With NFL Opening Day kicking off the 2026 season on September 9th, there’s no better time to visit one of Downtown Sanford’s most impressive murals. The mural at 114 N. Steele Street honors local legend Steve Jones, a standout at Sanford Central High School who helped the team claim three consecutive 3-A state championships in 1966, 1967, and 1968, went on to become an All-American at Duke University, earned ACC Player of the Year honors in 1972, and later played for the St. Louis Cardinals. Jones was inducted into the Duke University Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and artist Chris Dalton captured the full scope of that legacy right here in the heart of downtown.