Former Tar Heel E.J. Wilson falling back on degree after short career Posted Dec 3, 2014 The average career in the National Football League lasts just 3.3 years. For E.J. Wilson, it was just two games. The former University of North Carolina defensive end always knew his future would be in football, but what the now-27-year-old didn’t realize is that his contributions would be away from the field. (WRAL Sports Fan)