Tar Heel

1.) The nickname for any resident of the state of North Carolina. During the Civil War, a group of North Carolina soldiers scolded their comrades for leaving the battlefield when things got tough. The soldiers threatened to stick tar on the heels of the retreating soldiers to help them stay in the battle. General Robert E. Lee is said to have commented “God bless the Tar Heel boys!” 2.) The mascot for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Named after the state's history with the nickname.