Tar Heel Football. From 1946 through 1949, Carolina emerged as one of the nation's prominent football programs, led by All-American halfback Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice. The Tar Heels won Southern Conference championships in 1946 and 1949 and made three bowl appearances during Snavely's tenure. The 1946 team played in the Sugar Bowl, while the 1948 team finished the season ranked No. 3 nationally. He finished his Carolina career with a 59-35-5 record.
Jim Tatum – Inducted 1984 (Coach)
Head Coach, 1942 & 1956–58
A Chapel Hill native and UNC alumnus, Tatum coached the Tar Heels in two separate stints and led Maryland to the 1953 national championship in between his tenures with Carolina. He earned All-Southern Conference honors during his playing career and graduated from Carolina in 1935. Tatum had a career record of 100-35-7 across 14 seasons as a head coach, earning National Coach of the Year honors in 1953.
Art Weiner – Inducted 1992
End, 1946–49
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. Until 1997, he held the UNC career record with 18 touchdown receptions.  Many remember him best for a game-saving defensive play on the last snap of the 1949 Duke game. Weiner was named the most outstanding lineman in the Senior Bowl.  Weiner was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992. His No. 50 is retired at UNC.
Don McCauley – Inducted 2001
Running Back, 1968–70
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 19 touchdowns, setting marks which still stand. His 1,720 yards was an all-time collegiate high at the time, breaking O.J. Simpson's NCAA record. McCauley led the nation in all-purpose yards that season. He was twice the ACC Player of the Year and still ranks seventh in career rushing at UNC. He had a lengthy professional career with the Baltimore Colts. He played 11 NFL seasons and was a member of the Colts' Super Bowl V championship team.
Dré Bly – Inducted 2014
Cornerback, 1996–98
The first freshman in ACC history to earn consensus first-team All-America honors, Bly became just the fifth freshman in NCAA history to be named to the Associated Press All-America first team in 1996.  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 Thorpe Award as the National Defensive Back of the Year.  He earned ACC 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. Bly set UNC's single-season interception record before becoming a first-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in 1999. He played 12 NFL seasons and won Super Bowl XXXIV.
William Fuller – Inducted 2016
Defensive Tackle, 1981–84
Fuller is one of just nine Carolina players to win first-team All-America honors twice. He was the only unanimous choice on the 1983 All-ACC team and was one of just three defensive linemen at the time to make All-ACC for three straight years. Fuller was selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers and earned four Pro Bowl selections during a 14-year NFL career.
Mack Brown – Inducted 2019 (Coach)
Head Coach, 1988–97 & 2019–24
Brown built Carolina into a national top-10 program in the mid-1990s and later returned to become the school's all-time wins leader. During 16 seasons as the head coach at North Carolina (1988-97, 2019-24), Brown won 113 games. The 1996 ACC Coach of the Year led North Carolina to three 10-win seasons, and the team finished in the top 25 four times. Between his two stints in Chapel Hill, Brown led Texas to the 2005 national championship.
Harris Barton – Inducted 2021
Offensive Tackle, 1983–86
Barton was a four-year starter for the Tar Heels, first at center and then at tackle. 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. An All-American and All-ACC selection, Barton was a first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 1987 and started at tackle for three Super Bowl championship teams.
Julius Peppers – Inducted 2024
Defensive End, 1998–2001
Peppers became the first Tar Heel defensive player to win a national college football award by winning both the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman and the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player in 2001.  In just three seasons, Peppers finished second at Carolina in career sacks and tackles for loss. He became just the second Tar Heel and the first since Lawrence Taylor to earn unanimous All-America honors.  The second overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 NFL Draft, Peppers became one of the most dominant pass rushers of his era. Playing for three franchises over a 17-year career, Peppers was the single-season sack leader for each at least once (Carolina, seven seasons; Chicago, four; and Green Bay, one). As a rookie, Peppers earned AP and PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year after averaging a sack per game, totaling 12 on the season. Peppers would register 10-plus sacks in 10 seasons, tied for third most in NFL history at the time of his retirement. His 2024 enshrinement made him a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Lawrence Taylor – Inducted 1999
Outside Linebacker, UNC 1977–80 | NFL 1981–93
During his time at Carolina, Taylor dominated the football field as few defensive players ever have. Now regarded as the finest outside linebacker in the history of the game, Taylor had a remarkable senior season which featured a school-record 16 quarterback sacks and six other tackles for losses. He was a runaway selection as ACC Player of the Year in 1980 and was also tabbed an All-American that year.  Taylor was the first-round draft pick of the New York Giants, and the second player selected overall in the 1981 NFL Draft. A dominant force on defense, Taylor was named first-team All-Pro in each of his first nine seasons. Taylor earned 10 Pro Bowl selections, was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times and won the 1986 NFL MVP award during his career with the New York Giants, helping the franchise win two Super Bowls.
Chris Hanburger – Inducted 2011
Linebacker, UNC 1961–64 | NFL 1965–78
Hanburger was a two-time first team All-ACC selection at Carolina, playing center on offense and linebacker on defense. The now Washington Commanders picked Hanburger in the 18th round of the 1965 NFL Draft. He was an integral part of the dominant Washington teams of the 1970s. He was selected first-team All-Pro four times in a five-season span from 1972 to 1976 and named All-Eastern Conference in 1968 and 1969 and All-NFC six times in seven seasons from 1970 to 1976. Hanburger also was voted to nine Pro Bowls in his 14-season career.
Julius Peppers – Inducted 2024
Defensive End, UNC 1998–2001 | NFL 2002–18
Peppers became the first Tar Heel defensive player to win a national college football award by winning both the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman and the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player in 2001.  In just three seasons, Peppers finished second at Carolina in career sacks and tackles for loss. He became just the second Tar Heel and the first since Lawrence Taylor to earn unanimous All-America honors.  The second overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 NFL Draft, Peppers became one of the most dominant pass rushers of his era. Playing for three franchises over a 17-year career, Peppers was the single-season sack leader for each at least once (Carolina, seven seasons; Chicago, four; and Green Bay, one). As a rookie, Peppers earned AP and PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year after averaging a sack per game, totaling 12 on the season. Peppers would register 10-plus sacks in 10 seasons, tied for third most in NFL history at the time of his retirement. His 2024 enshrinement made him a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
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Monday, September 28
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