Dec 27, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels white helmet during pregame warm ups against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Just How Good Was UNC's Defense in 1997?

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Grant Chachere | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 12:00 PM ET

A big storyline in Chapel Hill this week has been the “Rude Boy” mentality that the defensive back room has adopted from the famed 1997 defensive backfield.

With the “Rude Boy” mentality making a comeback, I did some research on the 1997 squad that finished 11-1 and came one loss short of an ACC title — and possibly even a national championship — after falling 20-3 to Florida State.

A large reason for that was its defense. The Tar Heels only allowed 209.3 yards per game, making it the second-best defense in the country behind only Michigan, who were the national champions that season. They were also third in passing yards allowed (131.4 yards per game), fourth in rushing yards allowed (77.9 yards per game) and fifth in scoring defense (13.0 points allowed per game).

Three First-Rounders Were on the '97 Defense

The Tar Heel defense had three players drafted in the first round of the 1998 Draft: defensive end Greg Ellis , linebacker Brian Simmons and defensive end Vonnie Holliday.

Ellis finished with 87 tackles, 18.0 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, and a forced fumble and earned first-team All-American honors. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the eighth overall pick.

Simmons finished the 1997 season with 119 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks and five forced fumbles, as he became a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 19th overall pick.

Holliday finished the 1997 season with 64 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the 19th overall pick.

UNC had the Best LB Corps in the Country

The Tar Heels may have had the best linebacker corps in the country.

Not only did you have Simmons, but Kivuusama Mays and Keith Newman.

Mays led the team in tackles with 123, along with 16.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.

Newman also put up solid numbers, racking up 79 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Rude Boys

The “Rude Boys” were the famed defensive backfield of the mid-to-late 1990s that defined one of North Carolina’s most successful defensive decades. The group featured Dre Bly, Omar Brown, Greg Williams and Robert Williams, with Reggie Love, Sr. rotating in.

Three members — Bly, Brown and Robert Williams — earned All-ACC honors. Bly, the star of the unit, was also a consensus All-American for the second straight year after recording a team-high five interceptions.

Anchored by that secondary, the Tar Heels finished with the nation’s No. 2 overall defense (209.3 yards allowed per game) and the No. 3 pass defense (131.3 yards allowed).

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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