Paul Barton carries on a Carolina legacy
The Tar Heel tight end followed in his dad’s footsteps on the gridiron, while spending time with his siblings on campus.
There are two things the Barton family loves: UNC-Chapel Hill and football.
“There are so many photos of us wearing the UNC No. 23 or No. 1 jerseys when we were little. We grew up watching all the basketball and football games on TV,” said Paul Barton ’25.
All four Barton family kids are carrying on a Carolina legacy. Anna Barton ’23 ’25 (MBA) came to Carolina to play women’s lacrosse and won a national championship in 2022. Ellie Barton is a junior at Carolina. Jack Barton is a first-year student on the men’s lacrosse team. Paul Barton also played lacrosse and studied in the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, earning a bachelor’s degree and graduate certificate in finance.
All four Barton siblings followed their father’s footsteps to Carolina. (Submitted photo)
Their dad, Harris Barton ’87, played football at Carolina for five years. As an offensive tackle for the San Franscisco 49ers for 11 years, he won three Super Bowls.
“It’s an honor to continue the Carolina legacy. Once you get here, you fall in love with Carolina. It’s one of the rare universities where the university pride carries throughout everything you do later in life. That was something my dad always talked about,” Paul Barton said.
He and his dad watched football every Saturday and Sunday throughout his childhood. In high school, he was a defensive end and receiver.
At Carolina, Paul Barton played on the men’s lacrosse team as a defenseman and long stick midfielder. But he wasn’t ready for his athletic career to end after four seasons, so he thought of giving football a shot.
Carolina men’s lacrosse defensive coordinator Dave Pietramala, a friend of Carolina football head coach Bill Belichick, helped connect Paul Barton with Belichick and Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi.
When lacrosse season ended, he trained in San Francisco for two weeks, running routes and lifting weights. He booked a one-way ticket back to Chapel Hill for tryouts, running the 40-yard dash and going through blocking drills. He found out he made the team as a tight end and started practicing with the team three days later.
Barton also played lacrosse for Carolina, just like his sister Anna and Jack. (Submitted photo)
“Having the opportunity to play for the greatest coach ever and learn lessons on his approach to winning, or his approach to simple challenges that come with sports, is something I thought would be invaluable later in life,” he said. “In the work or business world, his methodical approach to everything is invaluable to me.”
“Getting the experience of playing football at a high level for just one season astronomically strengthened my appreciation for everything my dad did in football,” Barton said. (Submitted photo)
Paul Barton was thrilled to play football on the same field in Kenan Stadium where his dad’s No. 67 jersey is retired.
“Getting the experience of playing football at a high level for just one season astronomically strengthened my appreciation for everything my dad did in football,” he said. “I’ve been able to ask my dad so many questions, and we’ve found a new way to communicate, which has been incredible — to have deeper conversations with him.”
On senior day, before the Tar Heels’ game against Duke, the Bartons shared one more special moment together on that field.
Paul Barton said he learned a lot from the lacrosse and football coaching staffs that he hopes to take with him as he begins his finance career.
“Learning from them has taught me to keep my head down and keep working, having that tenacious approach to give everything my all,” he said. “The University has taught me that in the classroom as well. Kenan-Flagler does a great job of setting students up with not only the technical skills you need but how to step out of your comfort zone with face-to-face presentations with real-life application.”
