Former NC State WR Thayer Thomas to give back through charity that benefits walk-ons

At the midway point of Thayer Thomas’ high school football season, he was not sure if his time on the gridiron would continue at the college level. He did not have any offers to play football, though held a handful of Division II and III offers to play basketball and a baseball offer from Davidson. 

But when NC State coach Dave Doeren showed up to watch Heritage High play against Sanderson during Thomas’ senior season, looking at several future Wolfpack players (Drake Thomas, Ricky Person, Alim McNeill and Trent Pennix), the wideout caught his eye.

With that much talent on the field, Doeren left that night impressed by what this unranked wide receiver did on the field. He ended up extending a walk-on spot to Thomas, who jumped on the chance to play college football.

“He gave me my opportunity and that’s all I ever asked for,” Thomas said. “When I got my opportunity at NC State, I was ecstatic. I didn’t care if it was a walk-on spot, I thought it was the greatest thing in the world.”

Thomas took that walk-on roster spot and ran with it. He earned a scholarship by his sophomore year, and from there, Thomas quickly became a fan favorite and rewrote the record book in the process. 

The Wake Forest, N.C., native finished his Wolfpack career with the second-most career receptions (215), second-most career touchdown catches (24) and the fourth-most career receiving yards (2,484). 

All of that by a former walk-on, who turned that into a roster spot with the Minnesota Vikings. Now, Thomas wants to give back those that are in the same spot he was in when he arrived with the Pack as a walk-on. 

Thomas founded the “Wolf of Walk-ons” charity this year to relieve the financial burden of an NC State football walk-on.

He thought of the idea on a flight back from a Vikings game this past season as Thomas wanted to find a way to give back. And then it clicked in his head: help those looking to earn their way onto the Carter-Finley Field as walk-ons. 

“I wanted to cement myself for something off the field that I could help the program with giving back and inspire people with,” Thomas said. “I just think my story is pretty wholesome this how I got to where I’m at, and I just felt like that’s something I could do to give back to NC State.”

The charity has already funded its first athlete, which will be selected and presented this summer ahead of the fall semester. Thomas said there is a wide range of selection criteria, including character, time spent in the program and work ethic among other areas. 

Thomas said his goal is to eventually grow the charity into funding multiple athletes on a sustainable path of funding, but he noted that this would not have been possible without his experience with name, image and likeness at the end of his collegiate career. 

“If it wasn’t for NIL when I was there, I wouldn’t have met all these people that helped start this charity with me,” Thomas said. “It’s just been a blessing.”

Though one player will be on the receiving end of the funding this coming semester, Thomas noted that it does not guarantee the same athlete would receive it again. Instead, he wants it to be an inspiration for walk-ons to continue to work towards each year. 

“Once a person gets it, it’s not going to be a guaranteed thing year after year,” Thomas said. “That way, guys that get it one year, they have to continue to work to get it again or hold on to it.”

Thomas, a former walk-on, has embraced the same mindset he had his freshman year to earn a scholarship at the NFL level as an undrafted rookie. He stuck with the Vikings’ practice squad this past season in his first year in the league, and now he’s looking to find a way onto the field like he did at NC State. 

But he likely would not be in the situation is his in now without Doeren offering him a walk-on spot with the Wolfpack.

“I would not be in the NFL right now if it wasn’t for NC State,” Thomas said. “It was the right timing, the right situation. It was maybe a little bit lucky too. It just all worked out in a great way.”