Former UNC star offensive lineman Harris Barton was selected by the National Football Foundation on Monday to be part of the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021.

Barton will become just the sixth Tar Heel player and ninth UNC representative to join the College Football Hall of Fame. He joins players Dre’ Bly, William Fuller, Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice, Don McCauley and Art Weiner and coaches Mack Brown, Carl Snavely and Jim Tatum.

“I’m truly humbled today,” Barton said. “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame for college football is an honor I never dreamt of. I’m honored to represent the University of North Carolina. This is such a great honor and I’m excited to share it with others, the people I love, and the people that helped.”

He started all four years he played at UNC from 1983 to 1986–first at center, then at tackle–before earning First Team All-American honors as a senior.

Barton was also an Academic All-ACC selection and the recipient of the 1987 Jim Tatum Award, which goes to the ACC’s top football scholar-athlete.

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Barton in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft, and he would go on to spend his entire pro career with the team–retiring after the 1998 season as a three-time Super Bowl champion.

“When you think about the history of Carolina football, Harris Barton is no doubt one of the greats – and we’re thrilled that he now will officially take his place as one of the game’s all-time greats,” UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said. “He is an All-American, a Super Bowl Champion, a successful businessman, a leader in his community, a wonderful father, and a great family man. It is outstanding that he now can add ‘Hall of Famer’ to that list.”

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

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