The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516111
TRACKING THE PACK 12 ■ THE WOLFPACKER NC State's Collectives Merge To Form 'One Pack NIL' NC State's two name, image and likeness collectives have joined forces. After spending the past eight months working in tandem, Pack of Wolves and Savage Wolves have officially combined to form One Pack NIL — a united front aimed at bolstering the university's NIL efforts. Managed by Blueprint Sports, the same organiza - tion that ran Pack of Wolves, One Pack will provide NIL opportunities to every NC State varsity athlete across 19 sports. Fans can donate to specific teams, join the organization as a member for exclusive events and opportunities, make contributions and partner with the Pack's stars through corporate spon - sorships. While the organization's name and logo are differ- ent, the leadership remains similar, and the process for supporting the university's NIL efforts is still the same. In a Jan. 9 press release, One Pack announced that it has formed a board of directors featuring Reid Johnson (president), Clyde Phillips and Steve Wil- liams. Johnson was a co-founder of Savage Wolves and now takes over in a leadership role with the new organization. The collectives worked closely together throughout 2023 and co-hosted multiple fundraising events. General manager Chris Vurnakes, associate gen - eral manager Hannah Foederer and corporate sales manager Carly Venick will all play critical roles in the collective's day-to-day administration as well. In addi- tion, the collective plans on forming advisory boards for each sport within the organization. Savage Wolves will also keep its branding as a football-specific club within the new collective. Co- founder Tom Livolsi will continue to spearhead those fundraising efforts. The organization has put a lot of resources into providing exclusive opportunities for its donors, including tours of the Murphy Center, side - line access at games and more. That will continue under One Pack, with Blueprint Sports now managing those events. — Ethan McDowell Two NC State Players Invited To NFL Scouting Combine NC State will have two representatives at this year's NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in India- napolis — center Dylan McMahon and linebacker Payton Wilson. The combine will take place Feb. 29-March 3. Wil- son and the linebackers will be in action on the first day at 3 p.m. ET, while McMahon and the rest of the offensive linemen will hit the field on the final day of the combine at 1 p.m. Both players impressed at their respective college all-star games earlier this year. McMahon turned heads at the East-West Shrine Bowl, while Wilson did the same at the Reese's Senior Bowl. Long snapper Joe Shimko will also be in Indianapo - lis for the specialist showcase that will take place dur- ing the same week as the NFL Scouting Combine. — Noah Fleischman Three Former Pack Players Win Super Bowl With Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas, prevailing 25-22 in an overtime thriller. A trio of Pack Pros were part of the effort that delivered the Chiefs their third title in the past five years. Former NC State offensive lineman Joe Thuney won his fourth Super Bowl ring in eight seasons, although he was inactive for the game against the 49ers due to a pectoral injury. Former Wolfpack wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling was active, and he made his mark on the contest. The wideout caught 3 passes for 20 yards, including the go-ahead score to give the Chiefs a 13-10 lead in the third quarter. Two weeks earlier, Valdes-Scantling made the decisive play in the AFC Championship Game against Baltimore, catching a 32-yard pass from Patrick Ma - homes late in the fourth quarter. The third-and-9 con- version allowed Kansas City to run out the clock. The Super Bowl victory gave Valdes-Scantling his second consecutive title with Kansas City, and it marked the first time in his six-year NFL career that he caught a pass in a Super Bowl. In addition to those two players, former NC State linebacker David Merritt also won a Super Bowl ring. Merritt, a seventh-round selection by the Miami Dolphins in the 1993 NFL Draft, is the Chiefs' second - ary coach. The Super Bowl title is Merritt's fifth as an assistant coach. Before joining Kansas City's staff in 2019, he was part of two Super Bowl-winning efforts with the New York Giants. — Noah Fleischman ■ RED AND WHITE NOTEBOOK PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP CORRECTION The photo that appeared on page 48 of the January/February edition of The Wolfpacker was of Lana Van Dyken, not Renada Davis Fichtner as identified in the caption. Davis Fichtner, who set an NC State softball record with 65 career home runs from 2012 to 2015, appears in the photo above. The Wolfpacker regrets the error.