Athletics

 The Charlotte 49ers will celebrate their 50th anniversary of NCAA Division I athletics during the 2020-21 season. As part of this celebration, Charlotte will announce the inaugural class of the 49ers Athletics Hall of Fame.Nominations are being accepted for the first class, which will include a maximum of six student-athletes, two coaches/administrators and one key contributor. Future classes will include a maximum of five inductees.

Charlotte 49ers head football coach Will Healy is among the local celebrities who are participating in Saturday’s Dancing with the Stars Charlotte Gala, which will raise funds for the Charlotte Ballet and six area charitable organizations.

A school-record three Charlotte 49ers have been invited to the 2020 NFL Combine, taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Offensive lineman Cameron Clark, defensive end Alex Highsmith and running back Benny LeMay all earned invites after leading Charlotte to its best season ever and the school’s first bowl appearance.                 

Charlotte 49ers student-athletes continue to donate thousands of hours of community service to the Charlotte area and surrounding communities.

Charlotte 49ers head coach Will Healy has strengthened his football staff with the additions of Adam Braithwaite as linebackers coach and Charles Bankins as special teams coordinator.

Mark Carney, quarterbacks coach for the Charlotte 49ers football team, was promoted to offensive coordinator. He will retain his role as quarterbacks coach.

Longtime Charlotte 49ers Director of Athletics Judy Rose is among the 2020 induction class for the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame. Inductees will be enshrined during an annual banquet Friday, May 1, at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Standout Charlotte 49ers running back Benny LeMay scored the game-winning touchdown with under two minutes to play to lift the East to a 31-27 victory in the 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl.LeMay, one of three 49ers playing in the senior showcase, scored on a nine-yard run with 1:52 remaining to give the East the four-point win. He scored twice in the game and was named the Shrine Bowl’s Offensive MVP. He led the East with 80 yards on 16 carries and the two TDs. He also scored on a 10-yard run in the first quarter.

Mark Verburg is director of the 49ers Athletic Academic Center (AAC). Verburg, who is in his 19th year with the University, had served as the AAC associate director since 2012.    

The Charlotte 49ers have three players competing in this week’s 95th annual East-West Shrine Bowl, which will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18, in St. Petersburg, Florida. NFL Network will televise the event, which is the longest-running college all-star football game in the nation and gives top college players a chance to showcase their talents to NFL scouts and a national television audience.