UNC Football: Top 10 Tar Heels Running Backs All-Time
No. 10: Elijah Hood (2014-16)
Elijah Hood finished an impressive collegiate career for the Tar Heels in the winter of 2016. He currently plays for the Oakland Raiders.
Hood finished his UNC career ranked second in most yards in a single season by a running back (1,463 in 2015) and fifth in most touchdowns in a single season (17 in 2015).
His sophomore season was his most productive season for the Tar Heels. Hood finished his UNC career ranked eighth all-time in rushing yards (2,580).
He accomplished all of these records in three seasons while having just 259 yards rushing as a freshman.
No. 9: Charlie Justice (1946-49)
Charlie Justice earned the name “Choo Choo” due to the way he dodged tackles.
Justice finished his UNC career with 28 rushing touchdown. His 28 touchdowns is tied for seventh-place for all UNC players and tied for sixth-best among running backs. He represents the only running back to have his jersey number retired at the University of North Carolina.
Although Justice never rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season, he was a two-time college All-American in 1948 and 1949 and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in both years.
In addition, Justice ranks sixth all-time at UNC in points scored (234). He held the record for most touchdowns by a UNC running back (38) until the record was broken in 1976.
No. 8: Ethan Horton (1981-84)
Ethan Horton is one of several Tar Heels running backs to tally at least 1,000 yards rushing in more than one season. Horton had two 1,000 yard seasons; 1,107 yards in 1983 and 1,247 yards in 1984.
Currently, he ranks fifth for most rushing attempts at UNC (601), seventh in yards in single season yardage (1,247 in 1984) and top-25 in points scored. Horton ranks sixth all-time with 3,074 rushing yards.
He’s one of several UNC tailbacks to rush for more than 200 yards in a single game. He accomplished this feat twice when he had 201 yards against Vanderbilt in 1982 and again in 1984 when he tallied 209 yards against Memphis State.
He’s tied with four other UNC football players for the third-most rushing attempts in a single game (39).