Details are murky, but local legend is that former Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden was the first to label the University of North Carolina a “sleeping giant,” in the 1980s or early 1990s.
The phrase has since become a punchline for UNC, which hasn’t won an ACC football title since 1980, let alone compete for a national championship.
“That’s what Duke and N.C. State fans mock Carolina with,” said Adam Smith, a reporter for the website Inside Carolina. “ ‘Oh yeah, they’re a sleeping giant — haven’t woke up yet!’ ”
Rise and shine, UNC. It’s finally your moment.
Read Ben Volin's full story at Globe.com/Sports. |
