Jan. 29, 2008

Dallas linebacker Greg Ellis has been added to the NFC's Pro Bowl roster, giving North Carolina three former players in the all-star contest. Ellis joins Indianapolis center Jeff Saturday and Washington deep snapper Ethan Albright as Pro Bowl selections with ties to Chapel Hill.

Ellis, who was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year, was added to the team after Chicago's Lance Briggs pulled out with an injury. Ellis had a career-high 12 1/2 sacks despite missing the first three games of the season while recovering from an Achilles' heel injury suffered in 2007.

Ellis is North Carolina's all-time leader in sacks. The Wendell, N.C., native had 32.5 sacks for 253 yards in his four-year career from 1994-97. He anchored a defense that was second in the country in total yards in each of his final two seasons. Carolina posted a 21-3 record in that span and had consecutive top 10 finishes in the national polls. Ellis is one of only four players in Carolina history to be named first-team All-ACC three times.

Ellis was the eighth selection in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Cowboys. He just completed his 10th season in Dallas.