As a linebacker at North Carolina State over the last few seasons, Payton Wilson knows what it means to play that position and wear that uniform, attempting to live up to the standard set by Wolf Pack Ring of Honor member Bill Cowher.
Now, after putting together a dominant 2023 season, Wilson is headed to another old stomping ground of Cowher’s: the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wilson was the No. 98 overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving the Black and Gold another big, fast and physical linebacker.
Speaking with reporters Friday night via conference call following his selection, Wilson stated that he’s aiming to continue the legacy of Cowher, one of his idols, this time in the Black and Gold.
“That’s one of my idols. An NC State legend, someone who lives life the right way as well, on and off the field,” Wilson said of Cowher, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “And I mean, his name’s in the Ring of Honor at NC State, and he is one of the best coaches to ever coach in the game and one of the best linebackers to ever play. So just super excited to wear this jersey and continue his legacy.”
Wilson couldn’t have chosen a better idol than Cowher, especially with NC State ties.
Cowher, who was born and raised in Crafton, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh, played linebacker for North Carolina State from 1975-78. During his time at NC State, Cowher put together a remarkable career at linebacker, recording two 24-tackle games (South Carolina in 1977 and Clemson in 1978) and had a program-record 195 tackles in the 1978 season, which remains intact.
Cowher currently ranks seventh in school history in tackles with 371 and his 24-tackle games still sits second in school history for tackles in a single game.
Following his time at NC State, Cowher played five seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns after going undrafted in the 1979 NFL Draft. In his five seasons, Cowher played 45 games with four starts before ultimately moving into coaching at the age of 28.
From there, Cowher eventually worked his way up to becoming the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992, and then went on to coach the Steelers for 15 seasons, going 149-90-1 in his tenure with the Steelers.
He led the Steelers to eight division titles, earned 10 postseason playoff berths, played in 21 playoff games, advanced to six AFC Championship games and made two Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl XL in 2005. Thanks to his career on the sideline as a head coach, Cowher was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, one year after being inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor in 2019.
Then in September 2023, Cowher was inducted into the NC State Ring of Honor, capping off a remarkable career as a player and a coach.
Wilson wants to match that and carry on that legacy in Pittsburgh. Though Cowher was never a player for the Steelers, Wilson has a lot of similar traits that Cowher once did with toughness and a hair-on-fire play style that endears him to coaches. That’s who he attempts to embody.
That should make him a fan favorite rather quickly in Pittsburgh.
