University of North Carolina Athletics
36 Former Tar Heels On NFL Rosters
September 12, 1999 | Football
Sept. 12, 1999
CHAPEL HILL --- The National Football League opened the 1999 season today and 36 former University of North Carolina players were on active rosters, including four on the Buffalo Bills and three on the Green Bay Packers.
Twenty-six (26) of the 36 NFL Tar Heels have already earned their undergraduate degrees from UNC, a percentage of .722. The NFL average is slightly better than 30 percent.
All six Tar Heel players who were selected in the April 1999 NFL Draft made opening day rosters, including first round pick Ebenezer Ekuban of the Dallas Cowboys.
Thirty-five (35) of the 36 players competed for the last time at UNC in the 1990s. Punter Tommy Barnhardt is the only former UNC player whose last season of college football was in the 1980s. Barnhardt's last year as a Tar Heel was 1985.
Fourteen (14) of the 36 players are in their first or second seasons in the NFL.
Carolina's active NFL players include
Omar Brown, safety, Atlanta, 1997
Greg Ellis, defensive end, Dallas, 1997
Dwight Hollier, linebacker, Miami, 1991
Jonathan Linton, fullback, Buffalo, 1997
* Keith Newman, linebacker, Buffalo, 1998
* Jeff Saturday, center, Indianapolis, 1997
Robert Williams, cornerback, Kansas City, 1997
* NFL rookies
(player, position, current NFL team, last year at Carolina):
Ethan Albright, deep snapper, Buffalo, 1993
Roy Barker, defensive tackle, Cleveland, 1992
Tommy Barnhardt, punter, New Orleans, 1985
* Dre' Bly, cornerback, St. Louis, 1998
* Na Brown, wide receiver, Philadelphia, 1998
* Russell Davis, defensive tackle, Chicago, 1998
Greg DeLong, tight end, Baltimore, 1994
Kevin Donnalley, offensive guard, Miami, 1990
*Ebenezer Ekuban defensive end, Dallas, 1998
ernardo Harris, linebacker, Green Bay, 1993
William Henderson, fullback, Green Bay, 1994
Jimmy Hitchcock, cornerback, Minnesota, 1994
Vonnie Holliday, defensive tackle, Green Bay, 1997
Randy Jordan, tailback, Oakland, 1992
Leon Johnson, tailback, New York Jets, 1996
Freddie Jones, tight end, San Diego, 1996
Marcus Jones, defensive tackle, Tampa Bay, 1995
Deems May, tight end, Seattle, 1991
Kivuusama Mays, linebacker, Minnesota, 1997
Natrone Means, tailback, San Diego, 1992
Mike Morton, linebacker, St. Louis, 1994
Riddick Parker, defensive tackle, Seattle, 1994
* Mike Pringley, defensive end, Detroit, 1998
Andre Purvis, defensive tackle, Cincinnati, 1996
Austin Robbins, defensive tackle, New Orleans, 1993
rian Simmons, linebacker, Cincinnati, 1997
Thomas Smith, cornerback, Buffalo, 1992
Rick Terry, defensive tackle, Carolina, 1996
racey Walker, safety, Kansas City, 1993
