The pioneer: Ricky Lanier reflects on being UNC's first Black football player

Posted Feb 28, 2023
The story goes that starting quarterback John Swofford went down early with an injury, meaning North Carolina coach Bill Dooley had to turn to his bench for a replacement in the 1969 game against VMI. It then became time for Ricky Lanier to show he was more than capable of directing an offense and better than the stereotype that said he couldn’t. (Winston-Salem Journal)

Related: Football, Football Recruiting

Wide Receiver Jordan Shipp rises to the occasion for his sophomore season
Jordan Shipp had faith. When an injury impacted his mental health during the 2024 preseason, the sophomore receiver started working with UNC Football chaplain, Mitch...
Thu Aug 28, 2025

Chansky’s Notebook: ‘Bad Scheduling!’
What are UNC's advantages over TCU? Well, the Tar Heels are playing at home, where a capacity Kenan Stadium crowd will be rowdy and ready...
Thu Aug 28, 2025

UNC Football blocking out the noise despite national attention
When Gio Lopez walks around campus, he tunes everything out. UNC's starting quarterback slips on his headphones, turns up the music, and blocks out the...
Thu Aug 28, 2025

Video: IC Podcast - Eric Church on the Bill Belichick Era, 2025 UNC Football
Despite the demands of being a music megastar, Eric Church is just as much of a Tar Heel as you'll find. He joins Inside...
Thu Aug 28, 2025