The National Football Foundation revealed the names of the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot. Included in the 79 players under consideration is legendary North Carolina defensive end Greg Ellis.
Greg Ellis was at UNC from 1994 to 1997 and played under head coach Mack Brown during his first stint at North Carolina. He was a monster at defensive end, compiling 32.5 sacks during his stint in Chapel Hill. His college honors include three First Team All-ACC selections, and a First-Team All-America selection in his senior season, and a Lombardi Trophy finalist.
This production led to Ellis being selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the eighth overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. Ellis spent 11 seasons in Dallas before concluding his professional playing career in Oakland for one season. In total, Ellis stacked 531 total tackles, 84 sacks, and 22 forced fumbles (11 recovered!) in his NFL career.
This latest nomination for the college football Hall of Fame is just another step in Greg Ellis's march towards immortality. He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in May 2025. After he's selected for the college football Hall of Fame, only Canton remains out of his reach. For now.
In case you were too young to witness Ellis playing in person, here's some vintage footage of him terrorizing offenses while wearing a tight end's number: