The UNC Mascot — Rameses — Makes an Appearance at Lauren and Wayman’s Wedding

After many weddings of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Wolf from NC State make an appearance, it was nice to see the UNC Ram – “Rameses“ at the wedding of Lauren and Wayman in High Point.

Check out this video montage of the wedding by clicking here.

For those of you wondering (I know I was), the reason why the “Tarheels” have a ram as their mascot dates back to 1924.  Vic Huggins, UNC’s head cheerleader, decided that Carolina needed a mascot like N.C. State’s Wolf and Georgia’s Bulldog. At the time, Jack Merrit, known to his fans as the “Battering Ram,” was a popular member of UNC’s football team. Making use of this nickname, Huggins hit upon the idea of a ram as the Carolina mascot.

The cheerleader went to Charles T. Woollen, the University’s Business Manager, and asked him to find twenty-five dollars to buy a ram. They ordered UNC’s first mascot from Texas.

The 1924 team had been in a slump and Carolina fans were looking for something to break the jinx. The Tar Heel sports staff joined the campus in hoping that the new mascot would bring the much-needed luck.

The mascot, who was named Rameses, arrived in time for the UNC vs. VMI game on 8 November 1924. The fans saw a defensive struggle. No one scored until late in the fourth quarter when a UNC player executed a perfect dropkick for a 3-0 victory. Carolina fans credited the first Rameses’ presence for pulling Carolina past VMI, and giving birth to the long line of rams who have witnessed Tar Heel games.