NC State football inducts ‘very humbled’ Bill Cowher into Wolfpack Ring of Honor

N.C. State football gave Bill Cowher a lot of things. He learned resilience, confidence and developed his work ethic. It gave him his family, too.

The Wolfpack inducted Cowher, the only former Pack player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, into the institution’s Football Ring of Honor on Friday. His family, including three grandchildren, joined him for the recognition, which, appropriately, came on Friends and Family night.

“I came here as a boy from Pittsburgh — Crafton, Pennsylvania — in the most formative years of my life,” Cowher said. “A lot of it was me growing up, (learning) to be a man on the football field down there. It shaped my entire life. I met the mother of my three daughters. I have seven grand kids to this date. Coming back here is very, very special. Tonight is very special, and I feel very humbled by it all.”

Cowher becomes the 12th player to earn a place in the Ring of Honor. Other inductees include Russell Wilson and Bradley Chubb — both of whom remain in the NFL — Dick Christy, Ted Brown and Philip Rivers.

Pack head coach Dave Doeren and athletic director Boo Corrigan told Cowher of the honor this spring. Cowher called that moment “moving.”

In his return, Cowher connected with former teammates and coaches. He showed his family where grew and matured. Getting the honor means a lot. It means even more to receive the distinction surrounded by loved ones.

“That’s what life’s about: being able to share your experiences, your memories, any degree of wisdom that you may have gained along the way and to let them see what you are part of,” Cowher said.

Cowher played linebacker for N.C. State from 1975-78 and ranks No. 7 in program history for career tackles (371). He holds the single-season record for total tackles (195) in 1978.

The now-retired NFL coach also racked up 24 tackles against South Carolina in 1977 and Clemson in 1978. Those games rank No. 2 for single game stops, tied with Pat Teague — the current record holder with 26 — and current Director of Strength and Conditioning Dantonio Burnette.

“Bill Cowher has left an indelible mark on the game of football and is certainly beloved by Wolfpack Nation,” Corrigan said previously in a statement. “It is an absolute privilege to recognize his remarkable contributions and celebrate his outstanding career.”

After his career with the Wolfpack, Cowher went on to play five seasons in the NFL (1980-84) with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns. He started his coaching career with the Browns under Marty Schottenheimer, serving the organization as the special teams coach (1985-86) and secondary coach (1987-88). He then followed Schottenheimer to Kansas City, where he served as the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator.

The Wolfpack alumnus then coached the Pittsburgh Steelers for 15 seasons, starting in 1992, and guided the organization to two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl win (2006).

The former linebacker credited the the N.C. State College of Education for much of his on-field success as a coach.

“I always said before, coaching is teaching,” Cowher said. “I learned so much being here through that. My time here — the four and a half years I spent here — were very, very instrumental in my upbringing.”

His resume includes a long list of accomplishments, including but not limited to:

▪ Became second head coach in NFL history to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first six seasons

▪ Earned 10 postseason berths

▪ Appeared in 21 playoff games

▪ Made six AFC Championship game appearances

▪ Finished career with 161-99-1 overall record

▪ Finished career with 12-9 postseason record

▪ Earned NFL Coach of the Year twice (1992 by Associated Press and Sporting News; 2004 by Sporting News)

He led the Steelers to a playoff berth in each of his first six seasons, just the second coach in NFL history to do it. Plus, he led the organization to eight division titles, 10 playoff appearances, 21 playoff games, six AFC Championship appearances, two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl win (2005-06).

Cowher resigned as Pittsburgh’s head coach in January 2007, then taking a job as a CBS NFL Today analyst. He was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

“We talk about the dash in our program. That’s your birthday, the dash and then whatever that date is you expire. That dash is your legacy. That’s what you stood for, that’s what you meant, it’s what you leave behind,” Doeren said this week. “Coach Cowher has left a tremendous legacy in coaching, as a player here — as a two-sport athlete — as a mentor in the coaching profession, and now an announcer that does a tremendous job.”