It has been nearly a century now since the North Carolina Tar Heels began their journey on the gridiron. Their legacy spans 121 seasons, and the team has an all-time record of 751 wins, 570 losses, and 54 ties with a .566 winning percentage.
The Tar Heels have played 37 bowl games, earned eight conference titles (including five in the ACC), and won two division titles.
But through the touchdowns, tackles, and tight finishes, one thing has remained unchanged. The sometimes fuzzy, sometimes woolly, but always proud ram on the sidelines.
What Is the North Carolina Tar Heels’ Mascot?
Rameses is the Tar Heels’ mascot, who is not just a cute face at Kenan Stadium. The mascot has three versions, and each brings its own flavor to the Carolina sidelines. First, there’s the real-deal Dorset Horn sheep with the Carolina blue-painted horns, who is a legend during football games.
Then there is the huggable Rameses, whose high-fiving costumed version jumps around with the cheer squad. And last but not least, the latest addition, the Rameses Jr. or RJ, an adorable, anthropomorphic lamb who debuted in 2015 to win over the younger crowd. So, where did all the ram love come from?
Well, the story started back in 1924. Star fullback Jack Merritt had earned the nickname “the battering ram” for his bruising style of play and, well, an infamous freshman initiation ritual. That gave head cheerleader Vic Huggins an idea. Why not bring in an actual ram as the team mascot?
With $25 in hand, given by the then-athletic business manager Charles T. Woollen, Huggins managed to order a ram from Texas. The ram made his first appearance at a pep rally before a tight game against VMI.
Legend has it, that moments before Bunn Hackney stepped onto the field for a 30-yard field goal attempt, he gave Rameses a little head rub. UNC won 3-0 that day. And just like that, a tradition was born.
Since then, Rameses has been a constant figure in Carolina football. The current live ram is lovingly cared for by the Hogan family in Chapel Hill, keeping the legacy alive one blue-horned headbutt at a time.
Why Was the North Carolina Tar Heels’ Mascot Rameses?
So, why a ram, of all animals? Well, it wasn’t just plucked from a farmyard at random. UNC was in a bit of a slump back in 1924. He noticed that other schools had intimidating mascots. Yale’s bulldog and NC State’s wolf were all about power. UNC needed a power symbol of its own.
Thanks to Jack Merritt’s fearsome “Battering Ram” nickname, the choice was clear. Over the decades, the ram has evolved. In the 1987-88 season, UNC introduced the costumed version of Rameses. The first student to don the suit was senior Eric Chilton, who debuted at basketball games in early ’88.
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While the costume design has changed over the years, the spirit is the same. And when Rameses Jr. arrived in 2015, decked out in Jordan-brand gear and big blue eyes, the Tar Heels showed that even traditions could have a glow-up. As Brown Walters put it, RJ was designed to be “kid-friendly” and help UNC’s spirit reach a whole new generation.
Rameses has charged his way into school history. And if you ask any Tar Heel, the games just wouldn’t be the same without him.
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