Over four seasons, Thuney appeared in 40 games with 32 starts, playing every offensive line position except center.
"Joe was the true definition of a team player during his time at NC State," said coach Dave Doeren. "He was willing to start wherever he was needed and he excelled at each position. He established a standard on the Wolfpack offensive line that players for the last decade have worked to live up to, which is one reason we've had two offensive linemen drafted in the first round since then and have six on NFL rosters today. He worked just as hard in the classroom as he did on the field and truly deserves to have his name enshrined among other NC State stars."
Thuney graduated cum laude from NC State with a B.S. in accounting/financial analysis prior to his junior year. He was a two-time first-team Academic All-ACC performer and was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll all four years he played. In 2015, he was a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's Campbell Trophy, which honors academics, community service and on-field performance.
Since leaving NC State, he has earned his MBA.
"Joe Thuney was not only an excellent player for NC State, but he was an outstanding and dedicated student," said Boo Corrigan, NC State's Director of Athletics. "We are so proud of all that he's accomplished during his NFL career and excited to have him enshrined beside other Wolfpack greats in Carter-Finley Stadium."
Thuney was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He joined the Bears last year after being acquired in a trade with the Chiefs. In his first season in Chicago, he won the inaugural NFL Protector of the Year Award as the league's top offensive lineman. In addition, he was named first-team All-Pro for the third straight season and voted to the Pro Bowl for the fourth consecutive year.
Thuney boasts a nearly unmatched championship pedigree, capturing nine division titles in 10 NFL seasons with the Patriots, Chiefs and Bears and winning four Super Bowls, two with New England and two with Kansas City. He became the first NFL player to start in the Super Bowl in each of his first three seasons with the Patriots and remarkably went to three straight Super Bowls with the Chiefs, playing in two and missing one with an injury.
A date for Thuney's induction into NC State's Ring of Honor will be set after NFL schedules are released in May.