Your All-Time Top 5 RBs at UNC

[UNC71-00]

These type threads always get attention on Radar- let's see how it goes here.(I know Choo-Choo should be on this list, but I only chose players from the era of helmets with facemasks).

1) Gio, and he wouldn't have made my top 3 without the punt return against Moo.
2) Don McCauley- I have seen tape and the dude was a monster. He could pund it insode like no other RB we have ever had.
3) Amos Lawrence- would have been in close contention for the Heisman if he had not been hurt.
4) Natrone Means- just destroyed people and was a huge part of Mack Brown era rising to prominence.
5) Kelvin Bryant- great fun to watch during my teen years and also might have had a shot at the Heisman but for injury.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Gio - the return against moo puts him here
Leon - the more versatile and handy of the Johnsons
Natrone - beast. Was shellacked in that super bowl against the niners though
Curtis - probably the better runner than his backfield mate Leon. Ridiculous speed.
McGill - injuries ruined this guy

 

[heelfan1963]

1) bryant
2) Gio
3) Famous Amos
4) McCauley
5) Fenner

 

[JamestownJim]

Gio
Mike Voight
Famous Amos
Kelvin Bryant
McCaluey

 

[WoadBlue]

Originally posted by UNC71-00:
These type threads always get attention on Radar- let's see how it goes here.(I know Choo-Choo should be on this list, but I only chose players from the era of helmets with facemasks).

1) Gio, and he wouldn't have made my top 3 without the punt return against Moo.
2) Don McCauley- I have seen tape and the dude was a monster. He could pund it insode like no other RB we have ever had.
3) Amos Lawrence- would have been in close contention for the Heisman if he had not been hurt.
4) Natrone Means- just destroyed people and was a huge part of Mack Brown era rising to prominence.
5) Kelvin Bryant- great fun to watch during my teen years and also might have had a shot at the Heisman but for injury.

Choo-Choo was a single wing tailback, which means he was half RB and half QB. So it is hard to compare him directly to a true RB.

Your list of 5 omits the Space Cowboy, Mike Voight. He was unique and relentless. He also was the most beloved RB by his teammates we have ever had. With an 11 game schedule, he rushed for more than 1000 yards 3 consecutive years. He might have rushed for 1000 as a freshman in 1973 if we had not had senior RB Sammy Johnson rushing for 1006 and fellow back up Jim Betterson, who would rush for 1082 in 1974 - the first year we had 2 1000 yard rushers in 1 season. Voight's 1407 in 1976 is the 2nd highest we have had, behind McCauley's 1720 in 1970. Voight is 2nd in career rushing yards behind Famous Amos.

I love UNC RBs. No way can you cut down any list to 5 without leaving out major players. Ethan Horton is another - he crossed the 1000 yard barrier twice, and shared the back field and carries with Kelvin Bryant for a year, maybe 2, and with Tyrone Anthony - who was a 1000 yard rusher one year.

 

[UNC71-00]

Originally posted by WoadBlue:

Originally posted by UNC71-00:
These type threads always get attention on Radar- let's see how it goes here.(I know Choo-Choo should be on this list, but I only chose players from the era of helmets with facemasks).

1) Gio, and he wouldn't have made my top 3 without the punt return against Moo.
2) Don McCauley- I have seen tape and the dude was a monster. He could pund it insode like no other RB we have ever had.
3) Amos Lawrence- would have been in close contention for the Heisman if he had not been hurt.
4) Natrone Means- just destroyed people and was a huge part of Mack Brown era rising to prominence.
5) Kelvin Bryant- great fun to watch during my teen years and also might have had a shot at the Heisman but for injury.

Choo-Choo was a single wing tailback, which means he was half RB and half QB. So it is hard to compare him directly to a true RB.

Your list of 5 omits the Space Cowboy, Mike Voight. He was unique and relentless. He also was the most beloved RB by his teammates we have ever had. With an 11 game schedule, he rushed for more than 1000 yards 3 consecutive years. He might have rushed for 1000 as a freshman in 1973 if we had not had senior RB Sammy Johnson rushing for 1006 and fellow back up Jim Betterson, who would rush for 1082 in 1974 - the first year we had 2 1000 yard rushers in 1 season. Voight's 1407 in 1976 is the 2nd highest we have had, behind McCauley's 1720 in 1970. Voight is 2nd in career rushing yards behind Famous Amos.

I love UNC RBs. No way can you cut down any list to 5 without leaving out major players. Ethan Horton is another - he crossed the 1000 yard barrier twice, and shared the back field and carries with Kelvin Bryant for a year, maybe 2, and with Tyrone Anthony - who was a 1000 yard rusher one year.

quit yer bitchin and make a list

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Did smooth as butter make it over to Tar Heel Blitz?

I'm not old enough to put together a good All-Time list. Well....combination of I'm not old enough and that we have been pretty dreadful for most of my life, so yeah.

All I got is Gio. No other "elite" level running backs have come through Carolina during my lifetime, or at least during years I was old enough to watch and understand what was happening.

 

[UNC71-00]

Originally posted by TarHeelNation11:
Did smooth as butter make it over to Tar Heel Blitz?

I'm not old enough to put together a good All-Time list. Well....combination of I'm not old enough and that we have been pretty dreadful for most of my life, so yeah.

All I got is Gio. No other "elite" level running backs have come through Carolina during my lifetime, or at least during years I was old enough to watch and understand what was happening.

You, of all poasters, should not be making snarky comments. I'm trying to get discussion going so that you will be able to unwad your panties. This is the kind of thing that keeps Radar going in the off season. Now make a list, dammit. It's not like most of the guys on Radar ever saw Ed Cota play, let alone Phil Ford, but it doesn't keep them from having expert opinions.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

^^ very true. In that case...........

Choo Choo
McCauley
Means
Voight
the guy who was called "The Battering Ram" and was the genesis for us having a ram mascot

 

[Raising Heel]

I'm limiting my list to guys I've personally seen play, which means it'll be limited. Deal with it.

1. Giovani Bernard -- Probably the best balance of skill, speed, and power I've seen in a single back in my time following UNC football. And of course, the punt return. That was the most electrifying play I've ever seen in Kenan Stadium. I was actually thinking about it this morning, wondering whether you could hear the crowd explode all the way over on Franklin Street. I bet you could.

2. Natrone Means -- There was nobody you'd rather see toting the ball to salt away a 4th quarter lead. Woody said it all the time...Natrone got stronger as the game went on. He absolutely punished tacklers and keyed UNC's rise to prominence under Mack Brown.

3. Madison Hedgecock -- Yeah, so I fudged a little here. But if you're going to run a successful pro-style offense, you've got to have a good fullback paving the way. Guys like Willie Parker, Andre Williams, and Jacque Lewis experienced success because of the holes he helped open. Hedgecock absolutely stoned tacklers at the line of scrimmage and beyond, and he did actually fill in as a primary back for a few games due to injuries. Bunting trying to make him into a defensive end was the second stupidest move of his coaching career at UNC (after not signing Russell Wilson).

4. Curtis Johnson -- I'm going with the other half of the Johnson & Johnson duo. I just remember him and Jason Stanicek running the option to near perfection in the early 90s. One of my favorite moments came against NC State in Raleigh in 1993. After trailing 14-10 at the half, UNC came out and ran the ball down their throats. Johnson broke away for a 50-yard TD on the first drive of the second half and UNC never looked back. That was the game that featured a bench-clearing brawl and a UNC assistant body-slamming an NC State assistant at the end of the game.

5. T.J. Logan -- Maybe another surprise pick here. Maybe he's not NFL material, and maybe he's not going to re-write the UNC record books due to injuries and our depth at the position (not to mention an underperforming OL). But when he's healthy, he's a lot of fun to watch. Fantastic vision and he explodes through the hole like he's shot out of a cannon. I love seeing him in open space because he is so good at making people miss.

 

[Coach_a_Heart]

#1 Kelvin Bryant for sheer talent. Injuries derailed what seemed destined to be a legendary season. Hershel Walker was also dominating the headlines. He had a great UNC career and was a star in the USFL with 2 championships. Later he was integral in the Redskins offense in the running and passing games with a Super Bowl ring. He was a natural and elusive runner with great hands out of the backfield too.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[gunslingerdick]

Originally posted by Raising Heel:

3. Madison Hedgecock

Nice!

 

[WoadBlue]

Originally posted by UNC71-00:

Originally posted by WoadBlue:

Originally posted by UNC71-00:
These type threads always get attention on Radar- let's see how it goes here.(I know Choo-Choo should be on this list, but I only chose players from the era of helmets with facemasks).

1) Gio, and he wouldn't have made my top 3 without the punt return against Moo.
2) Don McCauley- I have seen tape and the dude was a monster. He could pund it insode like no other RB we have ever had.
3) Amos Lawrence- would have been in close contention for the Heisman if he had not been hurt.
4) Natrone Means- just destroyed people and was a huge part of Mack Brown era rising to prominence.
5) Kelvin Bryant- great fun to watch during my teen years and also might have had a shot at the Heisman but for injury.

Choo-Choo was a single wing tailback, which means he was half RB and half QB. So it is hard to compare him directly to a true RB.

Your list of 5 omits the Space Cowboy, Mike Voight. He was unique and relentless. He also was the most beloved RB by his teammates we have ever had. With an 11 game schedule, he rushed for more than 1000 yards 3 consecutive years. He might have rushed for 1000 as a freshman in 1973 if we had not had senior RB Sammy Johnson rushing for 1006 and fellow back up Jim Betterson, who would rush for 1082 in 1974 - the first year we had 2 1000 yard rushers in 1 season. Voight's 1407 in 1976 is the 2nd highest we have had, behind McCauley's 1720 in 1970. Voight is 2nd in career rushing yards behind Famous Amos.

I love UNC RBs. No way can you cut down any list to 5 without leaving out major players. Ethan Horton is another - he crossed the 1000 yard barrier twice, and shared the back field and carries with Kelvin Bryant for a year, maybe 2, and with Tyrone Anthony - who was a 1000 yard rusher one year.

quit yer bitchin and make a list

Forced to name 5:

Gio Bernard
Kelvin Bryant
Amos Lawrence
Don McCauley
Mike Voight

They are in alphabetical order. Gio is on there for what he could have done almost as much as for what he did. He only played 2 seasons.

 

[heelbent]

1 - Choo Choo

2 - Don McCauley

3 - Famous Amos

4 - Kelvin Bryant

5 - The Space Cowboy

 

[T-Square]

Originally posted by TarHeelNation11:
^^ very true. In that case...........

Choo Choo
McCauley
Means
Voight
the guy who was called "The Battering Ram" and was the genesis for us having a ram mascot

That was Jack Merritt who was related to my wife's family.


My own five...

Ken Willard
Don McCauley
Choo-Choo Justice
Amos Lawrence
Gio Bernard
This post was edited on 4/16 3:26 PM by T-Square

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Originally posted by T-Square:

Originally posted by TarHeelNation11:
^^ very true. In that case...........

Choo Choo
McCauley
Means
Voight
the guy who was called "The Battering Ram" and was the genesis for us having a ram mascot

That was Jack Merritt who was related to my wife's family.

That's pretty darn cool.

 

[gteeitup]

just from my history...

bryant
lawrence
means
mcgill
leon johnson

 

[franklin street]

bryant was my favorite to watch because it all seemed so effortless when he ran. what might have been.

mccauley and voight always looked like they someone had beaten the dookie out of them after a game because dooley would run them into the ground. great running backs.
willard was in the same mold.
sorry it would take to long to come up with a top 5 because we've had so many great ones.

let's ad logan and hood to the list soon.

 

[Raising Heel]

Originally posted by franklin street:

let's ad logan and hood to the list soon.

Yes! We know what Logan has to offer, but I think the light is gonna come on for Hood this season. Just a gut feeling.

 

[heelmanwilm]

When we played s car and amos was the rb he pukled an incredible move in the backfield to make a defender miss. Not only did he miss he never even touched amos even though he had him dead. He ended up tackling air and falling on his face. Woody said "lets just say the gamecock defender was faked out of a certain portion of his uniform"
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[UNCWayno]

Kelvin Bryant. If he had not gotten hurt UNC would have a Heisman winner.

 

[WoadBlue]

Originally posted by UNCWayno:

Kelvin Bryant. If he had not gotten hurt UNC would have a Heisman winner.

And perhaps an undefeated team that would have faced Nebraska for the National title.

 

[scoutsupreme]

And perhaps an undefeated team that would have faced Nebraska for the National title.

 

[scoutsupreme]

1. Kelvin Bryant
2. Famous Amos
3. Natron means
4, Mike Bought
5. Gio Bernard

 

[JimmyinVA]

1) natrone means
2) natrone means
3) natrone means
4) natrone means
5) natrone means

awesome combination of power and speed! watching natrone means was like watching a super hero movie. instead of avoiding defensive backs he would LOOK for them so he could have the pleasure of plowing over them LOL. also, i love his name which reminds me of nitro means business. his greatness continued in the pros. i'm really proud that natrone means is a tar heel!

 

[Xlance]

These type threads always get attention on Radar- let's see how it goes here.(I know Choo-Choo should be on this list, but I only chose players from the era of helmets with facemasks).

1) Gio, and he wouldn't have made my top 3 without the punt return against Moo.
2) Don McCauley- I have seen tape and the dude was a monster. He could pund it insode like no other RB we have ever had.
3) Amos Lawrence- would have been in close contention for the Heisman if he had not been hurt.
4) Natrone Means- just destroyed people and was a huge part of Mack Brown era rising to prominence.
5) Kelvin Bryant- great fun to watch during my teen years and also might have had a shot at the Heisman but for injury.

#1 Kennard Martin
#2 Amos
#3 Derrick Fenner
#4 Mike Voight
#5 McCauley

 

[manofsteel72tp]

First time posting.
Been a diehard Heel fan since birth. Tough to call with all the great backs we’ve had but I’ll give it a shot.
1. Gotta be KB. Effortless.
2. Famous Amos
3. Curtis Johnson. Blazing speed.
4. Leon Johnson. Total package.
5. Derrick Fenner or Ethan Horton. If I’m remembering correctly very similar backs.

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

Kelvin Bryant. If he had not gotten hurt UNC would have a Heisman winner.

15 touchdowns in the first three games, plus two in the fourth game before injury.

 

[Archer2]

Kelvin Bryant
Don McCauley
Mike Voight
Natrone Means
Javonte Williams

 

[Bubspub88]

Bryant
McCauley
Lawrence
Voight
Means