5/30/2016 football Edit

No. 2: Amos Lawrence

Amos Lawrence didn't garner the honors of some other Tar Heels, but he was as reliably productive as any Heel ever.

Andrew Jones • TarHeelIllustrated

Publisher

Andrew Jones has covered sports for 26 years, including all major college & professional sports for daily newspapers & national sites. He's done radio and TV & is entering his seventh year at THI.

No. 2

Name: Amos Lawrence

Position: RB

Jersey #: 20

Years: 1977-80

Honors: 3rd-team All-America by several magazines in 1980; ACC Rookie of the Year in 1977; Named to the 50-year 50 Greatest ACC Players Ever team.

Notable Stats: 4,391 rushing yards (UNC’s all-time leader); 40 career touchdowns (34 rushing, 6 receiving); 5.2 career rushing average on 881 attempts, and threw a TD pass in his freshman season.

In Closing: The second player i college football to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons, and it’s only been done two other times by players from power programs: Tony Dorsett (Pittsburgh) and Cedric Benson (Texas). Set an ACC-record rushing with 286 yards in a game as a freshman. Lawrence set 18 school records, earning the nickname “Famous Amos” that stands today, and will always be associated with him. His 4,391 career rushing yards remains second all-time in ACC history and tops at UNC. He ran for 100-plus yards 25 times and was the co-MVP of the 1979 Gator Bowl win over Michigan and MVP of the 1980 Bluebonnet Bowl win over Texas.

Lawrence helped give UNC stability in the latter Bill Dooley years leading into the Dick Crum era. His last Carolina team finished 11-1 and ranked No. 9 in the nation, the first of consecutive top-10 finishes for the Tar Heels. With him at tailback, and sometimes joined by other extremely talented backs, Lawrence’s greatness gave UNC a sure thing as it battled its way to the upper echelon of college football in what is considered the second best stretch in the program's history.

Prior Ranked Heels

30 - Natrone Means

29 - Jack Merritt

28 - Landon Turner

27 - Chris Hanburger

26 - Jeff Saturday

25 - Bob Lacey

24 - Bracey Walker

23 - Ethan Horton

22 - Brian Blados

21 - Leon Johnson

20 - George Barclay