 The ACC awarded the prestigious Tatum Award to Noel as the 1999 Atlantic Coast Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year.He was selected as 1st Team Academic All-ACC in 1998 and 1999, while also being selected as an Academic All-American in 1999.After suffering a career threatening knee injury in his final college Bowl game in 1999 against the University of Illinois, Noel was signed as a free agent to play for the Cleveland Browns in the spring of 2000.