UNC in the NFL: Eric Ebron hoping to turn NFL career around

Eric Ebron is hoping to turn around his NFL career after spending four seasons with the Detroit Lions

Things didn’t go as planned for tight end Eric Ebron with the Detroit Lions.

The former University of North Carolina standout was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Lions, as the organization considered him to be the featured tight end in the offense for years to come. At the time, the Lions were building around quarterback Matthew Stafford and still had receiver Calvin Johnson on the roster.

With Stafford still at the helm now, both Johnson and Ebron are gone from the offense. The tight end struggled to make an impact in his first four seasons in the NFL as it became frustrating at times.

Ebron’s best season came in 2015 when he caught 47 passes for 537 yards and 5 TDs. In 2017, Ebron had 53 receptions for 574 yards but just 4 TD’s. He never truly became that big red zone threat that Stafford would have liked to have.

Following the 2017 season, the Lions made the decision to move on from Ebron and not re-sign the tight end.

While testing free agency, Ebron eventually found a home when he signed with the Indianapolis Colts. He joins a Colts offense led by quarterback Andrew Luck and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton as they hope Ebron is the answer at tight end.

With offseason activities in the books and training camp right around the corner, Ebron has been working hard and it’s starting to be noticed.

Kevin Bowen of 1070 The Fan wrote a piece on Ebron and how he’s handling life with his new team in the offseason. Bowen mentioned that Ebron has been hanging out a lot with Luck while around the team facilities and in meetings.

Ebron is starting to mature and grow up a little more as he hopes to make the best of this second chance.

“You have to mature,” Ebron said via Bowen. “You have to grow up. You have to learn to get better every day.”

The Colts will open up training camp in late July as they hope Luck can return to the field and start throwing again. A healthy Luck might just be the biggest factor in helping Ebron turn his career around.

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