North Carolina's Top 10 Athletes

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jul 18, 2007

North Carolina's Top 10 Athletes

Antawn Jamison

During his three years in Chapel Hill, Jamison averaged 19.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. As a junior, he won the Naismith and Wooden awards in leading the Tar Heels to their second straight Final Four.

B.J. Surhoff

Surhoff was drafted straight out of high school, but he elected to honor his commitment to UNC instead. The move paid off: in three years at North Carolina, Surhoff hit .392, was the ACC Male Athlete of the Year in 1985 and became a two-time first team All-American. After his junior season, the Brewers took him with the top pick in the 1985 MLB Draft.

Charlotte Smith

Smith's buzzer-beating three-pointer against Louisiana Tech in the Final Four gave the Tar Heels the 1994 national championship. Third in career points and second in rebounds, she is the only UNC women's player to have her jersey retired.

Eddie Pope

During his four years at North Carolina, Pope started every game in which he played. He scored seven goals from the back line on his way to making the first-team All-America as a junior in 1994.

Julius Peppers

In 2001, Peppers won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top defensive lineman. His 30.5 sacks ranks second in UNC history, and he also was a member of the men's basketball team that reached the Final Four in 2000.

Marion Jones

Jones, who would later win three gold medals at the 2000 Olympics, led the Tar Heels women's basketball team to the national championship in 1994.

Phil Ford

Playing under Dean Smith from 1975-1978, Ford mastered the "Four Corners" offense on his way to becoming the Tar Heels' all-time leading scorer with 2,290 points. During his career, Ford took home a litany of awards including ACC Athlete of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, ACC Tournament MVP, first team All-America and the Wooden award for Player of the Year.

Lawrence Taylor

Taylor starred at North Carolina from 1977-1980, winning the ACC's Player of the Year award in his final season on his way to becoming an All-American. LT, a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, holds the UNC records for total sacks and sacks in a single-season.

Mia Hamm

Hamm, who many consider the greatest women's soccer player of all-time, led the Tar Heels to four national championships during her time in Chapel Hill and was recognized as National Player of the Year in three of those four years.

Michael Jordan

After swishing the winning jumper in the 1982 national championship game as a precocious freshman role player, Jordan won the Naismith and Wooden National Player of the Year Awards during his final year as a junior in 1983.