Payton Wilson went No. 98 overall on Friday night in the NFL Draft to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was projected to be selected higher after an impressive final year at North Carolina State, but there was a specific injury concern that reportedly scared teams away.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the 24-year-old linebacker is missing an ACL in one of his knees.
From our NFL Draft coverage: The #Steelers selected at No. 98 a stud LB with stellar tape (but very real injury history) -- NC State LB Payton Wilson. Despite all that, never misses games and had a million tackles. pic.twitter.com/zaRRSUcsfp
"He has a multitude of injuries. First, there's a left shoulder injury that was operated on, was not a great operation," Rapoport said. "That certainly is a lingering injury. That's actually not the worst of it. He has torn his ACL twice. My understanding, after talking to several sources, is that one of his knees does not have an ACL. It does not have an ACL. We've actually seen this in a couple of other players — Greg Lloyd, Thurman Thomas.
For Payton Wilson, he has not missed a game and [had] 150 tackles. There are some secondary stabilizers in that knee, but that's the reason why [for his slide]."
Despite a missing ACL and previous injuries that caused him to miss time with the Wolfpack over his five years in Raleigh, Wilson recorded 138 total tackles and six sacks in 2023. He ended up winning the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defender in college football and the Butkus Award as top linebacker. He was also a unanimous All-American selection, first-team All-ACC,and ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Wilson's 4.43 40-yard dash at February's NFL scouting combine was tops among all linebackers who participated.
"He was a guy we had high on our board," said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. "Liked him as a football player. Very productive, fast, really has good football instincts. All the things you want in a football player. Seeing him where he was and having an opportunity to get him, we thought that was a good thing and we like where we're at with that.
"He brings some speed to our defense. He brings some physicality to our defense. The ability to cover guys. That's what I look at."
While his on-field accomplishments garnered deserved honors, his injury history is believed to be a reason why he ended up going late in the third round.
The Steelers know something about employing effective players who are missing ACLs. As Rapoport mentioned, Lloyd played without one, as did franchise legend Hines Ward, the wide receiver who played all 14 years of his NFL career in Pittsburgh.
Wilson overcome a laundry list of injuries to not only become one of the best defensive players in college, but also an NFL draft pick. He's ready for the challenge that the next level will put in front of him.
“I think when you turn on my tape, I think you can see that I play with my hair on fire,” Wilson said Friday night, “and that’s really because of what I have been through.
“I have seen the game can be taken away from you, so I just play as hard as I can.”
I'm just perfectly fine.” Wilson tore the ACL in his right knee in October 2017, when he was a senior in high school, requiring surgery. He re-injured it the following summer (before it had fully healed), requiring another surgery known as a revision, which led him to redshirt his freshman year at NC State.
It turns out one of the big reasons for Wilson's unexpected slide is the fact he only has one ACL, according to NFL Media. The NC State product entered the draft with an extensive history of knee injuries, but Ian Rapoport indicated on NFL Network Friday that "one of (Wilson's) knees does not have an ACL" at all.
Without a functioning ACL, it will be difficult to return effectively to sports, work or other activities with aggressive jumping, cutting and pivoting. The more competitive the sport, the more it stresses the knee and the higher performance you want, the lower the probability you can return without ACL reconstruction.
Wilson's time at the collegiate level was extended numerous times due to injury. He first suffered a torn ACL during his senior year at Orange High. Once he arrived in Raleigh, he had a second knee injury, which led to a redshirt campaign during his freshman season at NC State.
Some big names included on that list are Tiger Woods, who famously won the U.S. Open after tearing his ACL, as well as Hall of fame NFL players Hines Ward, Joe Namath and John Elway. All three of those players played their entire NFL careers without the ligament.
Despite a missing ACL and previous injuries that caused him to miss time with the Wolfpack over his five years in Raleigh, Wilson recorded 138 total tackles and six sacks in 2023. He ended up winning the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defender in college football and the Butkus Award as top linebacker.
Not all ACL injuries require an ACL reconstruction. With the latest data (up to 2022), it looks like up to 50% of torn ACL's can heal naturally and this may be aided by the use of a brace to lock the knee at 90deg for at least 4 weeks. We also know that many people can cope without an ACL at all.
The short answer is yes.After the pain and swelling subsides and if there is no other injury to your knee, you may be able to walk in straight lines, go up and down stairs and even potentially jog in a straight line. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is an important ligament that provides stability to the knee.
There are several ways to tear your ACL but some of the most common activities are soccer, improper knee position when doing an exercise like a squat, downhill skiing, football, basketball, landing wrong or awkwardly, or a direct collision.
On January 25, 1998, Schlereth celebrated his 32nd birthday on the same day he helped the Broncos win Super Bowl XXXII, a 31–24 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Before ending his playing career, Schlereth endured 29 surgeries. Twenty of those surgeries were performed on his knees (15 left, five right).
The brace on his right knee is clearly visible in the above photo. Football Hall of Famer John Elway played his entire career without an ACL in his left knee.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Wilson has a lingering left shoulder issue after “not a great operation” on it. Rapoport added that after two anterior cruciate tears that Wilson does not have an ACL left in one of his knees. Former Steelers Greg Lloyd and Hines Ward had long careers despite missing an ACL.
He played with several knee injuries and more than one shoulder separation. A nerve injury in his shoulder didn't prevent him from taking the field. Payton refused to allow his opponent to see him in pain. Bears trainer Fred Caito said he had to go out on the field only once for Payton, when he injured an ankle.
Some big names included on that list are Tiger Woods, who famously won the U.S. Open after tearing his ACL, as well as Hall of fame NFL players Hines Ward, Joe Namath and John Elway. All three of those players played their entire NFL careers without the ligament.
Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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