August 12, 2025 • 8 mins
The guys welcome in Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu as they discuss how the offensive line is a strength for this team and where he feels like his game has grown the most.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back, everybody. Mack and Bone Show Live from Panther
training camp right here on wfn Z. And our next
guest is a Charlottean like so many of y'all. Man,
he's playing for the hometown team, and he's doing a
heck of a job at left tackle doing that. He
is Ikey Iguana and he joins us on the Mack
and Bone shoe. Ikey, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Man? Going great? Going great. I'm glad to be out here. You.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Uh so you start smiling when I said you're a
Charlotte Tean, this is the hometown team. Is that I
won't I don't, we won't stay hometown discount. I want
d Damn Morgan to hear that. But like you can tell,
it means a lot to you to play for the
Panthers on percent.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I grew up a Panthers fan, and I just you know,
I really really want to be here. Uh you know,
they know long term, I want to be a Panther
for life. So I mean, I hope you don't talk
to much contract stuff, but and I definitely always said
out loud, you know, I want everybody understand, you know
how much counting Panthers mean to me, how much I
want to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
How unique is it that you get this whole entire
wine back And what's that doing for the mister you
guys have right now?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I mean, it's definitely rare, rare occurrence bringing up bringing
back the many guys that we did. It's definitely special too,
you know, definitely something that you know, we're looking definitely happy,
happy about bringing everybody back, you know, having that locker room,
in that chemistry that we've been just making sure we
grow that much more this year.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
You feel like you guys are the strength of the team.
I mean, I think a lot of I think a
lot of us on the outside feel like you are.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
I mean, we definitely want to be for sure. I
definitely want to be an engine Thatt. You know that
gets the team going for sure. I feel like, you know,
as long as we hold ourselves to that standard and
everybody else is kind of gonna follow that and before
you know what we got. You know, however, in position,
we got ten eleven different engines on the field that once.
So that's that's definitely the goal.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
As a guy that grew up in Charlotte, you probably
knew of Taylor Morgan before you played here. Obviously, we've
always said because there hasn't been a lot of winning
in his time here, he probably doesn't get the credit
that he deserves. Do you agree with that? And what
was it like last week to see your guy show
that emotion to the media like he did.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
And I definitely agree with you're there. I feel like,
you know, with the team, how the team has been
sometimes a lot of guy's going into shadows, and I
fly tell everyone's definitely a big example of that. A
guy that's been elite consistent year and a year out
for his whole time being a Panther. You saw how
emotional he got thinking of the possibility of not being here.
You know, there there brought in the tiers. So definitely
(02:20):
a guy who's definitely you know, he's definitely be a
signing point our defensive line, definitely been a shinning point
in this team. And I definitely hope you know he's here,
He's here for the long haul.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
We're talking with ikey Iguanu Panthers left Tackle here live
at Panther training Camp, Mac and Bone Show on w
f and Z. You personally, it felt like you took
a step forward last year. But I want to hear
your thoughts on that. Did you you feel where if
you feel like your game has grown the most, and
where do you feel like I still got you know
(02:49):
what I mean, I still get to get to where
I want to. I still have to do this better.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I mean, it's always consistency. I mean, I'm sure if
people again get tired of me saying it every time
someone asked me that question. It's always the same and
it's not just like media training is really I truly
do think that, like with the boys down to is
being consistent, you know, week in and week out, not
having flashes of good and flashes are bad. Just being
consistent like a Taylor Molton. You know, it's funny you
(03:12):
just mentioned that a consistence, So just being that guy,
especially at a premier position like left tackle, being that consistent,
that consistent guy week in and week out, that's always
going out there. You never got to worry about me
being on the island by myself. And that's definitely something
I'm growing towards more and more.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
We mentioned in the offensive line being back. You get
a thousand yard back at Juba back and you add
a thousand yard guy en Rico Daddle also back, how
high level of a run game with you guys and
these backs can we see here?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
I mean, definitely want to build off our successes and
I just feel like, you know, I just feel like everybody,
we're all just trying to take it a next step forward.
You know, obviously a thousand yards of the great benchmark,
but you you bring too, We're there each of that.
At fifteen. I served the same same with Rico. So
that's kind of like our goal is always to get
better and better, and uh yeah, we're shooting for as
hid as we can go. So whether that be fifteen,
whether that be two, two thousand, whoever, we got to
(04:01):
break it down. But you know, we definitely want to,
you know, put put the league on notice that we're
gonna run the ball.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
All right, So you're a you're an NC State man,
all right. There's so much talk about Bill Belichick going
to the rival Tar Heels. Our man right here is
a fitty is a die hard Heels fand they didn't
play the game.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Icky, I know, it's good shock he didn't.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
He thinks he thinks that Wolfpack fans should be scared,
and it's gonna change now, do you have any fear
of Bill Belichick?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I mean, definitely no fear. That's not a word that
we even gonna talk about in the building, you know,
up up in Cardif Finley. That's not a thing we're
ever gonna have. Whether that beat them, the boys up
there in Chapple Hill, whether that be any team. You know,
fear is definitely not in their in a vocabulary. I mean,
all like I say is good luck to the to
the guys, good let to those guys up there in
(04:50):
Chapel Hill. But I'm always gonna take my wolf back
and I just fly like those guys are definitely going
in the right direction.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
I have an observation icky about this NC State UNC
stuff here because UNC people will say on the basketball side,
it's not a rivalry right although right now it's gonna be,
we think because of Will Wade, could you say the
same that it hasn't really been a football rivalry the.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Last five years or so. I'm not going to go
back and forth about the semantics of it, because to me,
I mean, if we're being honest, it is a rivalry.
Whether it doesn't matter the sport it could be. It
doesn't even even need a be sports. We're out there
playing cornholl with some godden Chapel Hill was going to
be a rivalry. So at the end of the day,
you know, it's just about you know, just cultures and
just you know, different you know, different different, different, different
(05:30):
sides of the world. I guess you can say, and uh,
you know, I definitely want to support my walk back
any chance I get trying to give him a pancake.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
But I will say I.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
I will say though, I mean, I truly feel like
it's a it's a rivalry, and I really feel that
all that does elevate and you know, make make the
culture about of costoball that much better when you have rivalries.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Like oh definitely, No, that's what makes me as a
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Of course I shouldn't know. I should have know he stayed,
he stays back there and throws the part and makes
us find each other. No, I should have know.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Just trying to get some answer that's shameless. What if
I tell him that I root for them all?
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Yeah, thank you for that you were talking about. I
asked you about, you know, like what you feel like
you need to improve on stuff like that, and you
said consistency which is a great answer. But I want
to know what you think about, you know, what is
said about your game, right like, and they've been saying it,
you know, since you came into the league. Man, he's
(06:27):
a maller in the run game, nasty in the run game,
but that speed rush can get him and stuff like that,
and and and I think we're still whether it's fair
or not looking at it that way. Do you do
you feel like, hey, they have a point I've got
to improve, you know, in my past protection or do
you just say or do you kind of think that's BS?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I mean, it's not BS. At the end of the day.
The narrative is a narrative of my job as a player.
Is it really just shut that up? So, I mean
it's really I look at it as if people are
still talking about that, then I haven't done my job
well enough to kind of change that narrative. So when
I talk about consistency, that's you know, I put that
on myself. You know, I got to go out these
shivy day and kind of prove to myself, put to
my teammates, coaching staff, ultimately the fans as well the
(07:10):
media as well, that you know, I am a different
player than what guys might have seen from me coming
out of college. And I am improving in areas that
you know that I want to improve and that I
set my mind too. So I'm definitely don't know. I'm
not gonna call it BS. You know, criticism is criticism.
I kind of take it. I kind of just you know,
look at myself and I fell on the most critical
on myself as well. So anything that's been said out
there in the public, I've said it to myself, my
(07:31):
coaching staff has said it to me. So it's definitely
something I'm working to get fixed.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Well, you're a class act. We're pulling for you, not
just because you're a Panther, but college here, grew up here,
you have so many ties to all things Carolina. Is
that you're you're you're our guy man, So we're pulling
for you appreciation.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I just want to tell you something.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
If you do get to try to get trying to
get the heat off the whole view, Yeah, here you
are trying to shay if you if you have getting
these negotiations with Dan, your agent, these guys saw it.
I negotiated this free pair a Panther shoot damn Morgan.
So if you need someone that can break him down,
then you can call me. In three years.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I might need a little more than shoes, but I'm
gonna chuck my guys over there, Banner. That's true. I'm
gonna trust my guys, Mike and Jamie over there to get,
you know, handle the handled business. But if I need
some shoes and maybe some some socks and some some shoelaces,
some anklets, all that sort of stuff, you.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Can handle that stuff. He's so good. It took him
three years to.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Get there's a process. It's definitely a process. Hey man,
best of luck this season. We'll be watching and pulling
for you.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Man, Thank you. I appreciate that. Goot to be on
Welcome back, everybody. Mack and Bone Show Live from Panther
training camp right here on wfn Z. And our next
guest is a Charlottean like so many of y'all. Man,
he's playing for the hometown team, and he's doing a
heck of a job at left tackle doing that. He
is Ikey Iguana and he joins us on the Mack
and Bone shoe. Ikey, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Man? Going great? Going great. I'm glad to be out here. You.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Uh so you start smiling when I said you're a
Charlotte Tean, this is the hometown team. Is that I
won't I don't, we won't stay hometown discount. I want
d Damn Morgan to hear that. But like you can tell,
it means a lot to you to play for the
Panthers on percent.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I grew up a Panthers fan, and I just you know,
I really really want to be here. Uh you know,
they know long term, I want to be a Panther
for life. So I mean, I hope you don't talk
to much contract stuff, but and I definitely always said
out loud, you know, I want everybody understand, you know
how much counting Panthers mean to me, how much I
want to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
How unique is it that you get this whole entire
wine back And what's that doing for the mister you
guys have right now?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
I mean, it's definitely rare, rare occurrence bringing up bringing
back the many guys that we did. It's definitely special too,
you know, definitely something that you know, we're looking definitely happy,
happy about bringing everybody back, you know, having that locker room,
in that chemistry that we've been just making sure we
grow that much more this year.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
You feel like you guys are the strength of the team.
I mean, I think a lot of I think a
lot of us on the outside feel like you are.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
I mean, we definitely want to be for sure. I
definitely want to be an engine Thatt. You know that
gets the team going for sure. I feel like, you know,
as long as we hold ourselves to that standard and
everybody else is kind of gonna follow that and before
you know what we got. You know, however, in position,
we got ten eleven different engines on the field that once.
So that's that's definitely the goal.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
As a guy that grew up in Charlotte, you probably
knew of Taylor Morgan before you played here. Obviously, we've
always said because there hasn't been a lot of winning
in his time here, he probably doesn't get the credit
that he deserves. Do you agree with that? And what
was it like last week to see your guy show
that emotion to the media like he did.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
And I definitely agree with you're there. I feel like,
you know, with the team, how the team has been
sometimes a lot of guy's going into shadows, and I
fly tell everyone's definitely a big example of that. A
guy that's been elite consistent year and a year out
for his whole time being a Panther. You saw how
emotional he got thinking of the possibility of not being here.
You know, there there brought in the tiers. So definitely
(02:20):
a guy who's definitely you know, he's definitely be a
signing point our defensive line, definitely been a shinning point
in this team. And I definitely hope you know he's here,
He's here for the long haul.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
We're talking with ikey Iguanu Panthers left Tackle here live
at Panther training Camp, Mac and Bone Show on w
f and Z. You personally, it felt like you took
a step forward last year. But I want to hear
your thoughts on that. Did you you feel where if
you feel like your game has grown the most, and
where do you feel like I still got you know
(02:49):
what I mean, I still get to get to where
I want to. I still have to do this better.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I mean, it's always consistency. I mean, I'm sure if
people again get tired of me saying it every time
someone asked me that question. It's always the same and
it's not just like media training is really I truly
do think that, like with the boys down to is
being consistent, you know, week in and week out, not
having flashes of good and flashes are bad. Just being
consistent like a Taylor Molton. You know, it's funny you
(03:12):
just mentioned that a consistence, So just being that guy,
especially at a premier position like left tackle, being that consistent,
that consistent guy week in and week out, that's always
going out there. You never got to worry about me
being on the island by myself. And that's definitely something
I'm growing towards more and more.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
We mentioned in the offensive line being back. You get
a thousand yard back at Juba back and you add
a thousand yard guy en Rico Daddle also back, how
high level of a run game with you guys and
these backs can we see here?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
I mean, definitely want to build off our successes and
I just feel like, you know, I just feel like everybody,
we're all just trying to take it a next step forward.
You know, obviously a thousand yards of the great benchmark,
but you you bring too, We're there each of that.
At fifteen. I served the same same with Rico. So
that's kind of like our goal is always to get
better and better, and uh yeah, we're shooting for as
hid as we can go. So whether that be fifteen,
whether that be two, two thousand, whoever, we got to
(04:01):
break it down. But you know, we definitely want to,
you know, put put the league on notice that we're
gonna run the ball.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
All right, So you're a you're an NC State man,
all right. There's so much talk about Bill Belichick going
to the rival Tar Heels. Our man right here is
a fitty is a die hard Heels fand they didn't
play the game.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
Icky, I know, it's good shock he didn't.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
He thinks he thinks that Wolfpack fans should be scared,
and it's gonna change now, do you have any fear
of Bill Belichick?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I mean, definitely no fear. That's not a word that
we even gonna talk about in the building, you know,
up up in Cardif Finley. That's not a thing we're
ever gonna have. Whether that beat them, the boys up
there in Chapple Hill, whether that be any team. You know,
fear is definitely not in their in a vocabulary. I mean,
all like I say is good luck to the to
the guys, good let to those guys up there in
(04:50):
Chapel Hill. But I'm always gonna take my wolf back
and I just fly like those guys are definitely going
in the right direction.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
I have an observation icky about this NC State UNC
stuff here because UNC people will say on the basketball side,
it's not a rivalry right although right now it's gonna be,
we think because of Will Wade, could you say the
same that it hasn't really been a football rivalry the.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Last five years or so. I'm not going to go
back and forth about the semantics of it, because to me,
I mean, if we're being honest, it is a rivalry.
Whether it doesn't matter the sport it could be. It
doesn't even even need a be sports. We're out there
playing cornholl with some godden Chapel Hill was going to
be a rivalry. So at the end of the day,
you know, it's just about you know, just cultures and
just you know, different you know, different different, different, different
(05:30):
sides of the world. I guess you can say, and uh,
you know, I definitely want to support my walk back
any chance I get trying to give him a pancake.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
But I will say I.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
I will say though, I mean, I truly feel like
it's a it's a rivalry, and I really feel that
all that does elevate and you know, make make the
culture about of costoball that much better when you have rivalries.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Like oh definitely, No, that's what makes me as a
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Of course I shouldn't know. I should have know he stayed,
he stays back there and throws the part and makes
us find each other. No, I should have know.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Just trying to get some answer that's shameless. What if
I tell him that I root for them all?
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Yeah, thank you for that you were talking about. I
asked you about, you know, like what you feel like
you need to improve on stuff like that, and you
said consistency which is a great answer. But I want
to know what you think about, you know, what is
said about your game, right like, and they've been saying it,
you know, since you came into the league. Man, he's
(06:27):
a maller in the run game, nasty in the run game,
but that speed rush can get him and stuff like that,
and and and I think we're still whether it's fair
or not looking at it that way. Do you do
you feel like, hey, they have a point I've got
to improve, you know, in my past protection or do
you just say or do you kind of think that's BS?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I mean, it's not BS. At the end of the day.
The narrative is a narrative of my job as a player.
Is it really just shut that up? So, I mean
it's really I look at it as if people are
still talking about that, then I haven't done my job
well enough to kind of change that narrative. So when
I talk about consistency, that's you know, I put that
on myself. You know, I got to go out these
shivy day and kind of prove to myself, put to
my teammates, coaching staff, ultimately the fans as well the
(07:10):
media as well, that you know, I am a different
player than what guys might have seen from me coming
out of college. And I am improving in areas that
you know that I want to improve and that I
set my mind too. So I'm definitely don't know. I'm
not gonna call it BS. You know, criticism is criticism.
I kind of take it. I kind of just you know,
look at myself and I fell on the most critical
on myself as well. So anything that's been said out
there in the public, I've said it to myself, my
(07:31):
coaching staff has said it to me. So it's definitely
something I'm working to get fixed.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Well, you're a class act. We're pulling for you, not
just because you're a Panther, but college here, grew up here,
you have so many ties to all things Carolina. Is
that you're you're you're our guy man, So we're pulling
for you appreciation.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I just want to tell you something.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
If you do get to try to get trying to
get the heat off the whole view, Yeah, here you
are trying to shay if you if you have getting
these negotiations with Dan, your agent, these guys saw it.
I negotiated this free pair a Panther shoot damn Morgan.
So if you need someone that can break him down,
then you can call me. In three years.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I might need a little more than shoes, but I'm
gonna chuck my guys over there, Banner. That's true. I'm
gonna trust my guys, Mike and Jamie over there to get,
you know, handle the handled business. But if I need
some shoes and maybe some some socks and some some shoelaces,
some anklets, all that sort of stuff, you.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Can handle that stuff. He's so good. It took him
three years to.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Get there's a process. It's definitely a process. Hey man,
best of luck this season. We'll be watching and pulling
for you.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Man, Thank you. I appreciate that. Goot to be on
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