Drake Thomas declares for NFL draft, will play in Mayo Bowl
Drake Thomas, an All-ACC honoree and NC State’s leading tackler for consecutive seasons, is officially headed for the NFL. The junior linebacker announced Friday night that he is declaring for the draft but does plan to play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
He led NC State with 90 total tackles and finished first in the entire conference with 15 tackles for loss this fall. The linebacker also recorded a whopping 23 quarterback hurries and was 8 votes short of a first-team All-ACC selection.
Earlier this fall, The Wolfpacker voted for Thomas to make the All-ACC first team and selected him as the 2022 conference defensive player of the year as well.
Thomas also finished first on the Wolfpack in tackles in 2021 with 99, including 13.5 for loss, 6 sacks and 3 interception. The ACC named him to the all-conference first team.
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Here is Thomas’ full announcement, which he released on Twitter:
“First and foremost, I would like to thank God for his continuous blessings and his unwavering faithfulness towards me. It goes without saying that I would not be in this position without him. Through the wins, losses, highs, or lows he has never failed to come through whether it be in form of reward or a hard lesson. All glory always goes to Him.
“To my parents, the values and beliefs you instilled into me starting at a young age is what has carried me to this point. I cannot put into words how thankful I am for the countless sacrifices you guys have made for all three of your sons. I truly could never repay you guys for what you have given me.
“To my brothers’ Thayer and Lex, I could never have imagined us three being where we are now. Growing up, living out our childhood dreams together has made this journey that much better. Thank you guys for making me into the competitor I am and pushing me to be my best every day. I know that one day if no one else in the world believes in me, my brothers do.
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“To my Teammates, I came to NC State with one brother on the team and now I’m leaving with an entire family. The experiences and memories that we have created will last a lifetime and I will never take them for granted
“To my coaches, thank you for helping mold me into the player and person i am today and thank you for choosing to believe in me and my abilities. I am greatly appreciative for the teaching, mentoring, coaching, and support that you all have given me through my time at NC State.
“Wolfpack Nation, if I could go back to June 1st, 2018 on my commitment day and do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I wouldn’t want to lay it all on the line every game day for any other school. Rain, shine, win, or loss you guys show up for us and I couldn’t be more thankful and proud to call myself a part of this family.
“My time NC State has been life changing, and I know my younger self is proud of who I’ve become. Growing up, it was always my dream to play football at the highest level.
“Through countless hours of hard work and the dedication of my life to this game, I’ve turned this into a reality. This decision was nowhere close to an easy one and after much thought and prayer I have decided to declare for the 2023 NFL draft.
“I can’t wait to suit up with my brothers one last time representing this great universitv!
“Go Pack!”
