The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1407083
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 ■ 35 BY TIM PEELER ill Cowher stood before his families to celebrate the cap- ping moment of his football career, a gold-jacketed "thank you" to them all during his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There were four distinct families on hand to see Cowher become the first former NC State football player to enter the hall: his own family that included his wife, Veronica Stigeler, and three daughters, Meagan, Lauren and Lindsay; his Pittsburgh Steelers family that included generations of owners, coaches and players from his 15 years as head coach of one of the NFL's premier franchises; his CBS family that he has built during 15 years as a commenta- tor on the television network; and his NC State family of coaches and teammates who trekked from all over the country to be with "Billy," as they all knew him during his days as a punishing Wolfpack linebacker. "To my friends," Cowher said in his eight- minute speech, "that's what it is all about, surrounding yourself with good people. Thank you for your unconditional friend- ship." More than two dozen of his Wolfpack friends sat in the stands at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on Sat- urday, Aug. 6, humbled at their inclusion in the crowning achievement of Cowher's career, from his former linebacker coach Chuck Amato to practice opponent and Out- land Trophy-winning teammate Jim Ritcher. Wide receiver Mike Quick from Philadel- phia and tight end Ralph Stringer from Mi- ami both made the trip, as did Cowher's fearsome linebacker twin, Kyle Wescoe, from Raleigh. They may not have been as vocal as the hundreds of Steelers fans who were out in force with their Terrible Towels to see Cowher, Troy Polamalu and Donnie Shell all go into the hall, but they were no less prominent, especially when Amato whistled loudly — just as he used to do in practice — when Cowher mentioned his name. "Bill was such a smart player," Amato said after his return from the enshrinement weekend. "He took that into coaching." So it was not surprising that Cowher did well in the NFL following a collegiate ca- reer that included one year playing for Lou Holtz and three years playing for Bo Rein. Pennsylvania Rejects Cowher and Wescoe arrived on campus at the same time, from the opposite ends of Pennsylvania, a fertile recruiting ground for NC State for decades, going back to the ear- liest days when Penn State graduates Earle Edwards and Al Michaels were building the Wolfpack's championship foundation. Cowher was from Crafton, only a few miles from downtown Pittsburgh, while Wescoe was from Bethlehem on the other end of the state, not too far from where Edwards' recruits Rosie and Chuck Amato grew up. Like every kid from the Keystone State, they all wanted to play for Joe Pater- no's Penn State program or Johnny Majors' or Jackie Sherrill's Pittsburgh program. Instead, Cowher and Wescoe signed to be part of Holtz's next-to-last recruiting class and set their sights on beating their home- state teams. That was possible because for years (14 times from 1967-1982, to be ex- act) Edwards and the coaches who followed him played an annual contest against Penn State. "There were always a lot of players here from what we called the Pennsylvania Re- jects, the non-skill players who came down here to play," said Wescoe, who settled in Raleigh after his playing career and spent nearly a quarter-century as a detective and lieutenant in the Raleigh Police Department. "All us linebackers, defensive linemen, of- fensive linemen and tight ends came from up north. "Every year we had a game against Penn State. It was our passion to play against them and to be successful against them." As freshmen, on Nov. 8, 1975, they went to Beaver Stadium and handed the eighth- ranked Lions a dramatic 15-14 loss. Penn State jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half, but State's defense held tight the rest of the way and the Wolfpack scored 15 un- answered points, the final three coming on a 24-yard Jay Sherrill field goal early in the fourth quarter. Cowher and Wescoe watched from the sideline as State's defense stopped three Penn State drives in the fourth quar- ter, and punter/quarterback Johnny Evans booted his legendary 84-yard quick kick from his own 9-yard line. The Pack wasn't as successful over the next three years, losing close games to Penn State in all three meetings, including a 19-10 loss in 1978 against an undefeated Paterno team that was ranked No. 2 in the nation. In their final collegiate game, however, Cowher, Wescoe and a talented senior class led by record-breaking running back Ted Brown got another chance to beat the other Cowher (far right) and Kyle Wescoe (far left) arrived on campus at the same time, from the opposite ends of Pennsylvania, and still rank among the program's top 10 in all-time tackles. They are pictured above with fellow Pennsylvania natives and teammates Russ Matt (left) and Tom Lindner (right). PHOTO BY KELLEY WESCOE B Cowher spent his entire NFL head coaching career with the Steelers, compiling a 149-90-1 overall record, a 12-9 playoff mark, two AFC championships and a Super Bowl title. PHOTO BY CAITLYN EPES/COURTESY PITTSBURGH STEELERS