March 29, 2006
Tar Heel All-America cornerback Dre' Bly has been generous giving back to his university since his ascension into the upper ranks of NFL stardom over the last half decade. He's endowed a full scholarship for the Carolina football team with a contribution of $150,000.
Now Bly is taking his philanthropic efforts another step with the Dre' Bly Celebrity Golf Classic, scheduled May 28 at The Preserve Golf Club south of Chapel Hill.
"We want to make this event a staple in the community in years to come," says tournament director Sean Bilsborrow. "We're going to have an outstanding day this year and set the stage for the future."
Scheduled to participate are fellow Tar Heel football players of Bly's mid-to-late 1990s era: Alge Crumpler, Ronald Curry, Nate Hobgood-Chittick, Chris Keldorf, Jeff Saturday and Brian Simmons.
Players from the early 1990s include Natrone Means, William Henderson and Jimmy Hitchcock. Recent Tar Heels who have moved onto the NFL include Dexter Reid, David Thornton and Willie Parker. Current Tar Heel coach John Bunting will participate.
Several Tar Heel basketball players have entered, including Jimmy Black, Raymond Felton and David Noel. Bilsborrow said in late March that conversations are being held with a number of former Tar Heel basketball players and he expects the celebrity list to expand significantly.
Bly has also invited and received commitments from a number of friends in the NFL from other universities. Among those committed to attend are Marshall Faulk of the St. Louis Rams, DeAngelo Hall of the Atlanta Falcons, Terrance Holt of the Detroit Lions and Torry Holt of the Rams.
Proceeds will benefit the Dre' Bly Foundation, an organization Bly created to help promote physical fitness, athletic facilities and the concept of a healthy body and healthy mind. The foundation helps schools in need to retain and develop after-school programs and acquire athletic equipment. Since its inception in 2003, it has raised more than $40,000.
Also benefiting will be CarolinaPros Inc., an organization of former Tar Heel basketball lettermen that channels its resources and energies into a variety of community service projects and events.
A pairings party will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 27. The golf will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The field will include 144 golfers and 36 celebrities participating in a "captain's choice" format.
Individual golfers can register to participate for a sponsorship donation of $250. A variety of other packages are available. For more information on the tournament and to register to participate, follow this link to the tournament website: www.drebly.golfreg.com.
Bly was a mainstay on the outstanding Tar Heel defenses fielded by head coaches Mack Brown and Carl Torbush over the 1996-98 period. He was first-team All-America all three years and has the UNC and ACC records for career interceptions with 20.
Bly has participated in two Pro Bowls during his NFL career with the St. Louis Rams and currently the Detroit Lions. He snared six interceptions last fall despite missing four games following wrist surgery.
