NC State Football
Former NC State All-American Vaughan Johnson Passes Away at 57
Vaughan Johnson, one of the best players to ever play the Linebacker position at NC State, sadly passed away on Thursday at the age of 57.
Johnson is 1 of 24 Wolfpack players in school history to earn 1st Team All-American honors (1983).
The native of Morehead City, North Carolina, played in Raleigh from 1980-83, starting his final two years, leading NC State in tackles as a Junior (167) and as a Senior (144).
The 6’3″, 230 pound linebacker was a scary sight for offensive players.
Johnson’s 384 career tackles rank 6th all-time in school history, and his 167 tackles in 1982 are tied for the 4th most in a single-season.
He went on to be one of the best NFL players in NC State history, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl in 4 consecutive seasons from 1989-92 with the New Orleans Saints. Johnson earned 2nd Team All-Pro honors in 1989.
Vaughan’s 669 career tackles in the NFL rank 4th by a former Wolfpacker.
He was inducted to the Saints Hall of Fame in 2000.
247’s Brad Crawford released his Post-Spring 2024 Preseason College Football Top-25 recently, and NC State moved up 1 spot to #20.
ACC Teams in the Top-25
11. FSU
14. Miami
16. Clemson
20. NC State
24. Virginia Tech
25. Louisville
NC State Football
NC State Ranks 8th in Players Selected in the NFL Draft in the ACC in the Last 10 Years
The 2024 NFL Draft has come and gone, and NC State had two players drafted: Linebacker Payton Wilson in the 3rd round, and Center Dylan McMahon in the 6th round.
Over the past 10 years, NC State has produced 25 NFL Draft picks, and 3 1st round picks. The 25 Draft Picks ranks 8th in the ACC, and the 3 1st Round picks is tied for 7th.
NC State produced 18 NFL Draft Picks in the first 5 Draft’s of Dave Doeren’s tenure. Only 8 Wolfpack players have been selected in the past 5 NFL Drafts.
Players selected in the NFL Draft under Dave Doeren:
2024
Payton Wilson, LB – Pittsburgh – 3rd – 98th
Dylan McMahon, C – Philadelphia – 6th – 190th
NC State Cornerback Shyheim Battle has received an invitation from the New York Jets to participate in their Rookie Mini Camp.
NC State’s Shyheim Battle has been invited to rookie mini camp with the Jets with the opportunity to earn a priority free agent contract. #ncstate #NFLDraft #wpn
— Pat Welter WRAL (@PatrickWelter) April 28, 2024
Battle had 1 year of eligibility remaining, but declared for the NFL Draft on January 3rd.
He finished this past year as the most experienced player on the Wolfpack’s defense, starting in 41 of the 51 games he has played in dating back to 2019. In a rarity in this day-and-age, Battle was a 4-year starter at the Cornerback position for NC State. He graduated with a degree in Communications.
In his final season in Red and White, Battle had 46 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 4 pass breakups and 1 fumble recovery. His PFF Grade of 70.6 was the 7th best on the Wolfpack defense.
NC State Sits in the Top-20 in 247’s Post-Spring 2024 Preseason Poll
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NC State Signee Zamareya Jones Showed Out in the McDonald’s & Jordan All-American Games
NC State’s Kevin Keatts and DJ Burns Sounded the Siren at the Canes Game Tonight
NC State’s Current 2024 Football Scholarship Breakdown
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NC State has Dominated UNC in Athletics in 2023-24
Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is a Priority for NC State
NC State Football Recruiting Update
2024 NC State Commit Trey Parker Finishes 2nd in OTE Dunk Contest
VIDEO BREAKDOWN: Was BYU 3 point barrage unstoppable, or was NC State’s defense to blame? You decide.
VIDEO: Terquavion Smith GOES OFF in G-League Debut with 37 points & 8 Boards
NC State lands combo guard DJ Horne from the portal
