Harris Barton Set for Oct. 16 NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute

IRVING, Texas (Oct. 13, 2021) – The University of North Carolina and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that they will jointly honor 2021 College Football Hall of Fame electee Harris Barton with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments. The Salute will take place this Saturday, Oct. 16, during the Tar Heels' home football game against Miami. Coverage of the game will start at 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

"I'm truly humbled today," Barton said after the announcement in January. "Being inducted into the Hall of Fame for college football is an honor I never dreamt of. I'm honored to represent the University of North Carolina. This is such a great honor and I'm excited to share it with others, the people I love, and the people that helped."

The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program, which began with the inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, has become a hallowed tradition, and to this day the singular events remain the first of numerous activities in the Hall of Fame experience.

During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each electee returns to his respective school to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will stay on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd.

The 2020 and 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Classes will be officially inducted during the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas Dec. 7 at the ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. (The 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19.)

"An NFF National Scholar-Athlete, Harris Barton matched his success in the classroom by becoming one of the most dominant offensive linemen in North Carolina history," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We are thrilled to honor him at Kenan Memorial Stadium."

A First Team All-American in 1986, Barton was named the ACC's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman after helping the Tar Heels finish sixth in the nation and first in the conference with 436 yards of total offense per game. The 1986 First Team All-ACC selection was also part of an offensive unit that finished 10th in the nation with 252.5 rushing yards per game.

A four-year starter, Barton began his career at center before being switched to tackle as a sophomore to take better advantage of his skills. After leading UNC to berths in the 1983 Peach Bowl and the 1986 Aloha Bowl, he concluded his stellar collegiate career in the Japan Bowl all-star game.

In addition to being an NFF National Scholar-Athlete, Barton was an Academic All-ACC selection, and he received the 1987 Jim Tatum Award as the conference's top football scholar-athlete.

A member of the 2007 ACC Legends Class, he is one of 27 players to have his jersey honored at Kenan Stadium. During his freshman year, Barton played alongside College Football Hall of Famer William Fuller.

Selected in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, Barton spent his entire career with the franchise from 1987-98. A 1993 Pro Bowler, he led the team to victories in Super Bowls XXIII, XXIV and XXIX.

After both of his parents passed away from brain tumors, Barton founded Champion Charities in 2004 with fellow College Football Hall of Famer and former 49ers teammate Ronnie Lott. The non-profit has contributed significantly to treating and researching brain tumors while helping those afflicted with the disease.

Barton is also a board member of the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund, a venture philanthropy that invests exclusively in social enterprises that employ and empower people overcoming barriers to work. He is the founder and managing director of H. Barton Asset Management, where he specializes in providing investment capital to up-and-coming VC-backed technology startups.

Barton becomes the sixth Tar Heel player in the College Football Hall of Fame, joining Dre Bly (1996-98), William Fuller (1981-83), Charlie Justice (1946-49), Don McCauley (1968-70) and Art Weiner (1946-49).

Also in the Hall are current UNC head coach Mack Brown (1988-97, 2019-present) and former Tar Heel coaches Carl Snavely (1934-35, 1945-52) and Jim Tatum (1942, 1956-58).

The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes Harris Barton (North Carolina), David Fulcher (Arizona State), Dan Morgan (Miami [FL]), Carson Palmer (Southern California), Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois), Kenneth Sims (Texas), C.J. Spiller (Clemson), Darren Sproles (Kansas State), Aaron Taylor (Notre Dame), Andre Tippett (Iowa), Al Wilson (Tennessee) and coaches Rudy Hubbard (Florida A&M) and Bob Stoops (Oklahoma).

The 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes Lomas Brown (Florida), Keith Byars (Ohio State), Eric Crouch (Nebraska), Eric Dickerson (SMU), Glenn Dorsey (LSU), John "Jumbo" Elliott (Michigan), Jason Hanson (Washington State), E.J. Henderson (Maryland), E.J. Junior (Alabama), Steve McNair (Alcorn State), Cade McNown (UCLA), Leslie O'Neal (Oklahoma State), Anthony Poindexter (Virginia), David Pollack (Georgia), Bob Stein (Minnesota), Michael Westbrook (Colorado), Elmo Wright (Houston) and coaches Dick Sheridan (Furman, North Carolina State), and Andy Talley (St. Lawrence [NY], Villanova).

The accomplishments of both classes will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.
Including the 2020 and 2021 Hall of Fame Classes, only 1,038 players and 223 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.47 million who have played or coached the game during the past 152 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have played the game have earned this distinction.

Currently Scheduled NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes,
Presented by Fidelity Investments
(Chronological Order)

Date – Honoree (Hall of Fame Class) – School (Opponent)

Oct. 16 – Harris Barton (2021) – North Carolina (vs. Miami [FL])
Oct. 16 – Jason Hanson (2020) – Washington State (vs. Stanford)
Oct. 16 – Anthony Poindexter (2020) – Virginia (vs. Duke)
Oct. 16 – Coach Dick Sheridan (2020) – Furman (vs. The Citadel)
Oct. 16 – Bob Stein (2020) – Minnesota (vs. Nebraska)
Oct. 23 – E.J. Junior (2020) – Alabama (vs. Tennessee)
Oct. 23 – Cade McNown (2020) – UCLA (vs. Oregon)
Oct. 30 – Keith Byars (2020) – Ohio State (vs. Penn State)
Oct. 30 – E.J. Henderson (2020) – Maryland (vs. Indiana)
Oct. 30 – Coach Dick Sheridan (2020) – NC State (vs. Louisville)
Nov. 6 – David Fulcher (2021) – Arizona State (vs. Southern California)
Nov. 13 – Steve McNair (2020) – Alcorn State (vs. Prairie View A&M)*
Nov. 13 – Coach Andy Talley (2020) – Villanova (vs. Stony Brook)
Nov. 13 – Andre Tippett (2021) – Iowa (vs. Minnesota)
Nov. 26 – Kenneth Sims (2021) – Texas (vs. Kansas State)
Nov. 27 – Lomas Brown (2020) – Florida (vs. Florida State)
Nov. 27 – Eric Dickerson (2020) – SMU (vs. Tulsa)
Nov. 27 – Glenn Dorsey (2020) – LSU (vs. Texas A&M)

* Tentative

Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes since 2010. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education. Fidelity is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and it helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives around the country.

ABOUT FIDELITY INVESTMENTS
Fidelity's mission is to inspire better futures and deliver better outcomes for the customers and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $11.2 trillion, including discretionary assets of $4.2 trillion as of July 31, 2021, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers: helping more than 38 million people invest their own life savings, 22,000 businesses manage employee benefit programs, as well as providing more than 13,500 wealth management firms and institutions with investment and technology solutions to drive growth. Privately held for 75 years, Fidelity employs more than 52,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit www.fidelity.com/about- fidelity/our-company.

ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Future for Football, The William V. Campbell Trophy®, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Goodyear, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.

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Harris Barton Set for Oct. 16 NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute

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