Tight end Eric Ebron is still making plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League, but that doesn’t mean he forgot his alma mater. Ebron, who left UNC after the 2013 season and became a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, will have the tight end room in Carolina’s football facilities named in his honor after giving a significant gift to the program, head coach Mack Brown announced Monday.

“Thank you, Eric,” Brown said at his weekly press conference. “Congratulations on all your success. It’s always really, really special when a guy plays his guts out and does everything right for your program, he goes away, and he wants to give back a significant gift, just to help his program.”

“My years at Carolina were the greatest years of my life,” Ebron told Carolina Athletics. “The university helped me mature, provided stability for me, provided a home for me. Coming to Carolina was absolutely the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Ebron is one of a number of former Tar Heel standouts who have given gifts to the program in recent years. Jeff Saturday and Hakeem Nicks had the offensive line and wide receiver rooms named in their honor after gifts to the team.

Ebron played for Carolina from 2011 to 2013. During his junior season, Ebron caught 62 passes for 973 yards and three touchdowns, while also being named a first-team All-ACC performer and a finalist for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s best tight end. His catch and yardage totals in 2013 both set UNC single-season records for a tight end, and his 973 yards also set a single-season ACC record.

After forgoing his last year of eligibility for the Tar Heels, he was selected with the No. 10 pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.

 

Featured image via USA Today Sports

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