Who's on the Mt. Rushmore of UNC Football?

No defensive player inspired more fear than Lawrence Taylor — so feared that entire offensive schemes were redesigned to account for him. That fear took root in the quiet town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Originally a defensive lineman before moving to linebacker, Taylor was a unanimous All-American selection in 1980 after recording 16 sacks—a single-season school record that still stands. That same year, he was named ACC Player of the Year, becoming just one of four defensive players to ever win the award.

Taylor’s No. 98 jersey was retired for his accomplishments at North Carolina.

After leaving Chapel Hill, Taylor went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the New York Giants, winning two Super Bowls. He was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 1986 — still the only defensive player to ever earn the honor.

HB Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice (1946-1949)

While Taylor may be the most iconic football player to come out of Carolina, the best player was Charlie Justice.

One of the first wll-known post-war college superstars, Justice served four years in the Navy during World War II and layed on the football team at layed on the football team at the United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge. After his service ended, Justice was heavily recruited by Duke, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Justice believed an athlete should compete in the state where he plans to build his career, which led him to choose between the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils.

As a war veteran, Justice did not need an athletic scholarship. Instead, he proposed to both Duke and North Carolina that he attend school using his G.I. Bill benefits and that the scholarship were to be given to his wife. Only Carolina agreed to the arrangement and the rest was history.

As the starting tailback in Carl Snavely's single-wing offense, Justice led UNC to a 32-7-2 record, two Southern Conference championships and trips to a New Year's Day bowl games in all four seasons.

Individually, he was a two-time All-American, two0time SoCon Player of the Year and was the Heisman runner-up in 1948 and 1949. He also accumulated 4,833 total offensive yards throughout his career, which was a school record for 45 years.

DE Julius Peppers (1999-2001)

Like Taylor, Julius Peppers was one of the most feared pass rushers in both college and professional football. The one thing Peppers has over Taylor is that he had a better career at UNC than LT did.

Peppers, the two-time All-American - going- unanimous and two-time All-ACC performer, started 33 of the 34 games he played in and finished his career second all-time in sacks. He also recorded 167 tackles, a school-record 53 tackles for loss, five interceptions, five forced fumbles and 13 pass breakups.

His peak season happened in his sophomore season in 2000 as he racked up 64 tackles, 24 tackles for loss (still a school record), three forced fumbles and scored two defensive touchdowns (pick six and fumble recovery).

In 2001, Peppers won the Bednarik Award, Bill Willis Trophy and the Lombardi Trophy after tallying 63 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and a forced fumble.

He later went on to have Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

CB Dre Bly (1996-98)

Dre Bly is one of the most decorated defensive layers in ACC history as he was a three-time All-American.

After taking a redshirt year his freshman season, Dre Bly had one of the best seasons a cornerback, let alone a freshman, have ever had. He had 11 interceptions (which is still an ACC record) and 13 pass breakups.

Moreover, Bly is just one of five freshmen to ever nimniated as an AP All-American, joining the likes of Tony Dorrsett, Marshall Faulk, and Hersvel Walker.

Bly finished his career as the ACC's all-time leader in interceptions and later had an 11-year career. He was a member of theSt. Louis Rams when they won Super Bowl XXXIV.

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