Former Wolfpack Star Thrives as Pads Come On in Camp

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Dec 1, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson (41) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Thuds could be heard from practice fields across the country. It can only mean one thing: the pads are on, and football is near. All NFL organizations put on pads this past week, meaning the real football has started.

Former North Carolina State Wolfpack linebacker and Pittsburgh Steeler Payton Wilson showcased his excitement to get those pads on again, finally.

"It was exciting," Wilson said in an interview with Steelers media. "Go good on good and fly around, and make some plays. This is why you play the game. The past five days have been fun. Coach calls it the acclimation days, and they're real football-like, so when you get out here and put pads on, and we're in seven shots, and team periods, and you're tackling. You get a sense of what football truly is."

Wilson is coming off his rookie season with Pittsburgh, where he accumulated 78 total tackles and one forced fumble. The Steelers' culture isn't easy to acclimate to, but the former Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year easily fits right into that culture.

The Steelers were one of the more surprising teams a year ago. The team went 10-7 and earned a playoff spot, only to succumb to a division rival in the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.

Now entering 2025, the Steelers hope to make a jump and compete within the AFC North division again. The organization bolstered the offense by signing players like future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and trading for former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf.

To make the life of Wilson and the defense easier, the team also locked up star pass rusher TJ Watt with a record-breaking three-year, $123 million contract, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

Wolfpack defensive star

Wolfpack fans don't easily forget Wilson; he was a five-year player within the program. In those five years, he recorded 403 total tackles, 15 sacks and gave up an NFL passer rating of 68.2.

In 2023, his final season with the Wolfpack. Wilson was awarded the Butkus Award, Bednarik Award, ACC defensive player of the year, a unanimous first-team All-American, and a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy.

The former four-star recruit out of Hillsborough, North Carolina, certainly left his mark upon the program, and now is turning his attention to leaving his mark upon the National Football League.

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