UNC confirmed this afternoon that Greg Little is the former football player who received 93 parking tickets associated with five different vehicles.

Those vehicles had nine different license plates on them, apparently from the use of dealer tags.

Little has declined to comment since last week when — in the wake of a court ruling — the university released public records revealing that some Tar Heels football players had racked up 395 campus parking tickets totaling $13,125 in fines over a three-and-a-half year span.

North Carolina linebacker Bruce Carter, defensive tackle Marvin Austin and receiver Greg Little were part of an ACC-heavy second round of the NFL draft on Friday night.

Carter was the second UNC player off the board (DE Robert Quinn went in the first to St. Louis) at the 40th overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys. Austin went 12 picks later to another NFC East team, the New York Giants. Little was the 59th overall selection to the Cleveland Browns.

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina will be short another two players for its Dec. 30 Music City Bowl matchup against Tennessee because of season-ending surgeries.

Tar Heels linebacker Bruce Carter and Tar Heels senior offensive guard Alan Pelc are both out because of injuries, according to a news release issued today by UNC's sports information department.

North Carolina senior Bruce Carter was named one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, given to the country's top linebacker, on Wednesday.

Carter ranks third on the Tar Heels with 57 tackles in 11 games. He also has two sacks and an interception.

North Carolina’s 17-13 escape at Rutgers on Saturday may long be remembered as one of the ugliest victories in Tar Heel football history.

It may also rate among the most timely wins of the Butch Davis experience.

On a day when linebacker Bruce Carter could have won both the offensive and defensive player-of-the-game awards, the Heels weren’t precise by any stretch of the word.

But if ever there had been a gut-check situation for Davis, his players and the program, this was it.

UNC linebackers Quan Sturdivant and Bruce Carter have been cleared by the NCAA and will play against LSU in Saturday night's game in Atlanta, team spokesman Kevin Best said tonight.

Tar Heels safety Deunta Williams will not play against LSU. He is one of now seven players who have been found in violation of NCAA and/or school rules and are being held out of the game.

Sturdivant and Carter are on their way to Atlanta tonight to join the team, Best said. In total, 13 players, including nine starters - seven of them on defense - will be held out of the game.  

CHAPEL HILL — UNC football coach Butch Davis announced this morning that six junior players, including five of his defensive starters, will return for their senior seasons.

It had been widely speculated that UNC's defense, which held opponents to an ACC-low 267.8 yards a game this season, would be hit hard by early departures for this spring's NFL draft.

North Carolina has group of junior defenders contemplating skipping their final season for the NFL, linebacker Bruce Carter is not one of them.

The junior from Havelock said Monday he's staying in school.

• Donavan Tate was not at practice on Friday but he is expected to be on campus on Saturday.

Tate, the third overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft, has until Aug. 17 to negotiate a deal with the San Diego Padres. He can practice with UNC without affecting his immediate two-sport future.

"We're hopeful it works out," UNC coach Butch Davis said. "[But] I have no idea."

The press release that announced the end of Mark Paschal's football career pointed out that the senior linebacker is North Carolina's leading tackler, with 103 tackles.

Quite frankly, that number underestimates his value to the Tar Heels.