‘NC State is home’: Payton Wilson inducted into NC State Ring of Honor

Payton Wilson made an impact on N.C. State football for six years. Recognition of his career became permanent on Saturday.

Wilson was inducted into the Wolfpack Ring of Honor ahead of the team’s homecoming game against Stanford, his name featured at Carter-Finley Stadium. He joins former N.C. State standouts including Roman Gabriel, Bradley Chubb, Philip Rivers, Bill Cowher and current Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Russell Wilson as a member of the elite group.

“What this place has done for me, all the people that have been here throughout my journey; I mean, I love this place. It’s like home to me,” Wilson said Saturday. “When I look back on NC State, when I go back to Raleigh, it’s like going home to me. I can’t thank everyone enough.”

Wilson’s name is located next to Cowher and Russell Wilson; all three have spent time in the Steelers’ organization.

“Just even being in the same conversation as them, it’s super cool,” the linebacker said.

Wilson, from Hillsborough, sustained multiple injuries during his career, including a 2021 shoulder injury. He was a finalist for the 2022 national comeback player of the year award. Then, he went on to have his best season last fall.

He received the Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker and Bednarik Award for the best defensive player in 2023. Wilson also earned 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors and became the fourth unanimous first-team All-American in program history. He was a finalist for the 2023 Nagurski Trophy as well.

Wilson twice led the ACC in tackles (2020 and 2023) and last season ranked fifth in FBS with 11.5 tackles per game (138 total tackles). He added 17.5 tackles for loss in 2023 to rank No. 10 in program history. The linebacker finished with 10 or more tackles 23 times in his career.

“The days at NC State, those are my favorite days of all time,” Wilson said. “The guys that I played with here, it was a surreal moment for me last year. The whole year was just crazy. It’s been awesome. NC State’s home for me.”

His positive impact extended beyond the statistics. N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren praised Wilson’s growth into a vocal leader, hard work and high standards. Wilson also volunteered with Gigi’s Playhouse, a nonprofit that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“He’s one of the best college football players I’ve watched in my career on defense,” Doeren said on Thursday. “His story is another great story, when you look at the adversity and struggle through his career with injuries and turning into one of the best leaders I’ve been around.

“Just watching that whole circle, seeing him graduate from college, and then what he’s doing in the NFL is fantastic. He deserves and has earned everything that he’s got.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft; he has appeared in eight games. The N.C. State alumnus contributed 39 tackles, including 23 solo, and a stuff.

When asked what it was like to see Wilson earn the distinction so quickly, Doeren said: “You could have put him up there the day he was drafted, and it would have been probably right on time.”