Keeping It Heel
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UNC Football: Top 10 Tar Heels selected in NFL Draft since 1980

By John Ellis

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 10: Detail photo of a North Carolina Tar Heels helmet during their game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Kenan Stadium on October 10, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 56-45. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 10: Detail photo of a North Carolina Tar Heels helmet during their game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Kenan Stadium on October 10, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 56-45. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, UNITED STATES: St. Louis Rams’ Dre Bly runs in for a touchdown after he intercepted the ball in the first quarter off of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler during their NFL game in Atlanta 02 December 2001. AFP PHOTO/Steve SCHAEFER (Photo credit should read STEVE SCHAEFER/AFP via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, UNITED STATES: St. Louis Rams’ Dre Bly runs in for a touchdown after he intercepted the ball in the first quarter off of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler during their NFL game in Atlanta 02 December 2001. AFP PHOTO/Steve SCHAEFER (Photo credit should read STEVE SCHAEFER/AFP via Getty Images) /

Dre Bly (No. 41 overall, 1999 NFL Draft)

One of the most decorated players in UNC Football history is Dre Bly. During his redshirt freshman season, he led the nation with 11 interceptions. He received all-American honors, and at the time was only one of five players in NCAA history to achieve that honor as a freshman. Bly was the only football player in UNC and ACC history to receive consensus first-team All-America honors twice in his college career. In his sophomore year, he was one of three finalists for the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Year Award. Bly set the ACC record at the time for career interceptions with 20. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Bly would be selected by the Saint Louis Rams where he would also claim his Super Bowl ring. Over the course of his eleven year career he would also play for Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. He would earn two Pro-Bowl selections during his time in Detroit. Bly finished his career with 484 tackles, five sacks, 20 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, 43 interceptions and eight touchdowns. In 2019 Bly returned to Chapel Hill serving as the cornerbacks coach.

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