View source for Charlie Justice (halfback)

{{Short description|American football player (1924–2003)}}
{{for|the college football lineman and coach|Charles M. Justice}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name        = Charlie Justice
| image       = Charlie Justice - 1952 Bowman Large.jpg
| caption     = Justice on 1952 Bowman football card
| number      = 22
| position    = [[Halfback (American football)|Halfback]]
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1924|5|18|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Asheville, North Carolina]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|2003|10|17|1924|05|18|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[Cherryville, North Carolina]], U.S.
| height_ft   = 5
| height_in   = 10
| weight_lb   = 176
| high_school = [[Asheville High School|Lee H. Edwards]] (Asheville)
| college     = [[North Carolina Tar Heels football|North Carolina]] (1946–1949)
| draftyear   = 1950
| draftround  = 16
| draftpick   = 201
| pastteams   = 
* [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] ({{NFL Year|1950}}; {{NFL Year|1952|1954}})
| highlights  = 
* [[Washington Commanders#90 Greatest|80 Greatest Redskins]]
* [[Washington Commanders#Ring of Fame|Washington Commanders Ring of Fame]]
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1948 College Football All-America Team|1948]])
* First-team All-American ([[1949 College Football All-America Team|1949]])
* 2× Second-team All-American ([[1946 College Football All-America Team|1946]], [[1947 College Football All-America Team|1947]])
* 4× First-team All-[[Southern Conference|SoCon]] ([[1946 All-Southern Conference football team|1946]]–[[1949 All-Southern Conference football team|1949]])
* [[North Carolina Tar Heels football#Retired numbers|North Carolina Tar Heels No. 22]] retired
| statlabel1  = Rushing yards
| statvalue1  = 1,284
| statlabel2  = Rushing average
| statvalue2  = 4.8
| statlabel3  = Rushing [[touchdown]]s
| statvalue3  = 3
| statlabel4  = [[Reception (gridiron football)|Reception]]s
| statvalue4  = 63
| statlabel5  = Receiving yards
| statvalue5  = 962
| statlabel6  = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue6  = 7
| pfr         = JustCh00
| CollegeHOF  = 1692 
}}

'''Charles Ronald''' "'''Choo Choo'''" '''Justice''' (May 18, 1924 – October 17, 2003) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[Halfback (American football)|halfback]] for the [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He played [[college football]] for the [[North Carolina Tar Heels football|North Carolina Tar Heels]] and was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1961.

==Early life==
Born in [[Asheville, North Carolina]], Justice attended and played [[high school football]] at [[Asheville High School|Lee H. Edwards High School]] (now Asheville, N.C., High School), where he was a part of two undefeated seasons.<ref name=collegehof>{{cite web | work=College Football Hall of Fame | url={{College Football HoF/url|id=1692}} | title=Charlie Justice's College Football HOF profile | access-date=2008-08-26}}</ref> He averaged 25 yards per rush his last year in high school.<ref>Fimrite R (October 15, 1973) [https://web.archive.org/web/20121104061121/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1087891/1/ A Long Locomotive For Choo Choo] Sports Illustrated</ref> His senior year, his team outscored the opposition 400–6.<ref name="si1999">{{cite web | work=Sports Illustrated | url=https://www.si.com/vault/1999/12/27/271866/the-master-list-the-50-greatest-sports-figures-of-the-century-from-each-of-the-50-states | title=The 50 Greatest Sports Figures: North Carolina | access-date=2015-08-19 | archive-date=July 3, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703052654/https://www.si.com/vault/1999/12/27/271866/the-master-list-the-50-greatest-sports-figures-of-the-century-from-each-of-the-50-states | url-status=live }}</ref>

==World War II==
After high school, Justice spent four years in the [[United States Navy|Navy]] in [[World War II]].  During that time, he played on the football team at [[United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge]].<ref name=collegehof /> His nickname Charlie "Choo Choo" was given to him because of the way he dodged tackles. One of the officers remarked, "He looks like a runaway train, we ought to call him Choo Choo."

==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{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}, 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 football]] at the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|University of North Carolina]] under [[Carl Snavely]], where he played [[Running back#Halfback/tailback|tailback]] for four years.<ref name=collegehof />  Justice was also an active member of the [[Beta Theta Pi]] fraternity in his years at UNC.  While there, he was named an [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] in 1948 and 1949, and finished second in the [[Heisman Trophy]] voting both years.<ref name=collegehof />  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.<ref name="newyorktimes">{{cite web | date=October 20, 2003 | author=Goldstein R | work=New York Times | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/20/sports/charlie-justice-football-star-known-as-choo-choo-79.html | title=Charlie Justice, Football Star Known as Choo Choo, 79 | access-date=2008-08-26 | archive-date=April 2, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402073921/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/20/sports/charlie-justice-football-star-known-as-choo-choo-79.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

He was named the [[College All-Star Game#MVP's|Most Valuable Player]] in the [[College All-Star Game|1950 College All-Star Game]], when he led the college team to a 17–7 win over the [[Philadelphia Eagles]].<ref name=collegehof /> He ran for 133 yards which was 48 yards more than the entire Eagles Team.<ref name="newyorktimes" /> He had runs of 33 and 45 yards and caught a pass for 40 yards.<ref name="Richman2009">Richman M (5/15/2009) [http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Flashback__Justice_An_Electrifying_Runner_1790.jsp Flashback: 'Choo Choo' Justice An Electrifying Runner] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119003225/http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Flashback__Justice_An_Electrifying_Runner_1790.jsp |date=January 19, 2010 }} Redskins.com</ref>

During college, Johnny Long and his Orchestra recorded the song "All the Way, Choo Choo."

==Professional career==
Justice was [[NFL Draft|drafted]] in the 16th 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 Memorial Coliseum]] Justice rushed 11 times for 199 yards (18.1 average), with runs of 46, 65 and 54 yards. He sustained a broken arm in the third quarter.<ref name="Richman2009" />

==NFL career statistics==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|-
! colspan="2"| Legend
|-
| '''Bold'''
| Career high
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="2"| Games
! colspan="5"| Rushing
! colspan="5"| Receiving
|-
! GP !! GS !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! Rec !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD
|-
! [[1950 NFL season|1950]] !! [[1950 Washington Redskins season|WAS]]
| 8 || 7 || 59 || 285 || 4.8 || '''71''' || 0 || 19 || 180 || 9.5 || 37 || '''2'''
|-
! [[1952 NFL season|1952]] !! [[1952 Washington Redskins season|WAS]]
| 11 || 3 || 36 || 129 || 3.6 || 26 || 0 || 11 || 106 || 9.6 || 15 || 1
|-
! [[1953 NFL season|1953]] !! [[1953 Washington Redskins season|WAS]]
| 12 || 12 || '''115''' || '''616''' || '''5.4''' || 43 || '''2''' || '''22''' || '''434''' || 19.7 || 54 || '''2'''
|-
! [[1954 NFL season|1954]] !! [[1954 Washington Redskins season|WAS]]
| 12 || 8 || 56 || 254 || 4.5 || 50 || 1 || 11 || 242 || '''22.0''' || '''80''' || '''2'''
|-
! colspan="2"| !! 43 !! 30 !! 266 !! 1,284 !! 4.8 !! 71 !! 3 !! 63 !! 962 !! 15.3 !! 80 !! 7
|}

==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.<ref name="newyorktimes" /> 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.<ref name=collegehof />  Justice Street in Chapel Hill, NC is named after him, as is the [[Justice Center]] on the campus of the [[University of North Carolina at Asheville]] in his hometown.<ref>{{cite web |title=Justice Center |url=https://maps.unca.edu/campus-map/justice-center |website=UNC Asheville |publisher=UNC Asheville |access-date=21 January 2024}}</ref> He was also named one of the [[History of the Washington Redskins#70 Greatest Redskins|all time 70 Greatest Redskins]].<ref>{{cite web|work=Washington Redskins |url=http://www.redskins.com/team/history-70.jsp |title=History: 70 Greatest Redskins |access-date=2008-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531062153/http://www.redskins.com/team/history-70.jsp |archive-date=2008-05-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  In 1999, ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' named Justice the 14th Greatest North Carolina Sports Figure.<ref name="si1999" /> The 22 (his jersey number at UNC) yard line hashmarks at Kenan Memorial Stadium are colored blue in his honor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://alumni.unc.edu/events/n-c-history-series-charlie-choo-choo-justice/|title=N.C. History Series: Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice - UNC General Alumni Association|access-date=September 14, 2018|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106173315/https://alumni.unc.edu/events/n-c-history-series-charlie-choo-choo-justice/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|35em}}

==Further reading==

* Bob Terrell, ''All Aboard! The Fantastic Story of Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice and the Football Team That Put North Carolina in the Big Time.'' Alexander, NC: Alexander Books, 2002.

==External links==
* {{CFBHOF|1692}}
* {{Footballstats |pfr=J/JustCh00}}
* {{Find a Grave|8001512}}

{{North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback navbox}}
{{1948 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Redskins1950DraftPicks}}
{{Washington Commanders greatest players}}
{{Washington Commanders Ring of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Justice, Charlie}}
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:American football halfbacks]]
[[Category:Bainbridge Commodores football players]]
[[Category:North Carolina Tar Heels football players]]
[[Category:Washington Redskins players]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Asheville, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Military personnel from North Carolina]]