Charlie Justice
Encyclopedia
Charles Ronald "Choo-Choo" Justice (May 18, 1924 – October 17, 2003) was an American football
halfback
in the National Football League
for the Washington Redskins
. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
.
at Lee H. Edwards High School
(now Asheville, N.C., High School), where he was a part of two undefeated seasons. He averaged 25 yards per rush his last year in high school. His senior year, his team outscored the opposition 400-6.
in World War II
. During that time, he played on the football team at Bainbridge Naval Center
.
at the University of North Carolina
under Carl Snavely
, where he played tailback for four years. Justice was also an active member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity in his years at UNC. While there, he was named an All-America
n in 1948 and 1949, and finished second in the Heisman Trophy
voting both years. While at North Carolina, Justice ran or threw for 64 touchdowns and set a team total-offense record of 4,883 yards, which stood until 1994.
He was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1950 College All-Star Game
, when he led the college team to a 17-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles
. He ran for 133 yards which was 48 yards more than the entire Eagles Team. He had runs of 33 and 45 yards and caught a pass for 40 yards.
During college, Benny Goodman recorded the song "All the Way, Choo Choo."
in the sixteenth round of the 1950 NFL Draft
by the Washington Redskins
, but his professional career was hampered and ultimately cut short by injuries.
In an exhibition game in 1952 in the Los Angeles Coliseum he rushed 11 times for 199 yards (18.1 average), with runs of 46, 65 and 54 yards. Curiously, he sustained a broken arm in the third quarter.
named Justice the 14th Greatest North Carolina Sports Figure.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
Early life
Justice attended and played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Lee H. Edwards High School
Asheville High School
Asheville High School in Asheville, North Carolina, United States, is one of two secondary schools in the Asheville City Schools system. It is located at 419 McDowell Street, in a building designed by Douglas Ellington. Construction of the original building was begun in 1927 and completed in 1929...
(now Asheville, N.C., High School), where he was a part of two undefeated seasons. He averaged 25 yards per rush his last year in high school. His senior year, his team outscored the opposition 400-6.
World War II
After high school, Justice spent four years in the NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During that time, he played on the football team at Bainbridge Naval Center
United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland
United States Naval Training Center, Bainbridge was the US Navy Training Center located at Port Deposit, Maryland, on the bluffs of the northeast bank of the Susquehanna River. It was active from 1942 to 1976....
.
College career
After the war, Justice was heavily recruited by Duke, North Carolina, and South Carolina. He was quoted as saying that he believed that an athlete should play in the state that he is going to make his career in, so he chose the University of North Carolina. Being a war veteran, he knew he had no need of an athletic scholarship. Justice sent a proposal to both universities asking each to allow him to attend on his G.I. tuition money and give the scholarship to his wife. Only North Carolina accepted this. Thus Justice attended and played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
under Carl Snavely
Carl Snavely
Carl "The Grey Fox" Snavely was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Bucknell University , the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Cornell University , and Washington University in St...
, where he played tailback for four years. Justice was also an active member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity in his years at UNC. While there, he was named an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in 1948 and 1949, and finished second in the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting both years. While at North Carolina, Justice ran or threw for 64 touchdowns and set a team total-offense record of 4,883 yards, which stood until 1994.
He was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1950 College All-Star Game
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
, when he led the college team to a 17-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He ran for 133 yards which was 48 yards more than the entire Eagles Team. He had runs of 33 and 45 yards and caught a pass for 40 yards.
During college, Benny Goodman recorded the song "All the Way, Choo Choo."
Professional career
Justice was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the sixteenth round of the 1950 NFL Draft
1950 NFL Draft
The 1950 National Football League Draft was held on January 20–21, 1950.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, but his professional career was hampered and ultimately cut short by injuries.
In an exhibition game in 1952 in the Los Angeles Coliseum he rushed 11 times for 199 yards (18.1 average), with runs of 46, 65 and 54 yards. Curiously, he sustained a broken arm in the third quarter.
After football
After football, Justice owned an insurance firm. He and his wife, Sarah,had a son Ronnie and a daughter, Barbara. He died in 2003. In 1970, the University of North Carolina dedicated a section of its athletic center in his name, calling it the Charlie Justice Hall of Honor. He was also named one of the all time 70 Greatest Redskins. In 1999, Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
named Justice the 14th Greatest North Carolina Sports Figure.