Rank 'em -- former UNC athletes

[TarHeelNation11]

Use any criteria you want.

Ryan Switzer

Julius Peppers

Tyler Hansbrough

Marcus Paige

Gio Bernard

Phil Ford

James Worthy

Amos Lawrence

Choo Choo Justice

<wild card: add two>

 

[toophly1124]

From best to worst?

 

[toophly1124]

Tyler Hansbrough
Phil
James
Gio
Marcus
Amos
Switz
ChooChoo!
Peppers

 

[Nuk'EM Heels]

Michael Jordan
Mia Hamm
Julius Peppers
Choo Choo
Lawrence Taylor
Phil Ford
James Worthy
Gio Bernard
Tyler Hansbrough
Amos Lawrence
Marcus Paige
Ryan Switzer

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

Michael Jordan
Tyler Hansbrough
James Worthy
Phil Ford
Lawrence Taylor
Julius Peppers
Marcus Paige
Gio Bernard
Choo Choo
Ryan Switzer
Amos Lawrence

 

[TarHeelNation11]

My criteria is how much I enjoyed watching them play (or how much I think I would've enjoyed watching them play, if they were before my time) + did I just like them as people.

Tyler Hansbrough
Ryan Switzer
Michael Jordan
Darian Durant
Marcus Paige
Choo Choo
Julius Peppers
Gio Bernard
James Worthy
Phil Ford
Amos Lawrence

 

[strummingram]

Chris Hanburger

Lawrence Taylor

 

[BillyL]

Jordan

Hansbrough

Worthy

Ford

Lawson

Paige

Justice

Peppers

Lawrence

Bernard

Switzer

 

[heelbent]

My two favorite Heels are Hansbrough and Mike Voight, in that order.

Everyone else is in a 3rd place tie.

 

[cletusnow]

Jordan
LT
Worthy
ChooChoo
Ford
Amos
Julius Peppers
Tyler Hansbrough
Gio
Switz
Paige

 

[notashelbyfan]

Pep is by far the most freak athlete I have ever seen in collage no question with Carter being the only one close.

But my favorite has to be and he wasn't going to wow you as a freak athlete or anything but I lived to watch Cota play the point at Carolina, he was something to watch. To watch him p lay was nuts he dripped high and it looked crazy but he had sick ball handling abilities in traffic.

And as Stewart Scott said many time on Sportscenter after a Carolina game "he is cool as the other side of the pillow" and "its your world kid...the rest of us are still paying rent"

 

[ticket2ride04]

Use any criteria you want.

Ryan Switzer

Julius Peppers

Tyler Hansbrough

Marcus Paige

Gio Bernard

Phil Ford

James Worthy

Amos Lawrence

Choo Choo Justice

<wild card: add two>

MJ

Lawrence Taylor


Julius Peppers
James Worthy


Phil Ford
Amos Lawrence
Tyler Hansbrough
Gio
Marcus Paige
Ryan Switzer



Can’t properly rank Justice. Too long ago for me.

 

[ticket2ride04]

I do find it crazy how criminally underrated Peppers is. Dude is 4th all-time in sacks and played the run much better than most traditional Pass Rushers. His consistency and longevity is quite impressive.

I firmly believe his prime years were wasted in Carolina. A young Peppers in a good 3-4 scheme would have been a wonder to watch.

 

[BillyL]

Pepper's game against the Stanford BBall team in the Tourney was impressive and inspiring.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Marcus and the man we know as 50 are at the top of my list. I loved both of those boys as if they were own. They both were exactly what college athletics should be about. Gio, Phil and Worthy right behind those two.

 

[heelz2345]

Tyler Hansbrough
Marcus Paige
Gio Bernard
Julius Peppers
Ryan Switzer
Phil Ford
James Worthy
Amos Lawrence
Choo Choo Justice

My ranking criteria was ranking everyone I actually saw play in person first, and then using how much I've seen highlights and whether or not I've met the person to rank the others. Hansbrough and Paige are two of the top in what I call "True Tar Heels" meaning I think they represent Carolina in a way that isn't necessarily defined by winning but by how they carry themselves, how they compete, and just the kind of guys that make you proud to be a Tar Heel (Paige may actually be my number 1 in that regard; I've never wanted a championship for anyone that didn't get one more than that kid). Gio is next because I will love him for that punt return until the day I die (that may be the most excited I've ever been in Kenan Stadium). Julius just had so much talent, one of my favorites to watch. Switz was electric, no doubt, but none of his punt returns ever beat State so he had to come in 5th.

 

[TarHeelMark]

1: Phil Ford - I was a young'un but that '77 team made me a Tar Heel fan for life.

2a & 2b: Michael Jordan (wc) & James Worthy - bringing Coach Smith his first natty puts them on a special level for me.

3. Tyler Hansbrough - Psycho T and that dominant 2009 team was a force to be reckoned with. Plus, he's 4-0 in derm. I'm not holding my breath, but I'd love to see another UNC team do that sometime soon.

4. Marcus Paige - man, oh man... I wish Marcus could've gotten a ring. Loved this kid. Just an all around great Tar Heel player and representative of the university.

5. Jawad/Melvin/Jackie (wc) - I know it's three guys as my second wild card, but seeing them suffer through 8-20, and then bringing home Roy's first natty, I was unable to just pick one of these guys.

6. Julius Peppers - an all around great one.

7. Gio Bernard - the punt return to beat moo will forever live in Tar Heel lore.

8. Ryan Switzer - so fun to watch this guy.

9. Amos Lawrence - I remember famous Amos, but I wasn't following UNC football as closely back then.

10. Choo Choo Justice - He is special in the UNC football history, but it's hard to rank him ahead of guys that I got to see play.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

5. Jawad/Melvin/Jackie (wc) - I know it's three guys as my second wild card, but seeing them suffer through 8-20, and then bringing home Roy's first natty, I was unable to just pick one of these guys.

Great shout! Loved Jawad.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

I do find it crazy how criminally underrated Peppers is. Dude is 4th all-time in sacks and played the run much better than most traditional Pass Rushers. His consistency and longevity is quite impressive.

I firmly believe his prime years were wasted in Carolina. A young Peppers in a good 3-4 scheme would have been a wonder to watch.

Add it to the list of the failures of one John Bunting.

 

[tarheel0910]

Great shout! Loved Jawad.

He's probably my favorite UNC basketball player and I think his contribution to that title team is extremely underappreciated.

 

[heelz2345]

Great shout! Loved Jawad.

Jawad was definitely the best player of that trio, and one of the most underrated Heels. But I want to shout out my man Jackie both for his on the court unselfishness and commitment to defense and his off the court personality, because I met him a few times and he was super nice to a dorky high school freshman and even remembered me after our first encounter.

 

[heelz2345]

Add it to the list of the failures of one John Bunting.

I think he was saying more about his NFL career and referring to the Panthers. Bunting was only there for one of Peppers' years at UNC, and that didn't hurt Peppers too much seeing as he was a first team AA and won the Bednarik and Lombardi awards.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

I think he was saying more about his NFL career and referring to the Panthers. Bunting was only there for one of Peppers' years at UNC, and that didn't hurt Peppers too much seeing as he was a first team AA and won the Bednarik and Lombardi awards.

LET ME PILE ON BUNTING, DAMMIT. His tenure is a disgusting black mark on Carolina Football history.

 

[TarHeelMark]

Jawad was definitely the best player of that trio, and one of the most underrated Heels. But I want to shout out my man Jackie both for his on the court unselfishness and commitment to defense and his off the court personality, because I met him a few times and he was super nice to a dorky high school freshman and even remembered me after our first encounter.

I loved Jackie as well. That's why I lumped those guys together. They persevered and could've easily bailed on UNC. To see them have their one shining moment* as seniors was really special.

*Note: this doesn't look like the official cbs version, but it's still pretty good.

 

[ticket2ride04]

Add it to the list of the failures of one John Bunting.

I was speaking more about the Panthers but you could lump Bunting in there as well.

 

[heelz2345]

I loved Jackie as well. That's why I lumped those guys together. They persevered and could've easily bailed on UNC. To see them have their one shining moment* as seniors was really special.

*Note: this doesn't look like the official cbs version, but it's still pretty good.

View embedded media

Yeah that's the version they made for the 2005 season in review DVD. It's all the UNC highlights of the season, so it's pretty great. And yeah, I have no problem with using them as a trio, cause those guys went through the worst to get to the mountaintop. Super happy that all 3 left as champs.

 

[heelz2345]

LET ME PILE ON BUNTING, DAMMIT. His tenure is a disgusting black mark on Carolina Football history.

Hey, you'll hear no arguments from me. Just was saying that's the one decent year the guy had, in large part to Peppers being Peppers.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Hey, you'll hear no arguments from me. Just was saying that's the one decent year the guy had, in large part to Peppers being Peppers.

Exactly. He took over all that talent and still managed to lose the first three games. Bunting knew how to survive and that was it. His teams would win a game right when his seat was on fire, and then Dickie Baddour would blow his load and re-up Bunting for another year or two.

So many folks on Blitz and Blue Heaven b*tch about how "bad" we've been under Fedora. I honestly don't know how they avoided being admitted to the looney bin under Bunting's tenure. Those teams were horrific.

Yes, I note the irony of me noting Darian Durant as one of my all-time favorite Heels. That dude was a beast. We would've gone 0-fer in a couple seasons if not for him.

 

[grillheel]

Michael Jordan
Lawrence Taylor
Phil Ford
James Worthy
Gio Bernard
Marcus Paige
Amos Lawrence
Tyler Hansbrough
Julius Peppers
Ryan Switzer
Choo Choo Justice

Even I am not old enough to have seen Choo Choo play. Peppers may have been the best “athlete” in the group, but, for some reason, I’ll always feel like he could have done more. Taylor may be an ass, but he was the best football player I ever saw. Great list.

 

[ticket2ride04]

Michael Jordan
Lawrence Taylor
Phil Ford
James Worthy
Gio Bernard
Marcus Paige
Amos Lawrence
Tyler Hansbrough
Julius Peppers
Ryan Switzer
Choo Choo Justice

Even I am not old enough to have seen Choo Choo play. Peppers may have been the best “athlete” in the group, but, for some reason, I’ll always feel like he could have done more. Taylor may be an ass, but he was the best football player I ever saw. Great list.

Why do people always say this about Peppers? What should he have done more of?

 

[grillheel]

Why do people always say this about Peppers? What should he have done more of?

I’ve always been a fan of his, but the perception is that he would sometimes take plays off. That probably isn’t fair, and the fact that he has accomplished so much proves it may not be true. He was double teamed quite a lot at Carolina, I know, and probably in the pros too, but I just feel like he could have had a little higher motor. Like I said, he may very well be the best pure athlete in that group, which is saying a lot, and I’ve been a fan since he was in Bailey, NC.

 

[ticket2ride04]

I’ve always been a fan of his, but the perception is that he would sometimes take plays off. That probably isn’t fair, and the fact that he has accomplished so much proves it may not be true. He was double teamed quite a lot at Carolina, I know, and probably in the pros too, but I just feel like he could have had a little higher motor. Like I said, he may very well be the best pure athlete in that group, which is saying a lot, and I’ve been a fan since he was in Bailey, NC.

4th all time in sacks. You can’t have a bad motor and get there.

He got Simms drafted way high. He also never really played for a great defensive coach outside of a couple of years under Del Rio.