Dee Hardison, former UNC football, NFL star, dies at 61

Former North Carolina and NFL defensive tackle Dee Hardison died Saturday at the age of 61.

He had been hospitalized for several weeks, the Associated Press reported.

Hardison was named to the AP’s All-American first team in 1977, when he co-captained the Tar Heels team that won the ACC title and finished 8-3-1 and ranked 17th after a 21-17 loss to Nebraska in the Liberty Bowl, according to the AP.

The Buffalo Bills drafted Hardison in the second round in 1978, beginning his 11-season career in the NFL. He played five seasons with the New York Giants, two with the San Diego Chargers and one with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Hardison was inducted into the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 alongside N.C. State basketball star Genia Beasley, NFL referee Gerald Austin, UNC basketball star Pete Brennan, N.C. State football star Dennis Byrd, Louisburg baseball coach Russ Frazier, AFL all-star Claude "Hoot" Gibson, World Series winning baseball manager Jack McKeon, and Elon athletic director/former Wake Forest football star Alan White.

Hardison died at North Carolina Memorial Hospital in Chapel Hill, according to his obituary.

This story was originally published April 24, 2018 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Dee Hardison, former UNC football, NFL star, dies at 61."