ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿವೇತನಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಜೋ ಥೂನಿ ಕೃತಜ್ಞರಾಗಿದ್ದರು. ಈಗ ಅವರು ಎನ್‌ಸಿ ಸ್ಟೇಟ್ ರಿಂಗ್ ಆಫ್ ಆನರ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ

ರಾಲಿ

Some football players have dreams of setting records and leaving lasting legacies at their programs. Developing into a player worthy of the Athletics Hall of Fame or Ring of Honor tops their list of career goals.

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Former N.C. State offensive lineman Joe Thuney was just happy to be here.

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“I was just pumped to have a scholarship,” Thuney said on Saturday. “I couldn’t believe I got to go to college for free; free housing was awesome and a meal plan. I was like, ‘This is incredible.’

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“Grateful for everything here.”

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He’s come a long way since moving to Raleigh as a two-star recruit, ranked No. 122 at his position.

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Thuney became the 15th member of the Wolfpack’s Ring of Honor, joining all-time greats including Jim Ritcher and head-coach-to-be Philip Rivers.

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The Dayton, Ohio, native credited Don Horton, the late N.C. State offensive line coach, for his recruitment and development. Horton saw Thuney’s promise long before he did.

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“(Horton) visited me in Ohio, and I remember he would come to my basketball games after football season,” Thuney said. “(He was) such a dedicated, passionate man, and great family, and just felt very comfortable with him. I really liked what you know he had to say. I visited Raleigh a couple times, and I was just hooked. Very thankful for him.”

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Thuney, alongside Garrett Bradbury, is part of a group that set the standard for the offensive line. Entering 2026 training camp, seven former N.C. State offensive linemen were on NFL rosters.

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“That’s a gentleman that’s done everything the right way,” interim head coach Todd Goebbel said on Monday. “He’s a great person. He’s a tremendous football player. Has had one heck of a career in the NFL. I don’t know him that well personally. Met him once, but everyone I’ve ever talked to, he’s exactly what a Wolfpack football player is. He’s humble, he’s talented, he’s gracious, he gives back, and, at the end of the day, he plays at a high level.”

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Thuney played at N.C. State from 2011 to 2015, remaining with the program when Dave Doeren was hired in 2013. As a senior, he was the first offensive lineman in 36 years to earn All-America recognition and the first N.C. State player in 12 years to receive First Team All-ACC honors. Thuney played every snap against ACC opponents and didn’t allow a sack that season. He appeared in 40 games with the Wolfpack.

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Off the field, Thuney received his bachelor’s degree in accounting/financial analysis and earned All-ACC Academic Honors, including four straight Honor Roll nods. He has since earned his MBA.

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New England selected Thuney in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft and earned a starting job in fall camp. He started every game that season, including the Super Bowl. He was the first player in NFL history to start in a Super Bowl in each of his first three seasons, and won two with the Patriots.

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He also won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. Thuney added to his ring collection in 2023 after winning the Super Bowl, though he did not play due to injury.

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Thuney was traded to the Chicago Bears in 2025 and won the NFL’s first Protector of the Year award.

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He is a five-time All-Pro selection and four-time Pro Bowler.

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“It’s so cool seeing guys get drafted really high,” Thuney said. “You see more and more N.C. State guys after a lot of games. It’s another N.C. State guy, another N.C. State guy. It’s fun to see the program grow and its guys be successful. Very grateful to say I came from here.”