North Carolina State University Athletics
A Wolfpack Legend of 5 Rings?
2/6/2025 1:15:00 PM | Football
Former NC State player Joe Thuney, an offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, is playing in his sixth Super Bowl. If the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Super Bowl LIX, he will become just the third player in NFL history to win five or more titles
Former NCÂ 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 NCÂ State head coach Dave Doeren. "I'm so proud of him and all that he's accomplished.
"Go Chiefs."
Also representing NCÂ 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 NCÂ 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.
NCÂ 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
