Joe Thuney

Early life

Thuney was born to Mike and Beth Thuney in Centerville, Ohio. He was raised in Centerville along with his brother Eric and sisters Monica and Megan. Thuney attended Incarnation Catholic School before becoming a member of two D4 state championship teams at Archbishop Alter High School. As a Senior he was Greater Catholic League Lineman of the Year and president of his senior class.

College career

Thuney played sparingly at NC State during his freshman year. He came into his redshirt sophomore year as the projected starting center but ended up starting the season opener at right tackle, the second game at right guard and the last 10 games at left tackle. In his junior year he started at left guard and at left tackle his senior year. He became the first offensive lineman for NC State to be named an All-American since Jim Ritcher in 1979.

He was a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, which rewards the best combination of academics, community service, and performance on the field, and he graduated from NC State cum laude in three years. According to NFL reporter Matt Verderame, when Thuney took the Wonderlic Personnel Test he avoided answering many of the questions so he would not come off as too smart. He later earned Master of Business Administration from Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington.

In 2026, Thuney was inducted into the NC State Football Ring of Honor.