On a difficult Father's Day, Erik Paulsen found strength in his UNC family

This Father's Day undoubtedly was an emotional one for Erik Paulsen and his family.

Just about a year ago, Paulsen lost his father, a former NYPD officer, who was one of the heroes who was on scene for the weeks and months following the devastating attacks on September 11, 2001.

In case you haven't heard this story, we encourage you to check it out below.

Before his passing, Erik's father, Erik Paulsen Sr., was able to visit Chapel Hill with him for his official visit, one that occurred just weeks before his passing. As a family, the Paulsen's, with Erik Sr.'s full blessing, knew that North Carolina was the right place for him.

Unfortunately, Erik Sr. wasn't able to see his son wear the Carolina Blue uniform, but his memory will always be with the Paulsen family, a group that has an extended family of Tar Heels attached as well.

The Tar Heel family shows love to the Paulsen family on Father's Day

With this being their first Father's Day without him, Erik and his family certainly faced a ton of emotion. However, they didn't have to deal with this alone, as the Tar Heel family took part in an absolutely beautiful tribute that will have you holding back tears of your own.

Each father of a current Tar Heel wore the above pin with Paulsen's No. 44 on it. This was done as a gesture to honor Erik's late father, one that shows how incredibly tight-knit the UNC baseball family truly is.

As we all expected him to do, Paulsen put together a performance on Sunday that definitely has his father smiling down on him. Heck, we know he's extremely proud of him and has been with him every time he takes the field or digs into the batter's box.

In five at-bats, the junior first baseman recorded three hits, scoring a run in the Diamond Heels' 6-2 victory over Oklahoma. He was the lone Tar Heel with multiple hits, as he's made a living off being able to find his way on base, especially during the College World Series.

 "It meant a lot," Paulsen said about winning this game on Father's Day. "Seeing my mom in the stands with my siblings, and my dad’s mom, my grandma, she was also in the stands today. It’s really awesome to see them out there. Obviously, it’s very emotional. But it was glad we got to the win today and can’t wait to go out there tomorrow."

When asked about the tribute from the Carolina dads and the emotions he faced throughout the day, Paulsen noted that it wasn't easy, but he took the time to mention how his dad raised him to be a strong man, something he aspires to do every single day.

"My dad always brought me up as a strong kid. I kind of lost it in the dugout after the game today, after doing a couple of interviews. I just sat in the dugout and got a little emotional. That’s the first time I’ve broken down in a while."

"He just raised me to be a strong man. And I just try to carry that out every day."

While this was definitely a tough day for the Paulsen family, it's one that will also turn out to be a very special one for them as well. What better way to honor Erik Paulsen Sr. then by his son playing on college baseball's biggest stage, making a huge impact in North Carolina's victory?

That simply was something that Erik Paulsen Sr. dreamed about for his son, and it now has become a reality. Even though he wasn't there physically on Sunday afternoon, his presence was felt through the love and support from the Carolina family.

Needless to say, Erik Paulsen's dad is extremely proud of the young man he raised, a well-rounded young man who is carrying on his father's legacy to the absolute best of his ability.

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