Payton Wilson (born April 21, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at NC State, winning the Chuck Bednarik Award and Butkus Award in 2023. Wilson was selected by the Steelers in the third round, 98th overall in the 2024 NFL draft.
 Wilson with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 | |||||
| No. 41 – Pittsburgh Steelers | |||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | April 21, 2000 Hillsborough, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 242 lb (110 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Orange (Hillsborough) | ||||
| College: | NC State (2018–2023) | ||||
| NFL draft: | 2024 / round: 3 / pick: 98 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2024 | |||||
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Early life
editWilson grew up in Hillsborough, North Carolina and attended Orange High School. As a junior, he made 127 tackles with 39 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.[1] Wilson also won the North Carolina 3A 220-pound wrestling state championship during his junior year.[2] He had 103 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks before tearing his ACL during his senior year.[3] Wilson was rated a four-star recruit and initially committed to play college football at North Carolina (UNC) over offers from Clemson, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech.[4] He later decommitted from UNC and ultimately signed to play at North Carolina State.[5]
College career
editWilson suffered a second knee injury during summer training camp and redshirted his true freshman season at NC State.[6] He led the Wolfpack with 69 tackles during his redshirt freshman season.[7] Wilson made 108 tackles with 11.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and two interceptions and was named first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in his redshirt sophomore season.[8] He suffered a season ending shoulder injury in the second game of his junior season.[9] In 2023, Wilson received the Butkus Award given annually to college football's best linebacker.[10]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+7⁄8 in (1.93 m) |
233 lb (106 kg) |
30+1⁄2 in (0.77 m) |
9 in (0.23 m) |
4.43 s | 1.54 s | 2.58 s | 4.20 s | 6.85 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) |
9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) | ||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[11][12] | ||||||||||||
2024 season
editWilson was selected in the third round (98th overall) of the 2024 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.[13] The Philadelphia Eagles originally had possession of the 98th overall selection until it was traded to the Steelers in exchange for Kenny Pickett.
Ahead of the regular season, Wilson was named the team's second string left inside linebacker behind Patrick Queen, beating out Mark Robinson for the backup role.[14]
On August 17, 2024, during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills, Wilson was tackled by Ryan Van Demark and his back leg was stepped up on and bent backwards. Despite this injury, he still made his first professional appearance in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons where he would make his first tackle on wide receiver Drake London. He would finish the game making three tackles in the 18-10 Steelers victory.[15] By Week 6 of the season, Wilson had accumulated 18 tackles and eight assists, averaging 3.3 tackles a game.[16] On October 13, he would record his first tackle for loss during the Steelers' 32-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Personal life
editWilson is the younger brother of Major League Baseball pitcher Bryse Wilson.[17]
References
edit- ^ Alexander, Jonathan M. (May 2, 2017). "Payton Wilson, No. 2 linebacker in the country, picks UNC". NewsObserver.com. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Way, Dan E. (February 23, 2017). "Football recruit Payton Wilson wins wrestling title in thrilling fashion". The News & Observer. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Alexander, Jonathan M. (November 22, 2017). "UNC's top defensive prospect, and NC high school star, decommits". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Nathan, Alec (May 1, 2017). "4-Star LB Payton Wilson Commits to UNC over Ohio State, Clemson, Others". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Pope IV, Jonas (December 1, 2017). "Payton Wilson, who decommitted from UNC, commits to NC State, Dave Doeren instead". The News & Observer. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Bridges, Virginia; Giglio, Joe (December 15, 2019). "NC State football player Payton Wilson faces multiple charges". The News & Observer. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Pope IV, Jonas (October 23, 2020). "He's always played hard, now NC State's Payton Wilson is also playing smart". The News & Observer. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Thompson, David (July 20, 2021). "N.C. State football's Payton Wilson ready to become top defender". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Beard, Aaron (September 13, 2021). "NC State loses all-ACC LB Wilson, Fagan for year to injuries". Associated Press. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ Eberly, Keaton (December 7, 2023). "NC State linebacker Payton Wilson crowned as 2023 Butkus Award winner". CBS17.com. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ "Payton Wilson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ "2024 NFL Draft Scout Payton Wilson College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Magdziuk, Kate (April 26, 2024). "Pittsburgh Steelers select LB Payton Wilson with 98th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft". Behind the Steel Curtain. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 NFL Depth Chart". ESPN. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4361652/payton-wilson
- ^ https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/payton-wilson-stats
- ^ delos Santos, Justice (September 9, 2022). "This Buc's brother is a college football star". MLB.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.