Ricky Lanier, first Black scholarship football player at UNC, dies at 76

Posted Oct 15, 2025
Williamston is mourning the death of another legend in the world of football. A celebration of life ceremony was held in Greensboro on Sunday, Oct. 12 for Ricky Lanier who died Oct. 1, according to his obituary. He was 76. Lanier was possibly best known for his status as the first Black scholarship football player at the University of North Carolina. (Greenville Daily Reflector)

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