There were five former Wolfpack players across three teams with a chance of reaching the Super Bowl on NFL Championship Sunday. Two Pack Pros made big plays to help the Cincinnati Bengals reach their first Super Bowl since 1989 to highlight the former NC State players’ performances this weekend.
B.J. Hill, defensive tackle, Cincinnati Bengals
You rarely see defensive tackles intercept the quarterback, and Hill had never done so before in his NFL career, but that was before the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. With his team down eight points in the third quarter, Hill made the biggest defensive play of the game. He deflected Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’s pass and then intercepted it. This led to a touchdown that tied the game at 21.
This will be a play that lives on in Bengals history for a long time moving forward. Other than just the interception, Hill had five tackles and 0.5 sacks.
Germaine Pratt, linebacker, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals defense was lit up in the first half, but came out with new energy in the second half, holding the Chiefs to just three points. Pratt was a big part of this defense that ultimately won the game for Cincinnati. Pratt was all over the field Sunday and was second on the team with eight tackles. Pratt, alongside Hill, will now take on the Los Angeles Rams on Feb. 13 with a chance to win a Super Bowl ring.
Joe Thuney, guard, Kansas City Chiefs
Thuney looked to be going to the Super Bowl after the way the Chiefs offense dominated the first half. However the Bengals defense picked it up, sacking Mahomes four times. One of the sacks, Mahomes fumbled the ball with under a minute left in the fourth quarter. Thankfully for Mahomes, Thuney was there to recover the ball that allowed the Chiefs to kick a field goal to send the game to overtime.
Dontae Johnson and Kentavius Street, San Francisco 49ers
The chance of having former members of the Wolfpack on both sides of the Super Bowl fell just short Sunday night as the Rams defeated the 49ers 20-17. Johnson and Street both being defensive players failed to make an impact in the NFC Championship game as neither player recorded a tackle.
