Two former UNC football standouts, William Henderson and Brian Simmons, will join the Tar Heel Sports Network for the 2016 football season as analysts.  Henderson and Simmons will join play-by-play voice Jones Angell and sideline reporter Lee Pace.

Henderson will handle commentary duties in the booth with Angell for 8 of the 12 regular season games.  Simmons will be in the booth for the remaining 4 games.

After leaving Chapel Hill, Henderson spent 12 years in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers.  He earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 2004 and was a member of the Packers’ team that won Super Bowl XXXI.  Henderson said, “As a former Tar Heel student-athlete it’s always been a pleasure to shed light on how special the UNC athletics experience truly is.  That’s why I can’t wait to join the Tar Heel Sports Network broadcast and help you experience Carolina football through my eyes. This year I hope to share in a most special season. Go Heels!”

Simmons earned first-team All-America honors in 1997 as an outside linebacker for Mack Brown’s last Carolina squad. He was a first-round draft pick in the 1998 NFL Draft for the Cincinnati Bengals.  He spent ten seasons in the league, mostly with the Bengals.  “I’m just as excited to join Jones and the Tar Heel Sports Network team for four games this season as I was to be a player at the University of North Carolina,” Simmons said.

One of Simmons’ UNC teammates, Jeff Saturday, will return to the Tar Heel Sports Network as a pregame contributor.  Saturday was a two-time All-ACC center with the Tar Heels before becoming a six-time Pro Bowler in the NFL despite not getting selected in the 1998 NFL Draft.  In a statement Saturday said, “The University of North Carolina and Tar Heel football have had a such a large and positive influence on both my career and personal life. It is special for me to be able to stay connected to the program in this way.”

Ethan Albright, who spent the last 3 seasons as an analyst in the booth with Angell, left the network to spend more time with his family.

Carolina kicks off the 2016 season on Saturday against the University of Georgia.

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