What does it mean? What is does it mean to be a North Carolina Tar Heel basketball player? What is does it mean to be a North Carolina Tar Heel basketball player? The Question: The state of North Carolina is nicknamed “The Tar Heel State.“ Where did this nickname originate? Relevance. In this week’s episode, Neil sits down with two former North Carolina Tar heel ba… By joining my email list … The Answer: The University … The origin of this nickname is mysterious, though most historians agree that the name derives from North Carolina's long history as a producer of naval stores--tar, pitch, rosin and turpentine--all of which were culled from the State's extensive pine forests. The “Tar” is most certainly unique—no other institution of higher learning has adopted it as its mascot. What does Tar heels mean? Favorite Answer. A cheap source of pine tar was the American colonies. This was an action, Hancock wrote, “we Tar Heels, or a large majority of us, do most heartily commend.” And by 1912, it was a term of clear identification‑ recognized outside the state. Most of the theories are based on North Carolina’s participation during the Civil War while one theory links the nickname to the state’s historic prominence in tar production. Tar Heel State. A dozen protesters stood outside the administrative building at UNC-Chapel Hill on Tuesday afternoon arguing against the name of the university's athletic teams, "Tar Heels… During the 18th century, the British Navy needed pine tar to coat the hulls of their ships to protect them from worms and rot. Tar Heel definition is - a native or resident of North Carolina —used as a nickname. North Carolina is known by numerous nicknames, one of which is the “Tar Heel State.” The origin of the nickname remains a mystery, and many theories have come up over the years attempting to solve the mystery. The North Carolina Tar Heels are back in the NCAA basketball national championship game, this time playing fellow No. Answer Save. 1 Answer. Describing battle actions from a month earlier, Sgt. But what exactly is a Tar Heel … Anonymous. 1 decade ago. On June 2, 1863, an article in the semi-weekly Raleigh newspaper the North Carolina Standard, the nickname “Tar Heel” appeared—one of the first known uses in print. 1 seed Gonzaga Monday night for the title.