Triangle Area Real Estate News & Information

Living in a college town, like Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Durham, with huge collegiate sports programs, you can imagine many top athletes coming out of the area. We have a thriving and very competitive sports culture, and some of the biggest names in sports are picked up right here in The Triangle. Here are the most famous North Carolina athletes!

Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Taylor is regarded as one of the best defensive football players who ever lived. He was an all American collegiate linebacker playing for UNC Chapel Hill, before spending his career with the New York Giants.

Antawn Jamison

Former Tar Heel, Antawn Jamison played 16 seasons in the NBA, winning numerous awards, and playing amongst legendary rosters including the Washington Wizards and the LA Lakers.

B.J Surhoff

B.J Surhoff has played every position except catcher in Major League Baseball, starting with the Milwawkee Brewers and then with the Atlanta Braves. His career spanned 18 years playing, but he was picked up from UNC-Chapel Hill, first!

Charlotte Smith

Charlotte Smith is a retired American professional basketball player, who was picked up from the Tar Heels. Her career spanned from the Charlotte Sting to Washington Mystics to Indiana Fever and today she is the head coach at Elon University.

Eddie Pope

Eddie Pope is another former Tar Heel who went on to play American professional soccer for 18 years. He was inducted to the American Soccer Hall of Fame and was also born in High Point, North Carolina.

Julius Peppers

Julius Peppers, another former Tar Heel, played defensive end and outside linebacker in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, Greenbay Packers, and Chicago Bears. He was awarded multiple times including Defensive Rookie of the Year, named to the ProBowl 9 times, and to the 2010 All Decade Team.

Marion Jones

Marion Jones is a former world champion in track and field, in addition to being a former professional basketball player. She possesses three gold medals and two bronze medals from the 2000 Olympics and she is an UNC Alumni

Phil Ford

Phil Ford is another former Tar Heel with an incredible sports career including numerous accolades, both for the Tar Heels, and from the NBA. He played for the Kansas City Kings and Houston Rockets. Ford is still considered to be one of the greatest point guards in college basketball of all time.

Mia Hamm

Probably the most famous American women’s soccer player, Mia Hamm was a Tar Heel! She is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, two time FIFA World Champion, and helped seal the Tar Heels seal four consecutive NCAA championships.

Michael Jordan

Beyond being famous in North Carolina, Michael Jordan is one of the most famous athletes who has ever lived. While he was a Tar Heel as well, he played professional basketball with the Chicago Bulls for 15 seasons, retired, then played minor league baseball, only to return to the NBA to play for the New York Knicks, then the Washington Wizards.

We could have easily listed a 100 or more incredible, famous athletes who were born or spent time playing in North Carolina. We apologize in advance if we missed one of your favorites, but encourage you to leave a comment and add your favorites to our list. 

If you are considering buying or selling in The Triangle Area, where you can see some of the top athletic programs turning out the most talented athletes in the world, contact My NC Homes for the latest listings and discuss our seller strategies.