Justice, "Charlie" (Charles)
Football
b. Aug. 23, 1924, Asheville, NC
d. Oct. 16, 2003
Fresh out of high school, Justice joined the Navy during World War II and became the youngest player on the Bainbridge, MD, Naval Training Station football team. He entered the University of North Carolina after leaving the service in 1946 and was the school's starting single-wing tailback for four years.
Nicknamed the "Scintillating Sicilian" by sportswriters, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Justice rushed for 3,774 yards and passed for 2,362, setting what was then an NCAA record with 5,176 yards of total offense during his college career. He scored 39 touchdowns and also punted for a 42.6-yard average.
His college coach, Carl Snavely, said of him, "Justice was a great open-field runner and exceptional kicker. . . . In addition to his skill, speed, and other qualities, Justice was a spirited leader, and he possesses amazing stamina." He missed only one game during his four years at North Carolina.
Justice was chosen by the Washington Redskins in the NFL's 1950 college draft, but he was out a good part of the season in a contract dispute. He held out for all of 1951, when he was an assistant coach at North Carolina, then returned to the Redskins in 1952 and spent three more seasons with them before retiring.
During his 4 years as a professional, Justice gained 1,284 yards on 266 attempts, a 4.8 average, and scored 3 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 63 passes for 962 yards, a 15.3 average, and 7 touchdowns, and punted 94 times for a 40.4-yard average.