Shea Rush, the UNC walk-on guard who made hats for his teammates, gets a scholarship

Shea Rush, whose stylish fedoras became a regular part of North Carolina’s wardrobe on its way to the national championship last season, has received a scholarship from coach Roy Williams, a team spokesman confirmed on Tuesday.

Rush, a sophomore guard from Fairway, Kan., joined the Tar Heels as a walk-on last season. He learned on Monday that he’d earned a scholarship. InsideCarolina.com was first to report the news.

Rush played in 20 games last season, including UNC’s NCAA tournament victories against Texas Southern and Butler, but perhaps his most memorable contribution came off the court. An avid hat-maker, Rush created custom-made fedoras for his teammates and the UNC coaching staff.

He made 24 hats in all – 14 for his teammates, nine for the coaching and support staff and one for himself. Throughout the NCAA tournament, the Tar Heels often entered and exited arenas wearing Rush’s hats.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 4:45 PM.