Charlie Justice

Charles Ronald "Choo Choo" Justice (May 18, 1924 – October 17, 2003) was an American professional football player who was a halfback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the 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 Lee H. Edwards High School (now Asheville 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 Navy in World War II. During that time, he played on the football team at United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge.

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.

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

Professional career Justice was 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. He was also named one of the all time 70 Greatest Redskins. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named Justice the 14th Greatest North Carolina Sports Figure.

The novel Everybody's All-American by Frank Deford had as its protagonist Gavin "The Ghost" Grey, a star running back at UNC who was drafted by the Redskins but saw his pro career dashed by injuries, and thought to be inspired by Justice. Deford has denied that Grey was based on any particular college football player (specifically ruling out both Justice and Billy Cannon, another contemporary star halfback, as the film version of the novel shifted the setting to Cannon's alma mater of Louisiana State University) and instead was derived from a composite of former athletes he had met during his career as a journalist.