Payton Wilson honored with his own day by Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin
Just a few minutes after NC State’s Pop-Tarts Bowl practice concluded Tuesday afternoon, Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren introduced a special guest inside the Close-King Indoor Practice Facility: Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.
Baldwin was on hand to present graduate linebacker Payton Wilson with a special honor, an official proclamation to make Dec. 19, 2023 Payton Wilson Day in Raleigh. The mayor recognized Wilson’s achievements, including the Butkus and Bednarik trophies and his unanimous consensus All-America honor.
“It’s a true honor,” Wilson said afterwards. “Just like I’ve been saying the whole time, this wouldn’t have happened without my team, without my coaches, without my support and especially my lord and savior Jesus Christ. … This is an awesome privilege, it truly is.”
December has been a month full of awards and honors for Wilson. In addition to the two major defensive awards, Wilson was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and earned unanimous first-team All-America honors from the NCAA’s five official selectors: The Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Walter Camp, Sporting News and the American Football Coaches Association.
The Hillsborough, N.C., native made numerous other outlets’ All-America lists including CBS Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic and USA Today among others.
Wilson’s recognition is a product of his standout season in the middle of the Wolfpack’s defense. The linebacker led the ACC with 138 tackles and led the league with 17.5 tackles for a loss. Wilson also logged 6 sacks, 9 passes defended, 3 interceptions — including a pick six — and a forced fumble this fall.
“That guy deserves everything he gets,” graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong said of Wilson. “He works his tail off every single day, he sticks up for his teammates, is super fun to be around in the locker room and plays the game the right way. Everything that’s coming his way, it’s not a surprise to anybody in that locker room or that building.”
While he has become the most decorated player at NC State this season, for good reason, Wilson has remained his humble self. And that was no different on Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s been really cool to get the awards, to even win them for NC State,” Wilson said. “Just all the work that we put in over here. … To see the momentum that we have now rolling into next season, I think that’s what it’s all about.”
Wilson has the NFL in his sights, but the linebacker was focused on helping NC State to its 10th win — which would be the second time in program history the Pack had double-digit wins — at the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
While that’s the case, Wilson has not publicly said whether he will play or not, though he did practice with NC State on Tuesday in its first day of game prep for Kansas State.
“I’m just excited to get down to the bowl game, get this 10th win,” Wilson said. “After the bowl game, I’ll be down in Florida training for the combine. The combine at the end of February, I’ll be there, and then after that it’s whoever decides to take me.”
