Greg Ellis honored in ACC Football Legends Class of 2014

Former North Carolina defensive end Greg Ellis was honored today as a member of the ACC Football Legends Class of 2014. Here is some information about the award from the official ACC press release.

"Led by two members of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, two members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and one of the most successful coaches in Atlantic Coast Conference history, the ACC announced the 2014 Class of Legends for its 10th Annual Dr Pepper Football Championship Game, which will be played in Charlotte, N.C. on December 6.Leading this year’s class are former Virginia and Navy head coach George Welsh (Coaldale Pa.),  Florida State’s two-time consensus All-American linebacker Derrick Brooks (Pensacola, Fla.), four-time Pitt All-American defensive end Hugh Green (Natchez, Miss.), and Syracuse All-American wide receiver  Art Monk (White Plains, N.Y.).…The Legends are each selected by their respective schools and will be honored during this year’s Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game weekend. They will be honored at the ACC Night of Legends sponsored by the Belk Bowl on Friday, Dec. 5, and on Saturday Dec. 6, during ceremonies at Bank of America Stadium for the 10th Annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship, which will be nationally televised with either a 7:45 pm (ESPN) or 8 p.m. (ABC) kickoff.…The group of 14 former gridiron standouts from current ACC schools includes a former ACC Football Player of the Year; an ACC Defensive Player of the Year, 12 former All-Americas, including 10 first-team and six consensus All-American honorees and 12 players who combined for 118 years in the National Football League. Twelve of the Legends were drafted into the NFL, including nine first- or-second-round draft choices.In all, the collection of players combined for three national championships, eight ACC championships, 11 Super Bowl appearances, eight Super Bowl championships and 26 Pro Bowl appearances. Three of the Legends were named to their respective NFL All-Decade teams."

Here is Ellis’s bio:

"Ellis (1994-97) was one of the lynchpins of a stifling North Carolina defense for Coach Mack Brown that led the ACC in total defense for three consecutive years in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and led the nation in scoring defense in 1996. He earned honorable mention All-American honors as a sophomore, second-team All-America accolades as a junior and was a consensus first-team pick as a senior. He is still the all-time career leader at North Carolina in quarterback sacks and his career total of 32.5 sacks is still the fourth-best in ACC history. During his four seasons in Chapel Hill, he helped lead the Tar Heels to an overall 36-12 record including a 21-3 mark in his final two years and four consecutive bowl appearances. UNC was ranked seventh in the nation following his senior season. He was the eighth overall selection in the first round in the 1998 NFL Draft by Dallas and went on to enjoy a 12-year NFL Career, the first 11 with the Cowboys. From 1998 through 2008, he started 155 of 162 games for the Cowboys and finished his career in 2009 with the Oakland Raiders. He totaled 84.0 quarterback sacks and 525 tackles with 23 forced fumbles and returned both a fumble (98 yards) and pass interception (87 yards) for touchdowns. He was named to the 2007 NFL Pro Bowl and was also named that year as the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. A native of Wendell, N.C., he played for East Wake High School and was named the North Carolina Male High School Athlete of the Year in 1993. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas."

Congrats to Carolina’s own Greg Ellis on being named an ACC Legend!

You can find tickets to the ACC Night of Legends event in Charlotte, North Carolina here.