CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — If you're sitting around watching March Madness wondering to yourself, what on earth is a Tar Heel? We've got you covered. Here's a little history on why UNC calls themselves the Tar Heels.
The term “Tar Heel” dates back to North Carolina's early history, according to UNC’s website. The state was a leading producer of supplies for the naval industry. Workers would distill turpentine from the sticky sap of pine trees, and they burned pine boughs to produce tar. The workers often went barefoot and would collect tar on their heels. When someone called a person a “tar heel,” it often meant they worked in a lowly trade.
During the Civil War, soldiers turned the term into an accolade, calling themselves 'Tar Heels' as an expression of state pride. It caught on, and pretty soon, North Carolina became known as the 'Tar Heel State.'
Then in the 1880s, when UNC began competing in sports, they needed a catchy nickname. According to UNC's Alumni Association, there doesn't seem to have been much debate about what to call themselves. They were then, and always have been, the Tar Heels.
So why is UNC's mascot a ram?
Now you might be wondering, why is UNC's mascot a ram? That's Rameses - and the costume version of him came to be in the late '80s. Fun fact: WFMY News 2's very own Eric Chilton was the first costumed Rameses!
But well before then, UNC had the live animal Rameses - yes, an actual ram - attending football games starting in 1924.
The story goes that head cheerleader Vic Huggins was inspired by UNC's star football player Jack "The Battering Ram" Merritt, to get a live ram to bring to the games. With $25 and the blessing of the athletics department, Huggins got a real live ram. The rest is history!
