A Wolfpack Legend of 5 Rings?

Former NC State player Joe Thuney, an offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, has the opportunity this weekend to add his name to a short list of the most successful players in NFL history.

Thuney, who has won two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots and two with the Chiefs, could become just the third player in history to win five Super Bowl titles.

The other two are quarterback Tom Brady, who won seven championships with the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end/linebacker Charles Haley, who won a combined five rings with the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys.

Thuney, an All-American offensive guard during his time with the Wolfpack, is appearing in his sixth Super Bowl since being drafted nine years ago.

The four-time Pro Bowl player has been credited this year with providing a spark to the Chiefs’ potent offense by making the difficult move in week 15 from guard, where he has started in five previous Super Bowls, to tackle. The Chiefs are 5-0 since Thuney made that move.

“Joe was one of the hardest working players and best teammates I’ve had the pleasure to coach in my career,” says NC State head coach Dave Doeren. “I’m so proud of him and all that he’s accomplished.

“Go Chiefs.”

Also representing NC State in professional football’s biggest annual game is Chiefs defensive backs coach David Merritt, a native of Raleigh and graduate of Millbrook High who has won five Super Bowl rings in his 24-year professional coaching career: two with the New York Giants (for the 2007 and ’11 seasons) and three with the Chiefs (for the 2010, ’22 and ’23 seasons).

Merritt was a three-year starting linebacker at NC State (1990-92) and part of the 1990 All-American Bowl championship team. He would become one of the few assistant coaches in NFL history to be part of a half dozen Super Bowl champions.

NC State Super Bowl Players

Note: Not every player was active for participation in the Super Bowl, as some spent full or partial seasons on practice squad rosters. However, most teams recognize all players under contract during a Super Bowl season with rings and other recognition for their contributions.

SB      Name                        Pos.  Team, Year

X         Charley Young            RB      Dallas Cowboys, 1976

XI       Dan Medlin              DL      Oakland Raiders, 1977

XX      Lin Dawson             TE      New England Patriots, 1986

            Dennis Owens            DB     New England Patriots, 1986

XXI     Perry Williams            DB     New York Giants, 1987

XXIII   Mike Cofer               PK      San Francisco 49ers, 1989

XXIV  Mike Cofer               PK      San Francisco 49ers, 1990

XXV   Perry Williams            DB     New York Giants, 1991

            Jim Ritcher              OL      Buffalo Bills, 1991

XXVI  Jim Ritcher              OL      Buffalo Bills, 1992

XXVII Jim Ritcher              OL      Buffalo Bills, 1993

XXVIII    Jim Ritcher    OL      Buffalo Bills, 1994

XXIX  Mark Thomas             DE      San Francisco 49ers, 1995

            Joe Milinichik              OL      San Diego Chargers, 1995

XXX    George Hegamin        OL      Dallas Cowboys, 1996

            Bill Cowher              HC     Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996

XXXI  Mike Jones               LB      New England Patriots, 1997

XXXIII    Gary Downs  RB      Atlanta Falcons, 1999

XXXIV    Ray Agnew     DL      St. Louis Rams, 2000

            Torry Holt                    WR    St. Louis Rams, 2000

            Mike Jones                 DL      Tennessee Titans, 2000

XXXV George Williams         DL      New York Giants, 2001

XXXVI    Torry Holt       WR    St. Louis Rams, 2002

XXXVII Corey Smith            DE      Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2003

            Alvis Whitted              WR    Oakland Raiders, 2003

XL      Bill Cowher              HC     Pittsburgh Steelers, 2006

            Sean Locklear            OL      Seattle Seahawks, 2006

XLIII   Adrian Wilson             DB     Arizona Cardinals, 2009

XLIV  DeMario Pressley       DL      New Orleans Saints, 2010

XLVI  Andre Brown               RB      New York Giants, 2012

XLVIII Steven Hauschka       PK      Seattle Seahawks, 2014

            Nate Irving                  LB      Denver Broncos, 2014

            J.R. Sweezy               OL      Seattle Seahawks, 2014

            Russell Wilson           QB     Seattle Seahawks, 2014

XLIX   Stephen Hauschka    PK      Seattle Seahawks, 2015

            J.R. Sweezy    OL      Seattle Seahawks, 2015

            Russell Wilson            QB     Seattle Seahawks, 2015

L         Jerricho Cotchery       WR    Carolina Panthers, 2016

LI        Jacoby Brissett           QB     New England Patriots, 2017

            Joe Thuney              OL      New England Patriots, 2017

LII       Joe Thuney              OL      New England Patriots, 2018

LIII     Joe Thuney              OL      New England Patriots, 2019

LIV     Dontae Johnson        DB     San Francisco 49ers, 2020

            Kentavius Street        DL      San Francisco 49ers, 2020

LV      Ted Larsen               OL      Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2021

LVII    Germaine Pratt          LB      Cincinnati Bengals, 2022

            B.J. Hill            DL      Cincinnati Bengals, 2022

LVIII  Joe Thuney                OL      Kansas City Chiefs, 2023

            T.Y. McGill                   DT      San Francisco 49ers, 2023

LIX     Joe Thuney                OL      Kansas City Chiefs, 2024