NEWSLETTER
This article is part of a series of top North Carolina athletes and teams. As North Carolina sports betting gets set to launch in March, take a look at the top athletes across North Carolina college and professional sports.
Colleges from the state of North Carolina have produced some great NFL talent but who are the best players who went to UNC? What about other programs in the state? Let’s break down the top 5 NFL players who went to UNC and then the top 5 players who went to other universities in North Carolina.
5 Best NFL Players Who Attended UNC
While UNC hasn’t had tremendous team success over the years, it has still put some great players into the NFL. Here are the best NFL players who played for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
5. Harris Barton – OT/OG
NFL Career: 1987-96
Barton was a first-round pick in the 1987 draft and spent his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers. He anchored a strong offensive line that helped the 49ers win 3 Super Bowls during his career. Barton was an All-Pro selection twice in 1991 and 1992. Barton ended up playing in 138 games in his career while starting 134.
4. Jeff Saturday – C
NFL Career: 1999-2012
Jeff Saturday went undrafted in 1998 but that didn’t stop him from reaching 6 Pro Bowls in his career with the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers. Saturday was an elite center in the mid 2000s including earning a first-team All-Pro selection in 2005 and 2007 along with a second-team selection in 2006. Saturday started 202 games in his career and won a Super Bowl with the Colts in 2006.
3. Chris Hanburger – LB
NFL Career: 1965-78
Chris Hanburger spent his entire career with the Washington Redskins and earned 9 Pro Bowl selections in a Hall of Fame career. Hanburger was at his best from 1969-75 when he was named first-team All-Pro 3 times and second-team All-Pro twice. He started 175 games in his career collecting 45.5 sacks, 19 interceptions, 17 fumble recoveries, and 5 fumble/interception return touchdowns.
2. Julius Peppers – DE
NFL Career: 2002-18
Julius Peppers was the 2nd overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft and he didn’t disappoint. The Hall of Famer was a dominant force for over a decade with the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers. Peppers had 159.5 career sacks, forced 52 fumbles, and had 175 tackles for loss in his career.
He won the Defensive Rookie of the Year and was selected to 3 All-Pro first teams and also made the second team 3 times. The defensive end had 10 seasons with at least 10 sacks while earning a spot on the NFL’s Hall of Fame 2000s and 2010s teams.
Read More: Where does Peppers rank amongst the best Panthers ever?
1. Lawrence Taylor – LB
NFL Career: 1981-93
Lawrence Taylor completely changed the game with his ability to rush the passer off the edge. The Hall of Fame linebacker was an absolute problem and matchup nightmare throughout his career. Lawrence is one of the best players in NFL history as he earned 10 Pro Bowl selections along with being first-team All-Pro 8 times.
Taylor won 2 Super Bowls, was the Defensive Player of the Year 3 times, and won the 1986 MVP. That’s right. A linebacker won the MVP. That’s how unstoppable of a force Lawrence Taylor was on defense. He recorded 142 career sacks including 20.5 in 1986 which was an NFL record until Michael Strahan broke it in 2001.
5 Bet NFL Players from NC Schools Besides UNC
UNC isn’t the only major football school in the state of North Carolina. There is NC State, Duke, and Wake Forest which all sport Division I programs. Who are the best 5 NFL players from any of these schools? Take a look at the list.
5. Elvin Bethea – DE
College: North Carolina A&T
NFL Career: 1968-83
Elvin Bethea made the Hall of Fame in 2003 thanks to a strong career in the 1970s with the Houston Oilers. Bethea made 8 Pro Bowls and had 105 career sacks. He had at least 10 sacks in 6 seasons including a 16-sack season in 1973 which was a career best. Bethea played in 210 games in his career and averaged 11 sacks per season from 1969-76 during his peak. He was second-team All-Pro in 1975 and finished third for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1968.
4. Sonny Jurgensen – QB
College: Duke
NFL Career: 1957-74
Sonny Jurgensen ushered in a new wave of quarterbacks and could sling it as he threw for over 32,200 yards in a career with the Eagles and Redskins. Jurgenson led the league in passing yards 5 times and once held the NFL record for passing yards in a season with 3,747. He made 3 All-Pro teams while being first team in 1961. Jurgensen made 5 Pro Bowls, was named to the NFL Hall of Fame 1960s team, and now sits in the NFL Hall of Fame.
3. Russell Wilson – QB
College: NC State / Wisconsin
NFL Career: 2012-Present
Many people forget Russell Wilson was a 3-year starter at NC State before transferring to Wisconsin for his final season and leading the Badgers to the Rose Bowl. Wilson has had a great NFL career despite playing in a pass-heavy league with all-time greats like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
Wilson won a Super Bowl in 2013, has made 9 Pro Bowls, and sports a career rating of 100.0 which is 4th in NFL history. He has an insane TD to INT ratio tossing 334 touchdowns to just 106 interceptions in his career. Wilson was a bad play call away from winning back-to-back Super Bowls and he led the league in passing TDs in 2017 and QB rating in 2015. He’s 115-72-1 as a starter in a career that was mostly spent with the Seahawks and now he plays for the Broncos.
2. Torry Holt – WR
College: NC State
NFL Career: 1999-2009
There haven’t been many wide receivers as consistent as Torry Holt. The wideout had 8 seasons of 1,000+ yards from 2000-07 with the Rams. Holt won a Super Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2003 when he led the league with 117 receptions for 1,696 yards. He caught 12 TDs that season. In his career, Holt had 13,382 yards receiving and 74 touchdowns
He led the league in receptions, yards, yards per catch, and yards per game at least once in his career. Holt played in 173 games averaging 84 receptions and 1,216 yards per season.
See Holt’s career stats.
1. Bill George – LB/G
College: Wake Forest
NFL Career: 1952-66
Hall of Famer Bill George dominated the NFL while playing for the Chicago Bears. He earned 8 first-team All-Pro selections in 9 seasons from 1955-63 and helped the Bears win the 1963 NFL Championship. George is on the NFL’s 1950s Hall of Fame Team and he is considered the first true middle linebacker in football history. His play brought the 4-3 defensive style to the NFL and he retired as potentially the greatest NFL linebacker ever.
George did a little bit of everything for the Bears as he had 28.5 sacks, 18 interceptions, recovered 19 fumbles, made 13 PATs, and made 4 field goals in his career.
Read More: Best NFL players born in NC or check out the best North Carolina NBA player ever
