January 8, 2025 • 51 mins
"Stew and the Crew" is hosted by Jonathan Stewart, the Carolina Panthers' all-time leading rusher, and Jeremy Kelley, Director of Legends Affairs. Together, they invite legendary guests to delve into the intricacies of the game and life after football. This week the guys put a bow on season 1 of the podcast, recap the 2024 season, look ahead to the off season
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're the thirteenth pick in the two thousand and eight
NFL Trap. Karen lanon Panther select. Jonathan Stewart gets to Stewart,
he leaves touched up.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Stewart oh rough tough right, angry man out at al
thowse knees.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Stewart hesitates, accelerates. That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
It's the smash Moll football coatan Stuart cat running round.
Stewart jump over a tackler at the tenth, flows up,
Laura's his shoulder, keeps running. No one will touch him.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Jonathan Stewart house is up. You talk about explosive plays
in the run game. It's like the fourth of July
round here right now you are listening to Stu and
the crew. Now to Jonathan Stewart's and Jeremy Kelly.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yo, this is Jonathan Stewart. Welcome to Stu and the crew.
I'm your host. I am alongside Jeremy Kelly. What's good man?
What a year?
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It's a rap. It's a rap, It's a rap. What
a great year.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Finish it off with a dug great way to finish
in Atlanta, A great way to finish strong in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
I'll say this.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I was I was present, and the energy in the
building was heavy, like Atlanta was playing for something.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Fans were cheering for something. The Owls were going.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
They had the halftime concert, they had the time out
break performances. Like if you go to a game in Atlanta, like,
they bring it. But they knew something was on the line.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
So it was a little bit of a playoff atmosphere.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
It was a little bit of something right.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
And then obviously the rivalry and so when you're talking
about high scoring game, back and forth, lead changes, you know,
Division four, there there was some good energy there, man.
And so to walk out to cap the season with
the W in that fashion, can't think of a better
way to write it. For this season, man, we went
(01:49):
out on a high.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah, watching it on TV, you can tell the energy
level was high. But most importantly it was high for
the Carolina Panthers because they was out there like really
playing some football, especially on offense. I mean, just just knowing,
you know, the level of growth that this team has
(02:12):
experienced this year. I mean I said it earlier, you know,
in a conversation with someone earlier. You know Bryce Young's
you know, his growth this year stemmed a whole new
like trajectory for the team, like we're getting back to
(02:35):
what Carolina Panther football really is. And it was all
based on how well Bryce Young responded to adversity. And
if you want to know anything about a good football team,
it's all about how you respond to adversity when you
have your leader being able to, you know, say, Okay,
I've been binged, I'm being talked about. My confidence is
(02:59):
a little shot. My teammates don't trust me. And then
all of a sudden, you get another opportunity and you
don't blink, not even for a second, and you get
to go to Atlanta, a division opponent, and and have
the mindset, I'm here to do one thing and only
one thing only, and it's here to ruin your dreams
(03:24):
of making the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Calling them the reaper.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
They call him the reaper, although I heard that he
don't want to be called the reaper.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Which which which I was just gonna say, could not
be more contradictory to who Bryce is.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
First, but a young man is steadfast, He's he has
the Madden composure.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Rating ninety nine.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Oh yeah, composed.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Stoic, confident in silence, and you could see it day
and day out in the ability never waivered.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
You know, there's obviously when you're your performance and there's
a lot that goes into performance and performance confidence. Yeah,
because you can have performance confidence and off field there's
a difference.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Yeah. But I will say just kudos to him man.
Extremely proud.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Havn't gotten to know him over the past two years
and interact with him day and day out. Extremely proud
of the way that he's responded. This team should be
excited for that. I think we all are. I think
this city is. And you know, as I mentioned before
we got on air, you know, hot take, but b
hy nine comeback.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Player of the Year.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
You ain't all the way wrong, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I think I think it's it's it's an interesting conversation.
It may be unpopular, but the young man deserves it.
The trajectory of the Carolina Panthers is moving in the
right direction. We got consistency at the head coach position.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, this is the first time in a while that
we've had at the GM GM the head coach and
there starting quarterback all in play.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
That's right going in to.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
An offseason, and that's a beautiful thing. For Dan Morgan.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
That's right, and and and it feels good, you know,
when you got a couple of young guys draft pick,
undrafted who stepped up and performing a lot of you know,
if we look back, I mean, this episode is a
recap of the season mm hm. And it's a season finale.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
And for stewing the crew.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
And when we really think back to last year's draft,
new GM, new head coach, what do we need fill
in the gaps? You go and get a stud wide
receiver out of the University of South Carolina. He shows
up in a lot of big ways throughout the season,
and he and he grew and he faced some adversity,
but you know what, he's a rookie receiver in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
This is the hardest league to play in.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
And he showed a lot of promise though. That's one
of the things that I think people should realize is that,
no question, you know, the opportunities that he did have,
he showed. He showed himself. You know what I'm saying, Like,
he's open. We have a guy that can get open,
first of all, right, that we drafted and he gets
to go and he's basically down the street. So he
(06:11):
ain't too far from the facility. He's gonna be able
to be at home and be at his workplace getting
better at his craft. And I'm pretty sure he's gonna
travel and do some things with some other guys getting better.
I remember seeing a video clip of him working out
with Deebo Deebo Samuel and you know, just continuing to
work on you know, that craft, and you know, as
(06:31):
you know, going off into an offseason on a high note,
that's all the encouragement you need. A win, like, oh man,
I feel pretty good about what we got going on next.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Year, and and you know, not losing sight of the
fact that five and twelve is the record.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
So you got motivation, Yeah, you got motivation.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
You're hungry.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
So I do think I'm very excited for XCEL going
into the year two because this one thing is a
rookie transitioning into the pro level, training with guys, preparing
your body physically, learning a new offensive system at a
much more intricate level, and learning the game of football
at a much more intricate level. But now you're preparing
(07:10):
your body physically with the nuance of a pro season
under your belt. Understanding now you're now you're running your
routes a different way, You're approaching your craft a different way.
So really excited for what will come.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Uh and just the chemistry too, right with the quarterback
of course, like Jalen Coker, no question, Adam Thielen, excel,
Tommy Trimble, Uh good, j T.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Sanders that we got more in there got more we
got there's playmate.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Because a lot of guys that are gonna be get
an opportunity to go into this offseason and connect with
Bryce and have some throwing opportunities where they go to
a field nearby wherever it is and just build that
chemistry that bond of you know, when he's rolling out
of the pocket, I give him this is what it
looks like when I give him my eyes, when I'm
(08:04):
open from when I'm ready for the ball. Like all
those types of things are what they can, you know,
really level up on for next year as far as
their chemistry and connectivity. It's gonna be fun. It's gonna
be fun to watch.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
If you can't tell.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Where we're excited about the momentum that we have despite
the win loss record is there's just a lot of
tangible energy and promise to come here man. But but Stewie,
we I mean, thinking back to the beginning. If there's
one thing that's constant, it's gonna be adversity. When you
(08:38):
get a hit off the rip with Derek Brown going
your cornerstone in the center of the defense, unexpected, we
lose Shaq Thompson unfortunately once again on a high note,
was the way extremely excited to see j C. Horn
going to have a Pro Bowl season that we're waiting for. So,
you know, not that he wasn't that ain't player before,
(09:00):
Absolutely he was. Injuries happened, yeah, and so for him,
I know he's got to feel so good.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
We call him, we call j C. Horn battle tested,
you know what I'm saying. Sometimes you got to go
and whether the storms that you know come your way
and you come out of that better. I think he comes.
If he doesn't go through what he has gone through,
he's not as good as that. In my opinion, he's
not as good as he is now. There's so much
(09:29):
you learn from being injured. There's so much you learn
from being on the sideline. The mental part of the game,
that's all you can really wrap your head around when
you're on the sideline. You hurt, you get into the
you get into the book, you get into the studies
of the film, You watch other players and tendencies in
your own test, become your own self evaluator, you know.
(09:49):
Even more so so I think J C. Horn, you know,
this is you know, to be expected the full season
where he's healthy.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
If he didn't, I think everybody did expect that. Yeah
do I do.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
And that's coming from a man who's had his fair
share of injury. So so you're right, there's a mental
aspect that does come from being able to sit, being
forced to sit and watch and study. So, you know,
a lot of a lot of adversity uphill climb. But
when we got to you know, the middle of the season,
there there was a point that we were looking at,
(10:25):
you know minus I think I think if there was
a three game stretch where point total loss is twelve points, yeah,
could have very easily been seven and seven, you know
through week thirteen and when you're talking about against the
Philadelphia Eagles, yeah, repeat, super Bowl champs, Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah,
you know, you fumbled a few along the line, unfortunately,
(10:48):
But I think within those losses, as you say, you
get battle tested I don't think. I don't think teams
realize how physical football team this is and they show
up to play. And you know, there was a couple
of games in there that got out of hand, but
for the most part, there was a lot of games
that were overtime, last possession style football games that like,
(11:11):
you know, so this win over Atlanta, we had already
been in this circumstance where hey, back's against the wall,
do where you don't, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
I ain't got none to lose anywhere last time of
the season, right, and We're gonna go out there and
show everybody that I can still play football exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
And so I think it comes down to, you know,
when you get into those circumstances and those situations and
you're doing it against top tier teams like the Kansas
City Chiefs or whatever, the difference is they've been there
and they believe they can win. The Carolina Panthers now
are starting to believe, yeah, they can win.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
And what's really cool we talk about opportunities, right, like
this was one that was a little bit different because
you were talking about because you were there and you're
talking about the environment. It was like a playoff environment.
That playoff experience. That is something that is very crucial
to a team like the Carolina Panthers. Right, you're going
to the playoffs. You're not necessarily gonna feel what that
(12:03):
feels like. But being able to ruin someone else's playoff
dreams with the last game of the season, that is
a playoff experience.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
In Cabo.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
See in Cabo, y'all have at it.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
And that's the most part. You know.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
We we jumped in, We kicked in on football right away.
Typically we hold her for the end, but that right
there too. Right, the guys are having fun. Yeah, they
were having fun out there. You can see it on
the sideline and you could even see it throughout the week.
But the guys are having fun.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
And when you start to do that, you know, I mean,
there's there's when you have a relaxed, confident locker room
that knows, hey man, we're gonna go out here and
do what we do and we're together and you see
in the handshakes, you see, Yeah, it's like a secret
or something or something to it. Something to it there is.
There is so very exciting. Again, we could talk about
Bruce for days and how he finished the year. Very
(12:53):
very exciting for that young man and for the entire organization.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So five touchdowns, three to rushing right, one hundred and
twenty three passing rating.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
One hundred and twenty three point five pass already, man
and when you're a bad man, you know, that's a
career high, right, And it's just very impressive and over
the past in the last half of the season, I
think from October a ninety four point nine passer rating,
thousand yards, nine touchdowns.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
In five games, the last five games, so.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
So very exciting. But we're looking ahead, we're looking at
we're looking at twenty five. Obviously the draft, we have
the eighth pick locked up as it stands right now.
You know, there's a lot of talk about a need
for an edge, and there's a lot of eyes on
on you know, some talented players coming out of college.
You know, specifically the cat from Penn State. Yeah, do
a car because he Bruce Smith used to always say,
(13:52):
he still says it, the most devastating play in football
is a sack right next.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
To the black punt.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
And just as we're talking and praising Bryce Young.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
And how important quarterback position is, you got to find
someone that can go get him. Yeah, And so I
think I think Dan Morgan is probably just about that
as a defensive player. Yeah, and he's probably even more
so juiced this year. I'm happy for Dan because he
gets to go into this draft, he gets to go
into this offseason as a whole free agency draft, all
(14:26):
of it to be able to evaluate with a clear
headspace that he's got a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Right, when you have a quarterback, everything's free game, you
know what I'm saying. Like you can really start to prioritize,
like how you want the team to be, how you
want it to what does it feel like, what does
it smell like like, what does it look like? All
those types of things. As a GM, you start to
(14:54):
really put those those glasses on and start to evaluate
guys at a different level. So I'm excited for that
and for the just the Carolina Panther fans.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I'll deserve it, man, you know, for I want to
you know, everybody always talks about twenty fifteen, right, and
what excites me is the stories that I've gotten from
the Mike Rutgers, the Brenson Buckaner's to Jake the Loans
and the years leading up to the three season you
guys have shared the years leading up to the fifteen season. Yeah,
(15:26):
like we've been a part of those years now, so
let's see what happens in twenty twenty five. A lot,
a lot of successes off the field this year. You've
been around a lot, man, Yeah, man, I've been a
lot for us. It's been fun.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Man.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Like, Uh, you know, when I retired, I thought to myself, oh,
I'm double football, right, because it's in your mind, You're like,
I've given all that I could possibly give to this
game ever since I was in fourth grade. Right, And
it's like when you retire thinking to yourself, Ah, no
training camp, no more practices, no more injuries, like you know,
(16:06):
and no more pressure, right, you know what I'm saying
to deliver and all those types of things that you might,
you know, at one point in your life feel up
to the challenge. But when you actually am tower the
bell to retire, it's usually because you absolutely know you
have nothing to give. And so going through that process,
(16:27):
for me, I realized real quick, man, I actually love football.
I played this game. I love playing I loved playing football,
but like to love football and watch it and like
become a fan of it. I've never been that never.
I've always I've always watched football with this intent to
(16:52):
learn to add to my tool bell, you know what
I'm saying, Like I'm watching Emma Smith, Barry Sanders, Ricky
whoever it may be. When I'm watching, I'm watching with
the intent of, Oh that's how he got out of
that tackle. Oh that's how, Oh he read that play
this way. So I'm so maybe next time I'm in
that situation, I should, you know, try to do it
(17:14):
that way.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
You're watching it, you're watching it through the lens of
your craft. You're watching it through the working on the craft,
master your craft. Right when you when you when you well,
I guess at this point you've been at what four
twenty eighteen, Okay, so sick. So six years now, So
(17:34):
six years now you've been removed. Did you go through
a transition where was because I believe there's stages.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
There's a period of.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Time that you didn't watch NFL football, you watch more college,
and then you find yourself coming back to the NFL.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Did you go there? I experienced that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
First, when I first moved away, I was like, I
don't even want to watch pro football.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
You should watch college.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
I think I thought I was going to do that,
but the moment that first season started up, I was
right there in the chair looking at the Carolina and
I didn't expect it. I didn't really have any expectations.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Did your lens switch? Were you still watching it from a.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
No, I still watch it from a whole I still
watch it from a player's stand up point, the standpoint,
you know. I still like the twenty two version, twenty
two man version of watching football games, which I'm really
glad NFL provides that now benefit Yeah, because I'm like, yo,
where was it? I can't see where the safety is?
Where is he at?
Speaker 1 (18:33):
So?
Speaker 2 (18:33):
But so I still watch it from the player's lens,
but I'm not watching it from the how you how
you put it from the player's craft, right, you know.
I'm I'm more so watching like, oh, what are they
trying to do here? Trying to guess. I'm almost like
playing offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator when I'm watching games now,
(18:56):
trying to guess what's happening, guess what covers you?
Speaker 1 (18:59):
I do the same thing. First thing.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
I look at the safeties every day, every time I'm
washing the game safety safeties, and I'm looking for stacks.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Who's blitzing? Is it coming? Is it not?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
I better pick him up. Oh he didn't pick him up.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
He just switched it. Okay, he just called he put
the mic out here. Now somebody moved it back, right.
I'm always watching the protection the coverage like I always.
You could see that initially, right, So you're trained. You're trained. No, man,
it's it is uh you know. And now we're we're
in there in the postseason, which I think you know
as a football fan, where the cancers are in or not.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Who has it worse right now? In the NFC South mm,
the Saints? The ain't the Saints? Is the bottom of
the bottom.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
It's not good. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
You know when you go to the bathroom, you know,
you go to a public bathroom, the men's bathroom, and
you go to that como, you better make sure you
have some shoes on. That's what it say. They at
the bottom.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
It is.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
It's not good, right, I think when you're talking about
ending season right and again, it is everything we just described.
You want something to hold on to, you want something
to build off of. Yeah, and yeah, I'm not sure
that they have it right now. Fortunately, it feels as
though we do and it's exciting. It's exciting.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
NFC South, you know, the Falcons the future. I mean
watching that game too, one of the things that I
pointed out and we can move on. But like Bryce
Young and Michael.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Pennox, it's gonna be fun to watch.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
That's gonna be something really fun to look forward to
on Sunday, Saturdays, Thursdays whenever they play.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
And I'm gonna go ahead and say again and now
I'm gonna go ahead and throw. I'm gonna throw Jon
Robinson in there, and I'm gonna throw, and I'm gonna
throw our young guy j T, who unfortunately got hurt.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah, you know, he showed some spark.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Before before he before he found himself back on the sideline,
he shows some spark.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
It might be a while before he gets back. I'm
hoping that we get to the playoffs, right. I'm hoping
that we have a year next year to where there's
no pressure to bring him back, right because I want
him to be able to come back fully healthy, fully
ready to go, confidence level through the roof, and there's
(21:26):
no expectation out of him, you know, And yeah, I
think that's what he deserves to really get himself going.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Yeah, unfortunate loss this year for him, obviously an upput battle,
coming back off of an injury and then experiencing another one.
You know the challenge that comes with that. But there's
also benefit that comes with that, especially as a young
back where there's a lot to learn. Yeah, protections, you
let are route, you're learning, coverage that, you're learning all
these things. But now he gets a chance to watch
and grow mentally. So speedy recovery to a young man there.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Shout out to you man this year, you've been busy too,
You've been in all the legends in the house.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
We've been busy. We've been busy. What a phenomenal year.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
It'll be easier to get him in the house next year.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
What a phenomenal year too. You know the level of
engagement that we have again, I'll speak to everything. This
This speaks to the season and to the culture that's
being built fame with right, I mean we can go
back it started, it started last year. And when you're
talking about building an organization getting it back, I should say,
(22:29):
and you're and you're building a culture.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Right.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
The former players matter because they can speak to it.
They are the one sharing Hey, young fella, you need
to go try this place to eat. Hey, I'm gonna
put you in touch with the real litor. This is
the area you want to live in. Hey, this is
my chiropractice week thirteen fourteen is gonna start to feel
(22:55):
like this you should try, right, And so there's that
level of interaction that when you guys are in the
building around the building on game day at training camp
and the players see it, they get excited when they
see Steve Smith, they get excited when Mussi Muhammad comes
out to land a couple of tips here and there.
They have the Mike Rutgers around like that matters. That
(23:17):
speaks to a culture, it speaks to a tradition, and
there's those little tips and tricks.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Whether it's too as a as a as a current player,
you're able to see like, oh man, these guys are
still welcome around too, right, Like it's like when it's done,
it's not just done right. There's another part of being
a part of this organization when you when you retire,
like you're still welcome. You still have you know, you know,
(23:44):
a level of accessibility, and that's always huge.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
That's right, and it's intentional yeah, and it's not just
transactional and you guys have hopefully gotten to see that
and feel that. I mean, here we are today, right,
And so it's not just appearances. It's not just autograph
have some photo opportunities, but it's opportunities to bring your
families to different events, to back together Saturday to the
high school keep pounding classic game. It's to just appreciate
(24:11):
football and to be celebrated for what you do and
the contributions you've made to the organization. Is So, we've
had over twenty five new legends I say that have
returned for the first time this season.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
It's really exciting.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
A couple you know that I could just off the
top that are that are notable? I guess you could say,
is John Beason's.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Right, Like on this post podcast seeing Come off the Tunnel,
I want to jump through the roof, right.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Go. If you have not taken a chance taking a
moment to listen to that podcast, I encourage you to
do so.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
With John Beason.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Yeah, you'll learn real quick. That is bigger than football,
no question. It's like embedded in a lot of these guys,
the Panther greats, Like you can see that there's not,
and he crafted.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
For you to be they care about his ball club.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
Yeah, yeah, you know, so I think about Beaston. You know,
this past week got to see Charles Godfrey again. He
was back this year for Legends Weekend. I think, guys,
he's got double taken. Like they saw a ghosts is
that is that he was in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
So we had him come out to the game. Man.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
We got to catch up on the sideline and he
got to reunite with some folks, uh, with our VP
of Player Fairs, Kevin Winston, who hagged Charles as a
player in Atlanta when he was there. So he's one
of those guys who played for both clubs. So really
really good to see him taking part now because it's
been it's been a while since he's retired.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
And then you think about D'Angelo. I mean, we had
we had de lo in the building. We had you
guys beat him down.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
You snuck in here and we saw you, We saw
your dreads. Yeah, I was like, that's him. I snitched
under d I'm sorry, brother, but I had to. And Mussin,
Mohammad and Stu cornered him. One held him down, the
other one took their shots told hey, man, stop stop
being in a silo, stop hiding from us. We're gonna
find you. We know where you live. Yeah, seeing him,
(26:07):
it's been great. He's been busy too. He got that farm,
that's right, he's got you know, the Williams Rushing Farm
or Rushing Williams is one of the two and his foundation.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
He does a lot of great work.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Pay attention from AFAR and shout out to him and
his wife and the things that they do to serve
in a lot of different spaces. Man, No Cancer Care
is one of the primary spaces for them, and so
it's great to see. But we've had a lot of
legends come back through and and do things and be
a part of what we're building here, and it's it's
really been exciting. I hope the fans out there are
(26:40):
the listeners that you take notice because it's uh, it
speaks to what's to come. It speaks to what's to come.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
And so.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Yeah, yeah, it's been a busy year. To your point,
we started last February that Super Bowl Julius Pepper's Hall
of Fame announcement, which which led us into the off
season of training camp making its way back to well
to Charlotte for the very first first time, which was
which was an experience, man, and it was fun.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Yeah, you know, I know.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Y'all liked it because you could probably you could dive
into what do you call it, Satansburg.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
It's hot down there, Sparkle City, called Sparkle City, Satan's Burg,
Spartan Bird, It's got many names. A place where you
don't want to be in August because it's not.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
When you gotta put pads on. But I enjoyed my time.
I enjoyed it down there. I think there's value and
going away, being in the credit dorms, getting.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Yourself into that mode.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Even to this day, I still use training camp to
lock back into football.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Mos.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
I'm a fan of. I'm a fan of going away too.
But it's hot down there.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
It's hot.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
But I am a definite I am definitely a fan
of like basically not isolation, but you're taking your as
a team. You're isolating yourself and basically putting yourself in
confinement of torture and hopefully you come out of that
and hopefully you come out of that thing better, you
know what I'm saying. Refined, right, It's like going through
(28:08):
the It's like refiners fire, baby, you know what I'm saying, Like,
you go through the fire, you rid all the disease,
you rid all the bad stuff, and you come out
sharper than before. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, no question, no question. I mean it's a it's
a precursor success, man, And I'm glad that I was
able to experience sparing Bird before before. Now, I don't
know if that's permanent, if it's temporary or not. But
we enjoyed Charlotte this year. Our operations team, our events team,
everybody that had handed and transforming the practice facility and
(28:41):
then in the fields into what it was, man, incredible experience.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Those fields were like Bermuda grass fairway. Yeah. So like
I think the players enjoyed it too. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Everybody that is in Tepe of sports entertainment working maybe
behinds off seven days a week, very much so, and
every week throughout the year and continuously working because they
put up they they they're the ones that really make
this stadium do all the things. You got soccer, you
got the concerts, you have the hurricane relief concert that
(29:17):
was pulled off in what two weeks three weeks? Like,
there's so much that goes on that serves this community,
that serves the Carolinas, all from Bank of America Stadium,
and shout out to Temper, you know, David Tepper and
Nicole Temper for you know, wearing their hearts on their
sleeve and doing what they know is right and and
(29:41):
and just leading with that, you know, from their hearts
and also too, shout out to Temper on on Bryce right,
Like everybody has so much to say, you know, from
behind the screen of a phone. But one thing I know,
for show he was right. It was right about Bryce.
(30:02):
So everybody that was over there talking got them. We
got them receipts, Okay, we receipt checking. Okay, going into
twenty twenty five, we're checking receipts, and you better make
sure you have the right one man. Okay. You know
what I didn't know Happy New Year by the way,
Oh yeah, I didn't know that. When you say happy
(30:23):
New Years, it's not happy New Years. I've been saying
Happy New Years all my life. Happy New Year.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
It must be something. It must be like a say
it again next year. You don't got to say it
for the years plural.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
I think that's what it is. I'm like thinking to myself.
Happy New Years man, hopefully hopefully you see more years.
Yeah that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Oh I love it. Yeah, it makes sense.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Happy New Years to all y'all.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
It's a random thought. Random thought for the day with
Jay stew.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Just an exciting year, you know, upstowns highs Lows again.
As we recap the season and think about all that
went on here. We didn't even talk about Germany, you know,
and we recapped that in this episode. But when you
really think about the entirety of the trip, you think
about the guys that were on the trip, that made
the trip, Steve Smith, Julius Peppers, Jonathan Stewart, Thomas Davis, Luke, Keikley, right,
(31:18):
John Beeson.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
It was. It was from from start to finish.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
From the flight over dude forgot his passport, like hit it, Germany,
broke his phone, everything had to get a get a
lot of number.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
There's a lot of.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Sudden changed two minadris and we pulled it off and
and uh but the from the from the from the fellowship,
the legends, bonding, the fan engagement from every place we
went to, the international fans, the Panthers fans that.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Made the trip, soccer game, the soccer game.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
We got to take that in and in the hospitality
there the f C Bayron Munich.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Pork knuckle right to I love some pork knuckle, if
y'all ain't never had no pork knuckle. The food and cuisine, Hey,
the food, the food and cuisien guisen I stuck.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
I stuck to the pretzels, the Bavarian pressed man.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
He loved the South the pretzels. That's an't really all about.
That wasn't no pork knuckle. Yeah, the pork knuckle you
missing out, brother man? Uh?
Speaker 3 (32:19):
And most of all the win, the win again another
It was a game that you know, came down to
a dramatic fashion that you knew was a last possession.
How are we going to finish? And to do so
in that incredible stadium at Aleans.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Which, by the way, Roger Goodell was pulling for the Panthers.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
He was.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
He was over there by Rogers on our sideline. He
was on our sideline. It was great to see. I
don't know if that makes a bad look of us
calling him out on that or not. He's supposed to
stay neutral.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Putral, but he was on our side.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
But he was shopping it up with us. He was,
Uh no, it was.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
It was an experience, and we encourage all the fans
out there that if you have the opportunity to join
the next time that international game for the Panther comes up,
with your travel, take that make that experience.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
That was my first time over the pond like.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
That same same You know, I had been to the
Middle East once, but but when I'm talking about this
first time to Europe, and.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Which, by the way, when we was over there, you
was almost I felt like you've been there before. You
was operating like, Yo, we're gonna go to the little spot,
little coffee joint. We're gonna hit the little breakfast spot.
They got the little toaster, they got the new Tella
and and waffles and they got a nice little little
coffee joint. I'm like, huh, how you know this by
(33:36):
this man prepped ready to go. I'm like, man, look,
if we need anything.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Student, this is why I'm here. I so so I
know you're not thinking about that. You weren't even thinking
about your passport. So I know the questions I'm going
to be asked. I'm not an offensive coordinator, right, I
gotta have the answers for the meeting that you're gonna ask.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
I ain't asking a question. You didn't asked, you just
sat there. You already got it up. And after after
the meeting, when you're dealing with former players, I could
give them the more most detailed agenda that one could
want with.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Hyperlinks, addresses, phone numbers, times, location, and they're still gonna
ask JK.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
What.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Time we gotta be downstairs?
Speaker 1 (34:26):
So that's so, so, now what time we.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Gotta What time are we leaving? I want to know
what time we got to be downstairs. I want to
know what time is the car leaving, because I want
to be there before.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Meanwhile, I'm thinking about no, no, no, no, I give you
this time because what if there's traffic, what if there's
this we gotta be there five minutes. I was shout
out to quick story shout out to the legendary wide
receiver Jerry Butler, who was also my player engagement director
with Chicago Bears and Devon Broncos. JB told me one thing,
(34:57):
when I came into the front office side of the thing,
he's up.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
JK always perceives the threat. Mm hmmm.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
So when I plan things, I'm always thinking what cool
go wrong? We walk into a restaurant, I'm looking for
an exit. I'm always on to something, just to make
sure we got a plan.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
So quick story.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
This past weekend, we went to Roosters here in Charlotte
Valentine area at the Bowl. Yeah, the new one. Shout
out to roosters. I gotta get down there. Good vibe too.
I can't wait for it to heat up so people
can actually walk around and be vibrant. But we at
the restaurant, we get seated. My two daughters are sitting
looking at the window. Right, I have my back to
(35:41):
the window me and that I don't usually like that seat.
And so I asked my daughter, I'll like, hey, the
only way you're gonna be able to sit there is
if you have my six And she was like six,
what's a six? If you have my back? Right, you
got my back, I'm gonna let you sit there. She said,
I got you back.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Dad.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
I'm like, all right, because I'm the same way. I
gotta make sure I'm looking at the exersign the window
like all that, because I ain't depending on nobody yet.
And that's your child. I'm not treating y'all at my children.
But you know, I gotta protect my guys. So yeah,
my teammates, man, all those things that we just covered. Man,
(36:23):
every event this year, every function, every appearance, certainly the
games that we did have here, which we're competitive. Who's
your MVP this year?
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Mhm?
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I can tell you, MANE ready go ahead? Tuba Tuba
Tuba Chuba Chuba chuba.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Like that chant that they had going, Yeah, I could
agree with that. I can agree with that.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
Yeah, you talk about a guy that deserves it, and man,
we you know, and how are we just talking about
him now? He earned everything he got best for last right,
And I and I recall, you know, last year, having
some conversations and you can just see the fire in
that that kid's eyes.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Man, we got a good one. Carolina got one for sure.
If you're not if you're not working like Tuba, you
ain't working. And I think that is basically the reward
that they gave him. And it's more it's more of
like a It's a message, man, It's a message. Yeah,
(37:35):
Like yo, I'm sending a message to Tuba saying keep working.
I'm sending a message to every single body that wants
to be a Carolina Panther. If you want to get paid.
This is how you do it, and that everybody can
do it at that fashion, right, but this is the
standard in which we follow and and and shout out
(37:56):
to the Raheem Black Cheer and Miles Sanders. This last game,
that was fun. Man's going to watch those guys get off.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
I love black shar absolutely and Moore got that dog.
He's got energy, man, and he's just always a smile
on his face. You know, there's a lot of that
locker room is tough, man, and they fight, you know.
I think Breke said it after the game, like there's
some dogs.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
We go back to.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
Per first press conference that they had, there's some dogs
in there man, right, you know we were missing a
few pieces, right. We talked about it, injuries and key
leaders on our on our team offensively, defensively, But there's
some dogs.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
What's the best type of dog.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
The best type of dog, the one who's always hungry.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
We got this, That's what I'm talking about. Dog Man
was ready, Oh yeah, always ready to eat, looking to eat.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
You know, and he don't he don't just take a bike,
come back to it. He cleans the bowl, clean the bowl,
and he's snatching your bowl Yeah, you gotta stay hungry,
stay ready, stay hungry.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
So you know, above all else, a fun.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
Season build off of and I always say, break by brick,
break by brick man. It's a process again pointing back
to those those seasons that took place before Super Bowl appearances, right,
and we hope that history repeats itself.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
In that standpoint, I'm gonna say, we got cylinder blocks
this year. We got cylinder blocks. We didn't get bricks,
we got celling. We built that thing fast, the shirt, Yeah,
cylinder blocks.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
There's some cornerstones, some cornerstones for sure, and there's some
additions and we didn't you know, you talk about they're
talking about guys like Robert Hunts of the world, right,
and the performance that Icky put on the season, and
the rest of the offensive line and some defensive player.
DJ warn I'm stepping up as a rookie taking some
plays showing that hey, I belong here, right, So.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
That as a rookie, but as a as a guy
that we're waiting for, that's right. Yeah. And then Trevor Wallace,
Trevor Wallace got a bright future, yes, as Sean Robinson,
you know they put him in a position this year
to where he can rush the quarterback. You know what
I'm saying, Like, that's something that's special for him. He
keep on eating, keep on working, and it's three four
(40:15):
defense and then we're gonna get Derek Brown back.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Boy.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
Hey, I saw Derek Brown coming in. He had a
bowl tacos, and I just smiled. I'm like, just keep
on eating them tacos, eating on taco.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Oh, it is great, it is great, man, got Lee.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
It was it was quite the season. Many twenty four
is beautiful. Twenty twenty five. We can't wait to arrive.
You can only go up. It's on going up.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
That's for sure. That's for sure. So we're excited. Man.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
You know what I'm not excited about. Its cold weather
right here. We gotta we gotta turn it up. I
want to bring this out. I know I bring it
up because you just said what you said before we
walked into the studio here.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
But man, always talking about us cold. I'm just like,
I came down here. I'm trying to play golf. Stewie listen.
Oh yeah, hey, I just posted on Instagram question how
cold is too cold to go golf?
Speaker 1 (41:21):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Anything under fifty and win? No, anything under fifty you
and that golfing. No, all right, that's why you.
Speaker 3 (41:30):
If there's, if there's, if there's, if it's near, if
it's near fifty.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
And sunny and no wind. Yeah, the wind is depending
on Hey, where were going. The wind is definitely factor.
I am a thirty if it's thirty degrees and lower.
I ain't golfing thirty in up as long as the
wind is right.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Hey, what's Shannon Sharp through?
Speaker 2 (41:53):
No skip, no, no, let me tell you something scipt No, man,
I'm not even about to do my do the impersonation
out to get caught up.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Stuff, there's some stuff going on that alone.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
What a great year.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Shout out to Luke Keikley and Steve Smith.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
Great transition. That's what we wanted to.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
That's that's what you know. Hall of Fame finalist about
time for Smitty. Look if he don't get in, listen,
I ain't gonna talk about that. He getting in. So
Steve Smith is getting in to the Hall of Fame,
and I can't wait. I'm gonna be there front row,
and I'm gonna be there in my eighty nine jersey
with my visor hat back backwards upside down, and I'm
(42:42):
be wearing my uh my, uh my jeans and my
and a tall tea underneath it like I was when
I was in middle school.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
Yeah wow.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
So, as many of you probably know, Louke Keikley Steve
Smith on the twenty twenty five Hall of Fame finalist list.
Luke Keikley first, this is this is his first time
first year being eligible. This is Steve Smith's first year
(43:16):
making the finalist list. So we're excited for both of
our Panthers legends. There obviously Steve a Hall of Honor member.
So what makes this interesting and the way the process
works from a thousand four view, At this point there's
fifteen finalists. This will be narrowed down. This list will
be narrowed down sometime this month to ten and that'll
(43:41):
take place behind closed doors with the Hall of Fame
Selection Committee, which is available on Hall of the prof
Football Hall of Fame dot com.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
Should you be interested in who I want to talk
to in that committee?
Speaker 3 (43:53):
Who you need to talk to man, well, you can
go on that list and you can find out look
at the list.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Each all thirty two cities.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
Have a long time media person that knows the intricacies
and the background of players, clubs, organizations, et cetera. So
they've watched them for many years. They have tremendous insight
and knowledge of the game. And so it will go
from fifteen to ten. And of that now there's a
new voting process this year that the Pro Football Hall
(44:23):
of Fame has instilled that once said the NFL. Most
don't know that the NFL and the Pro Football Hall
of Fame are two separate entities. It's not the same.
And so there is a voting process that will take place.
And of that final ten, there is likely gonna be
in a ballpark of three to five, and I would
(44:43):
five might be on the way too.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Top end probably three to four.
Speaker 3 (44:47):
That need that will be the twenty twenty five Modern
Era class. Those nominees will need to receive eighty percent
of the votes from the selection committee in order to
be nominated.
Speaker 1 (45:03):
So we're polling for our guys, obviously.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
I think there is you know, Louke Keikley absolutely a
first ballot Hall of Fame talent in his eight years,
I mean between Pro Bowls, All Pros, NFL dp O I,
NFL Rookie of the Year, his numbers set him to
be and in that capacity. If you can compare him
(45:29):
to Patrick Willis who just went in last year, nearly identical.
So we know where Luke stands in the mix, whether
or not he's selected against the other candidates, which is
a which is a formidable class. I mean, obviously it is.
It's a Pro Football Hall of Fame. Were talking about
gold jackets, but whether or not he gets in as
a first year yet to be seen. Steve Smith obviously
(45:51):
the same thing.
Speaker 1 (45:52):
I mean, we are.
Speaker 3 (45:53):
All Smitthty fans and what he did, what he brought
to the game, the position of wide receiver that a
lot of guys I think look up to him and
try to replicate that hard to do. He's just you know,
you talk about dog cleaning the bowl. That's Smitty. But
he also has its own challenges as it comes to nomination.
When you are looking at Reggie Wayne's of the world,
(46:16):
the Tory Holts of the world, and so there's a
lot of people will view yards, receptions, years played, et cetera.
When they compare numbers and numbers against each other, there's
cases to be made. But the way Smitty did it,
in our opinion, we're on the Carolina Panthers podcast. We
can advocate for him in the longevity of his career
as a as a Triple Crown winner, as a third
(46:39):
round draft pick to do it the only one of
those three without a Hall of Fame quarterback, which, in
no disrespect to Jake Delom Smitty did it in a
tremendous fashion.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
And Smitty went and got all in the yards and
different way. Is no question if it was a check down.
He was stiff farming people to the ground that's been
out of the world to get to the end zone.
I mean, I remember Bro we played the Arizona Cardinals,
I think, and we had like a draw with a
smoke option, and I remember him looking at Jake and he's.
Speaker 3 (47:11):
Like, for the listeners, a draw with a smoke options,
smoke options is a screen.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
Screen, Yeah, like a tonne of screen almost.
Speaker 1 (47:18):
But like.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
He looked at Jake and he said, throw me the ball.
Jake was like, all right, that's what made Jake a
great quarterback. But like, obviously Jake wasn't just gonna throw
in the ball. He had to be the right look right,
and so literally I see like like he throws the
(47:43):
smoke and Smithie takes down, takes off down the sideline
and scores. It's like, what, like, how do you like
just like make up in your mind, Like you throw
me the ball, I'm a score, I'm gonna do something
with the ball. Just give it to me. That's the
type of player he was like no matter where he
was on the field, you know, he he believed that
(48:07):
he can take at the distance and that was his objective,
that was his mindset. His mindset was like somebody's I've
never seen before. And the crazy thing is when you
talk to him about it, you really gauge like the
place in which that comes from. And he's a special
person to be able to harness, you know, his emotion,
(48:31):
his drive, and to be able to like be the
competitor that he is consistently in everything that he does.
Speaker 3 (48:42):
Especial man. Yeah, especially eighty nine is special. Fifty nine
was special. So we hope to see both of those
guys get the knock within the next couple of weeks
here prior to the Super Bowl and NFL Honors where
that'll be announced to the twenty twenty five class US
and that we are we have the opportunity to be
(49:04):
in Canton come this August celeb either one or both
of them, So stay tuned. We're all excited, we're all
anxiously waiting those results. But if not, we do know
that in the years to come, we're looking at a
couple of things that we can celebrate for, and it's
gonna be big moments. Yeah, milestone moments for the Carolina.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Pay And next will be the I guess the ten
year anniversary of our super Bowl twenty fifteen five.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
Yes, that's it, just like that. Oh but like that,
And with that we're signing off. This has been an
amazing season. We're still in the crew the inaugural year.
Speaker 1 (49:42):
We hope to be back. Still we take us out.
Speaker 2 (49:47):
I really appreciate y'all tuning in all season, sharing it, liking, subscribing,
doing all the things necessary with these podcasts. But I
hope you guys got an opportunity to learn something new,
to be able to catch up with some of your
favorite Panthers that you haven't heard from in a while,
(50:07):
but most importantly, just staying in tune with your favorite team.
And I'm glad to be able to do this with you. Jeremy,
your important piece to this, uh this, you know, this organization,
not just from the legend standpoint, but just from you know,
the players standpoint. I mean, guys relate to you. Guys
(50:30):
see you, see you moving and all those types of things,
and you know how you from an NFL player and
just your history, your story and where you are now
and the trajectory and the push and like you're in
business school right now, you're doing a lot of things
don't and so that's inspirational all by itself. So appreciate you.
(50:54):
But yeah, man, we out still in the Crew Season
one
Speaker 1 (51:12):
S
We're the thirteenth pick in the two thousand and eight
NFL Trap. Karen lanon Panther select. Jonathan Stewart gets to Stewart,
he leaves touched up.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Stewart oh rough tough right, angry man out at al
thowse knees.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Stewart hesitates, accelerates. That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
It's the smash Moll football coatan Stuart cat running round.
Stewart jump over a tackler at the tenth, flows up,
Laura's his shoulder, keeps running. No one will touch him.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Jonathan Stewart house is up. You talk about explosive plays
in the run game. It's like the fourth of July
round here right now you are listening to Stu and
the crew. Now to Jonathan Stewart's and Jeremy Kelly.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yo, this is Jonathan Stewart. Welcome to Stu and the crew.
I'm your host. I am alongside Jeremy Kelly. What's good man?
What a year?
Speaker 1 (00:49):
It's a rap. It's a rap, It's a rap. What
a great year.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Finish it off with a dug great way to finish
in Atlanta, A great way to finish strong in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
I'll say this.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I was I was present, and the energy in the
building was heavy, like Atlanta was playing for something.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Fans were cheering for something. The Owls were going.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
They had the halftime concert, they had the time out
break performances. Like if you go to a game in Atlanta, like,
they bring it. But they knew something was on the line.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
So it was a little bit of a playoff atmosphere.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
It was a little bit of something right.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
And then obviously the rivalry and so when you're talking
about high scoring game, back and forth, lead changes, you know,
Division four, there there was some good energy there, man.
And so to walk out to cap the season with
the W in that fashion, can't think of a better
way to write it. For this season, man, we went
(01:49):
out on a high.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yeah, watching it on TV, you can tell the energy
level was high. But most importantly it was high for
the Carolina Panthers because they was out there like really
playing some football, especially on offense. I mean, just just knowing,
you know, the level of growth that this team has
(02:12):
experienced this year. I mean I said it earlier, you know,
in a conversation with someone earlier. You know Bryce Young's
you know, his growth this year stemmed a whole new
like trajectory for the team, like we're getting back to
(02:35):
what Carolina Panther football really is. And it was all
based on how well Bryce Young responded to adversity. And
if you want to know anything about a good football team,
it's all about how you respond to adversity when you
have your leader being able to, you know, say, Okay,
I've been binged, I'm being talked about. My confidence is
(02:59):
a little shot. My teammates don't trust me. And then
all of a sudden, you get another opportunity and you
don't blink, not even for a second, and you get
to go to Atlanta, a division opponent, and and have
the mindset, I'm here to do one thing and only
one thing only, and it's here to ruin your dreams
(03:24):
of making the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Calling them the reaper.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
They call him the reaper, although I heard that he
don't want to be called the reaper.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Which which which I was just gonna say, could not
be more contradictory to who Bryce is.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
First, but a young man is steadfast, He's he has
the Madden composure.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Rating ninety nine.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Oh yeah, composed.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Stoic, confident in silence, and you could see it day
and day out in the ability never waivered.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
You know, there's obviously when you're your performance and there's
a lot that goes into performance and performance confidence. Yeah,
because you can have performance confidence and off field there's
a difference.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Yeah. But I will say just kudos to him man.
Extremely proud.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Havn't gotten to know him over the past two years
and interact with him day and day out. Extremely proud
of the way that he's responded. This team should be
excited for that. I think we all are. I think
this city is. And you know, as I mentioned before
we got on air, you know, hot take, but b
hy nine comeback.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Player of the Year.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
You ain't all the way wrong, you know.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I think I think it's it's it's an interesting conversation.
It may be unpopular, but the young man deserves it.
The trajectory of the Carolina Panthers is moving in the
right direction. We got consistency at the head coach position.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, this is the first time in a while that
we've had at the GM GM the head coach and
there starting quarterback all in play.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
That's right going in to.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
An offseason, and that's a beautiful thing. For Dan Morgan.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
That's right, and and and it feels good, you know,
when you got a couple of young guys draft pick,
undrafted who stepped up and performing a lot of you know,
if we look back, I mean, this episode is a
recap of the season mm hm. And it's a season finale.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
And for stewing the crew.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
And when we really think back to last year's draft,
new GM, new head coach, what do we need fill
in the gaps? You go and get a stud wide
receiver out of the University of South Carolina. He shows
up in a lot of big ways throughout the season,
and he and he grew and he faced some adversity,
but you know what, he's a rookie receiver in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
This is the hardest league to play in.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
And he showed a lot of promise though. That's one
of the things that I think people should realize is that,
no question, you know, the opportunities that he did have,
he showed. He showed himself. You know what I'm saying, Like,
he's open. We have a guy that can get open,
first of all, right, that we drafted and he gets
to go and he's basically down the street. So he
(06:11):
ain't too far from the facility. He's gonna be able
to be at home and be at his workplace getting
better at his craft. And I'm pretty sure he's gonna
travel and do some things with some other guys getting better.
I remember seeing a video clip of him working out
with Deebo Deebo Samuel and you know, just continuing to
work on you know, that craft, and you know, as
(06:31):
you know, going off into an offseason on a high note,
that's all the encouragement you need. A win, like, oh man,
I feel pretty good about what we got going on next.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Year, and and you know, not losing sight of the
fact that five and twelve is the record.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
So you got motivation, Yeah, you got motivation.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
You're hungry.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
So I do think I'm very excited for XCEL going
into the year two because this one thing is a
rookie transitioning into the pro level, training with guys, preparing
your body physically, learning a new offensive system at a
much more intricate level, and learning the game of football
at a much more intricate level. But now you're preparing
(07:10):
your body physically with the nuance of a pro season
under your belt. Understanding now you're now you're running your
routes a different way, You're approaching your craft a different way.
So really excited for what will come.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Uh and just the chemistry too, right with the quarterback
of course, like Jalen Coker, no question, Adam Thielen, excel,
Tommy Trimble, Uh good, j T.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Sanders that we got more in there got more we
got there's playmate.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Because a lot of guys that are gonna be get
an opportunity to go into this offseason and connect with
Bryce and have some throwing opportunities where they go to
a field nearby wherever it is and just build that
chemistry that bond of you know, when he's rolling out
of the pocket, I give him this is what it
looks like when I give him my eyes, when I'm
(08:04):
open from when I'm ready for the ball. Like all
those types of things are what they can, you know,
really level up on for next year as far as
their chemistry and connectivity. It's gonna be fun. It's gonna
be fun to watch.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
If you can't tell.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Where we're excited about the momentum that we have despite
the win loss record is there's just a lot of
tangible energy and promise to come here man. But but Stewie,
we I mean, thinking back to the beginning. If there's
one thing that's constant, it's gonna be adversity. When you
(08:38):
get a hit off the rip with Derek Brown going
your cornerstone in the center of the defense, unexpected, we
lose Shaq Thompson unfortunately once again on a high note,
was the way extremely excited to see j C. Horn
going to have a Pro Bowl season that we're waiting for. So,
you know, not that he wasn't that ain't player before,
(09:00):
Absolutely he was. Injuries happened, yeah, and so for him,
I know he's got to feel so good.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
We call him, we call j C. Horn battle tested,
you know what I'm saying. Sometimes you got to go
and whether the storms that you know come your way
and you come out of that better. I think he comes.
If he doesn't go through what he has gone through,
he's not as good as that. In my opinion, he's
not as good as he is now. There's so much
(09:29):
you learn from being injured. There's so much you learn
from being on the sideline. The mental part of the game,
that's all you can really wrap your head around when
you're on the sideline. You hurt, you get into the
you get into the book, you get into the studies
of the film, You watch other players and tendencies in
your own test, become your own self evaluator, you know.
(09:49):
Even more so so I think J C. Horn, you know,
this is you know, to be expected the full season
where he's healthy.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
If he didn't, I think everybody did expect that. Yeah
do I do.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
And that's coming from a man who's had his fair
share of injury. So so you're right, there's a mental
aspect that does come from being able to sit, being
forced to sit and watch and study. So, you know,
a lot of a lot of adversity uphill climb. But
when we got to you know, the middle of the season,
there there was a point that we were looking at,
(10:25):
you know minus I think I think if there was
a three game stretch where point total loss is twelve points, yeah,
could have very easily been seven and seven, you know
through week thirteen and when you're talking about against the
Philadelphia Eagles, yeah, repeat, super Bowl champs, Kansas City Chiefs. Yeah,
you know, you fumbled a few along the line, unfortunately,
(10:48):
But I think within those losses, as you say, you
get battle tested I don't think. I don't think teams
realize how physical football team this is and they show
up to play. And you know, there was a couple
of games in there that got out of hand, but
for the most part, there was a lot of games
that were overtime, last possession style football games that like,
(11:11):
you know, so this win over Atlanta, we had already
been in this circumstance where hey, back's against the wall,
do where you don't, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
I ain't got none to lose anywhere last time of
the season, right, and We're gonna go out there and
show everybody that I can still play football exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
And so I think it comes down to, you know,
when you get into those circumstances and those situations and
you're doing it against top tier teams like the Kansas
City Chiefs or whatever, the difference is they've been there
and they believe they can win. The Carolina Panthers now
are starting to believe, yeah, they can win.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
And what's really cool we talk about opportunities, right, like
this was one that was a little bit different because
you were talking about because you were there and you're
talking about the environment. It was like a playoff environment.
That playoff experience. That is something that is very crucial
to a team like the Carolina Panthers. Right, you're going
to the playoffs. You're not necessarily gonna feel what that
(12:03):
feels like. But being able to ruin someone else's playoff
dreams with the last game of the season, that is
a playoff experience.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
In Cabo.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
See in Cabo, y'all have at it.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
And that's the most part. You know.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
We we jumped in, We kicked in on football right away.
Typically we hold her for the end, but that right
there too. Right, the guys are having fun. Yeah, they
were having fun out there. You can see it on
the sideline and you could even see it throughout the week.
But the guys are having fun.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
And when you start to do that, you know, I mean,
there's there's when you have a relaxed, confident locker room
that knows, hey man, we're gonna go out here and
do what we do and we're together and you see
in the handshakes, you see, Yeah, it's like a secret
or something or something to it. Something to it there is.
There is so very exciting. Again, we could talk about
Bruce for days and how he finished the year. Very
(12:53):
very exciting for that young man and for the entire organization.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So five touchdowns, three to rushing right, one hundred and
twenty three passing rating.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
One hundred and twenty three point five pass already, man
and when you're a bad man, you know, that's a
career high, right, And it's just very impressive and over
the past in the last half of the season, I
think from October a ninety four point nine passer rating,
thousand yards, nine touchdowns.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
In five games, the last five games, so.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
So very exciting. But we're looking ahead, we're looking at
we're looking at twenty five. Obviously the draft, we have
the eighth pick locked up as it stands right now.
You know, there's a lot of talk about a need
for an edge, and there's a lot of eyes on
on you know, some talented players coming out of college.
You know, specifically the cat from Penn State. Yeah, do
a car because he Bruce Smith used to always say,
(13:52):
he still says it, the most devastating play in football
is a sack right next.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
To the black punt.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
And just as we're talking and praising Bryce Young.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
And how important quarterback position is, you got to find
someone that can go get him. Yeah, And so I
think I think Dan Morgan is probably just about that
as a defensive player. Yeah, and he's probably even more
so juiced this year. I'm happy for Dan because he
gets to go into this draft, he gets to go
into this offseason as a whole free agency draft, all
(14:26):
of it to be able to evaluate with a clear
headspace that he's got a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Right, when you have a quarterback, everything's free game, you
know what I'm saying. Like you can really start to prioritize,
like how you want the team to be, how you
want it to what does it feel like, what does
it smell like like, what does it look like? All
those types of things. As a GM, you start to
(14:54):
really put those those glasses on and start to evaluate
guys at a different level. So I'm excited for that
and for the just the Carolina Panther fans.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
I'll deserve it, man, you know, for I want to
you know, everybody always talks about twenty fifteen, right, and
what excites me is the stories that I've gotten from
the Mike Rutgers, the Brenson Buckaner's to Jake the Loans
and the years leading up to the three season you
guys have shared the years leading up to the fifteen season. Yeah,
(15:26):
like we've been a part of those years now, so
let's see what happens in twenty twenty five. A lot,
a lot of successes off the field this year. You've
been around a lot, man, Yeah, man, I've been a
lot for us. It's been fun.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Man.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Like, Uh, you know, when I retired, I thought to myself, oh,
I'm double football, right, because it's in your mind, You're like,
I've given all that I could possibly give to this
game ever since I was in fourth grade. Right, And
it's like when you retire thinking to yourself, Ah, no
training camp, no more practices, no more injuries, like you know,
(16:06):
and no more pressure, right, you know what I'm saying
to deliver and all those types of things that you might,
you know, at one point in your life feel up
to the challenge. But when you actually am tower the
bell to retire, it's usually because you absolutely know you
have nothing to give. And so going through that process,
(16:27):
for me, I realized real quick, man, I actually love football.
I played this game. I love playing I loved playing football,
but like to love football and watch it and like
become a fan of it. I've never been that never.
I've always I've always watched football with this intent to
(16:52):
learn to add to my tool bell, you know what
I'm saying, Like I'm watching Emma Smith, Barry Sanders, Ricky
whoever it may be. When I'm watching, I'm watching with
the intent of, Oh that's how he got out of
that tackle. Oh that's how, Oh he read that play
this way. So I'm so maybe next time I'm in
that situation, I should, you know, try to do it
(17:14):
that way.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
You're watching it, you're watching it through the lens of
your craft. You're watching it through the working on the craft,
master your craft. Right when you when you when you well,
I guess at this point you've been at what four
twenty eighteen, Okay, so sick. So six years now, So
(17:34):
six years now you've been removed. Did you go through
a transition where was because I believe there's stages.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
There's a period of.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Time that you didn't watch NFL football, you watch more college,
and then you find yourself coming back to the NFL.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Did you go there? I experienced that. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
First, when I first moved away, I was like, I
don't even want to watch pro football.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
You should watch college.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
I think I thought I was going to do that,
but the moment that first season started up, I was
right there in the chair looking at the Carolina and
I didn't expect it. I didn't really have any expectations.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Did your lens switch? Were you still watching it from a.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
No, I still watch it from a whole I still
watch it from a player's stand up point, the standpoint,
you know. I still like the twenty two version, twenty
two man version of watching football games, which I'm really
glad NFL provides that now benefit Yeah, because I'm like, yo,
where was it? I can't see where the safety is?
Where is he at?
Speaker 1 (18:33):
So?
Speaker 2 (18:33):
But so I still watch it from the player's lens,
but I'm not watching it from the how you how
you put it from the player's craft, right, you know.
I'm I'm more so watching like, oh, what are they
trying to do here? Trying to guess. I'm almost like
playing offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator when I'm watching games now,
(18:56):
trying to guess what's happening, guess what covers you?
Speaker 1 (18:59):
I do the same thing. First thing.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
I look at the safeties every day, every time I'm
washing the game safety safeties, and I'm looking for stacks.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Who's blitzing? Is it coming? Is it not?
Speaker 2 (19:08):
I better pick him up. Oh he didn't pick him up.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
He just switched it. Okay, he just called he put
the mic out here. Now somebody moved it back, right.
I'm always watching the protection the coverage like I always.
You could see that initially, right, So you're trained. You're trained. No, man,
it's it is uh you know. And now we're we're
in there in the postseason, which I think you know
as a football fan, where the cancers are in or not.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Who has it worse right now? In the NFC South mm,
the Saints? The ain't the Saints? Is the bottom of
the bottom.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
It's not good. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
You know when you go to the bathroom, you know,
you go to a public bathroom, the men's bathroom, and
you go to that como, you better make sure you
have some shoes on. That's what it say. They at
the bottom.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
It is.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
It's not good, right, I think when you're talking about
ending season right and again, it is everything we just described.
You want something to hold on to, you want something
to build off of. Yeah, and yeah, I'm not sure
that they have it right now. Fortunately, it feels as
though we do and it's exciting. It's exciting.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
NFC South, you know, the Falcons the future. I mean
watching that game too, one of the things that I
pointed out and we can move on. But like Bryce
Young and Michael.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Pennox, it's gonna be fun to watch.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
That's gonna be something really fun to look forward to
on Sunday, Saturdays, Thursdays whenever they play.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
And I'm gonna go ahead and say again and now
I'm gonna go ahead and throw. I'm gonna throw Jon
Robinson in there, and I'm gonna throw, and I'm gonna
throw our young guy j T, who unfortunately got hurt.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah, you know, he showed some spark.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Before before he before he found himself back on the sideline,
he shows some spark.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
It might be a while before he gets back. I'm
hoping that we get to the playoffs, right. I'm hoping
that we have a year next year to where there's
no pressure to bring him back, right because I want
him to be able to come back fully healthy, fully
ready to go, confidence level through the roof, and there's
(21:26):
no expectation out of him, you know, And yeah, I
think that's what he deserves to really get himself going.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Yeah, unfortunate loss this year for him, obviously an upput battle,
coming back off of an injury and then experiencing another one.
You know the challenge that comes with that. But there's
also benefit that comes with that, especially as a young
back where there's a lot to learn. Yeah, protections, you
let are route, you're learning, coverage that, you're learning all
these things. But now he gets a chance to watch
and grow mentally. So speedy recovery to a young man there.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Shout out to you man this year, you've been busy too,
You've been in all the legends in the house.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
We've been busy. We've been busy. What a phenomenal year.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
It'll be easier to get him in the house next year.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
What a phenomenal year too. You know the level of
engagement that we have again, I'll speak to everything. This
This speaks to the season and to the culture that's
being built fame with right, I mean we can go
back it started, it started last year. And when you're
talking about building an organization getting it back, I should say,
(22:29):
and you're and you're building a culture.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Right.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
The former players matter because they can speak to it.
They are the one sharing Hey, young fella, you need
to go try this place to eat. Hey, I'm gonna
put you in touch with the real litor. This is
the area you want to live in. Hey, this is
my chiropractice week thirteen fourteen is gonna start to feel
(22:55):
like this you should try, right, And so there's that
level of interaction that when you guys are in the
building around the building on game day at training camp
and the players see it, they get excited when they
see Steve Smith, they get excited when Mussi Muhammad comes
out to land a couple of tips here and there.
They have the Mike Rutgers around like that matters. That
(23:17):
speaks to a culture, it speaks to a tradition, and
there's those little tips and tricks.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Whether it's too as a as a as a current player,
you're able to see like, oh man, these guys are
still welcome around too, right, Like it's like when it's done,
it's not just done right. There's another part of being
a part of this organization when you when you retire,
like you're still welcome. You still have you know, you know,
(23:44):
a level of accessibility, and that's always huge.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
That's right, and it's intentional yeah, and it's not just
transactional and you guys have hopefully gotten to see that
and feel that. I mean, here we are today, right,
And so it's not just appearances. It's not just autograph
have some photo opportunities, but it's opportunities to bring your
families to different events, to back together Saturday to the
high school keep pounding classic game. It's to just appreciate
(24:11):
football and to be celebrated for what you do and
the contributions you've made to the organization. Is So, we've
had over twenty five new legends I say that have
returned for the first time this season.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
It's really exciting.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
A couple you know that I could just off the
top that are that are notable? I guess you could say,
is John Beason's.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Right, Like on this post podcast seeing Come off the Tunnel,
I want to jump through the roof, right.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Go. If you have not taken a chance taking a
moment to listen to that podcast, I encourage you to
do so.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
With John Beason.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Yeah, you'll learn real quick. That is bigger than football,
no question. It's like embedded in a lot of these guys,
the Panther greats, Like you can see that there's not,
and he crafted.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
For you to be they care about his ball club.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
Yeah, yeah, you know, so I think about Beaston. You know,
this past week got to see Charles Godfrey again. He
was back this year for Legends Weekend. I think, guys,
he's got double taken. Like they saw a ghosts is
that is that he was in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
So we had him come out to the game. Man.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
We got to catch up on the sideline and he
got to reunite with some folks, uh, with our VP
of Player Fairs, Kevin Winston, who hagged Charles as a
player in Atlanta when he was there. So he's one
of those guys who played for both clubs. So really
really good to see him taking part now because it's
been it's been a while since he's retired.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
And then you think about D'Angelo. I mean, we had
we had de lo in the building. We had you
guys beat him down.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
You snuck in here and we saw you, We saw
your dreads. Yeah, I was like, that's him. I snitched
under d I'm sorry, brother, but I had to. And Mussin,
Mohammad and Stu cornered him. One held him down, the
other one took their shots told hey, man, stop stop
being in a silo, stop hiding from us. We're gonna
find you. We know where you live. Yeah, seeing him,
(26:07):
it's been great. He's been busy too. He got that farm,
that's right, he's got you know, the Williams Rushing Farm
or Rushing Williams is one of the two and his foundation.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
He does a lot of great work.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Pay attention from AFAR and shout out to him and
his wife and the things that they do to serve
in a lot of different spaces. Man, No Cancer Care
is one of the primary spaces for them, and so
it's great to see. But we've had a lot of
legends come back through and and do things and be
a part of what we're building here, and it's it's
really been exciting. I hope the fans out there are
(26:40):
the listeners that you take notice because it's uh, it
speaks to what's to come. It speaks to what's to come.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
And so.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Yeah, yeah, it's been a busy year. To your point,
we started last February that Super Bowl Julius Pepper's Hall
of Fame announcement, which which led us into the off
season of training camp making its way back to well
to Charlotte for the very first first time, which was
which was an experience, man, and it was fun.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Yeah, you know, I know.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
Y'all liked it because you could probably you could dive
into what do you call it, Satansburg.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
It's hot down there, Sparkle City, called Sparkle City, Satan's Burg,
Spartan Bird, It's got many names. A place where you
don't want to be in August because it's not.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
When you gotta put pads on. But I enjoyed my time.
I enjoyed it down there. I think there's value and
going away, being in the credit dorms, getting.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Yourself into that mode.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Even to this day, I still use training camp to
lock back into football.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Mos.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
I'm a fan of. I'm a fan of going away too.
But it's hot down there.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
It's hot.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
But I am a definite I am definitely a fan
of like basically not isolation, but you're taking your as
a team. You're isolating yourself and basically putting yourself in
confinement of torture and hopefully you come out of that
and hopefully you come out of that thing better, you
know what I'm saying. Refined, right, It's like going through
(28:08):
the It's like refiners fire, baby, you know what I'm saying, Like,
you go through the fire, you rid all the disease,
you rid all the bad stuff, and you come out
sharper than before. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, no question, no question. I mean it's a it's
a precursor success, man, And I'm glad that I was
able to experience sparing Bird before before. Now, I don't
know if that's permanent, if it's temporary or not. But
we enjoyed Charlotte this year. Our operations team, our events team,
everybody that had handed and transforming the practice facility and
(28:41):
then in the fields into what it was, man, incredible experience.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Those fields were like Bermuda grass fairway. Yeah. So like
I think the players enjoyed it too. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Everybody that is in Tepe of sports entertainment working maybe
behinds off seven days a week, very much so, and
every week throughout the year and continuously working because they
put up they they they're the ones that really make
this stadium do all the things. You got soccer, you
got the concerts, you have the hurricane relief concert that
(29:17):
was pulled off in what two weeks three weeks? Like,
there's so much that goes on that serves this community,
that serves the Carolinas, all from Bank of America Stadium,
and shout out to Temper, you know, David Tepper and
Nicole Temper for you know, wearing their hearts on their
sleeve and doing what they know is right and and
(29:41):
and just leading with that, you know, from their hearts
and also too, shout out to Temper on on Bryce right,
Like everybody has so much to say, you know, from
behind the screen of a phone. But one thing I know,
for show he was right. It was right about Bryce.
(30:02):
So everybody that was over there talking got them. We
got them receipts, Okay, we receipt checking. Okay, going into
twenty twenty five, we're checking receipts, and you better make
sure you have the right one man. Okay. You know
what I didn't know Happy New Year by the way,
Oh yeah, I didn't know that. When you say happy
(30:23):
New Years, it's not happy New Years. I've been saying
Happy New Years all my life. Happy New Year.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
It must be something. It must be like a say
it again next year. You don't got to say it
for the years plural.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
I think that's what it is. I'm like thinking to myself.
Happy New Years man, hopefully hopefully you see more years.
Yeah that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Oh I love it. Yeah, it makes sense.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Happy New Years to all y'all.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
It's a random thought. Random thought for the day with
Jay stew.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Just an exciting year, you know, upstowns highs Lows again.
As we recap the season and think about all that
went on here. We didn't even talk about Germany, you know,
and we recapped that in this episode. But when you
really think about the entirety of the trip, you think
about the guys that were on the trip, that made
the trip, Steve Smith, Julius Peppers, Jonathan Stewart, Thomas Davis, Luke, Keikley, right,
(31:18):
John Beeson.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
It was. It was from from start to finish.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
From the flight over dude forgot his passport, like hit it, Germany,
broke his phone, everything had to get a get a
lot of number.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
There's a lot of.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Sudden changed two minadris and we pulled it off and
and uh but the from the from the from the fellowship,
the legends, bonding, the fan engagement from every place we
went to, the international fans, the Panthers fans that.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Made the trip, soccer game, the soccer game.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
We got to take that in and in the hospitality
there the f C Bayron Munich.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Pork knuckle right to I love some pork knuckle, if
y'all ain't never had no pork knuckle. The food and cuisine, Hey,
the food, the food and cuisien guisen I stuck.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
I stuck to the pretzels, the Bavarian pressed man.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
He loved the South the pretzels. That's an't really all about.
That wasn't no pork knuckle. Yeah, the pork knuckle you
missing out, brother man? Uh?
Speaker 3 (32:19):
And most of all the win, the win again another
It was a game that you know, came down to
a dramatic fashion that you knew was a last possession.
How are we going to finish? And to do so
in that incredible stadium at Aleans.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Which, by the way, Roger Goodell was pulling for the Panthers.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
He was.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
He was over there by Rogers on our sideline. He
was on our sideline. It was great to see. I
don't know if that makes a bad look of us
calling him out on that or not. He's supposed to
stay neutral.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Putral, but he was on our side.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
But he was shopping it up with us. He was,
Uh no, it was.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
It was an experience, and we encourage all the fans
out there that if you have the opportunity to join
the next time that international game for the Panther comes up,
with your travel, take that make that experience.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
That was my first time over the pond like.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
That same same You know, I had been to the
Middle East once, but but when I'm talking about this
first time to Europe, and.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Which, by the way, when we was over there, you
was almost I felt like you've been there before. You
was operating like, Yo, we're gonna go to the little spot,
little coffee joint. We're gonna hit the little breakfast spot.
They got the little toaster, they got the new Tella
and and waffles and they got a nice little little
coffee joint. I'm like, huh, how you know this by
(33:36):
this man prepped ready to go. I'm like, man, look,
if we need anything.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Student, this is why I'm here. I so so I
know you're not thinking about that. You weren't even thinking
about your passport. So I know the questions I'm going
to be asked. I'm not an offensive coordinator, right, I
gotta have the answers for the meeting that you're gonna ask.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
I ain't asking a question. You didn't asked, you just
sat there. You already got it up. And after after
the meeting, when you're dealing with former players, I could
give them the more most detailed agenda that one could
want with.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Hyperlinks, addresses, phone numbers, times, location, and they're still gonna
ask JK.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
What.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
Time we gotta be downstairs?
Speaker 1 (34:26):
So that's so, so, now what time we.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Gotta What time are we leaving? I want to know
what time we got to be downstairs. I want to
know what time is the car leaving, because I want
to be there before.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
Meanwhile, I'm thinking about no, no, no, no, I give you
this time because what if there's traffic, what if there's
this we gotta be there five minutes. I was shout
out to quick story shout out to the legendary wide
receiver Jerry Butler, who was also my player engagement director
with Chicago Bears and Devon Broncos. JB told me one thing,
(34:57):
when I came into the front office side of the thing,
he's up.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
JK always perceives the threat. Mm hmmm.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
So when I plan things, I'm always thinking what cool
go wrong? We walk into a restaurant, I'm looking for
an exit. I'm always on to something, just to make
sure we got a plan.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
So quick story.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
This past weekend, we went to Roosters here in Charlotte
Valentine area at the Bowl. Yeah, the new one. Shout
out to roosters. I gotta get down there. Good vibe too.
I can't wait for it to heat up so people
can actually walk around and be vibrant. But we at
the restaurant, we get seated. My two daughters are sitting
looking at the window. Right, I have my back to
(35:41):
the window me and that I don't usually like that seat.
And so I asked my daughter, I'll like, hey, the
only way you're gonna be able to sit there is
if you have my six And she was like six,
what's a six? If you have my back? Right, you
got my back, I'm gonna let you sit there. She said,
I got you back.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Dad.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
I'm like, all right, because I'm the same way. I
gotta make sure I'm looking at the exersign the window
like all that, because I ain't depending on nobody yet.
And that's your child. I'm not treating y'all at my children.
But you know, I gotta protect my guys. So yeah,
my teammates, man, all those things that we just covered. Man,
(36:23):
every event this year, every function, every appearance, certainly the
games that we did have here, which we're competitive. Who's
your MVP this year?
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Mhm?
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I can tell you, MANE ready go ahead? Tuba Tuba
Tuba Chuba Chuba chuba.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Like that chant that they had going, Yeah, I could
agree with that. I can agree with that.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
Yeah, you talk about a guy that deserves it, and man,
we you know, and how are we just talking about
him now? He earned everything he got best for last right,
And I and I recall, you know, last year, having
some conversations and you can just see the fire in
that that kid's eyes.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Man, we got a good one. Carolina got one for sure.
If you're not if you're not working like Tuba, you
ain't working. And I think that is basically the reward
that they gave him. And it's more it's more of
like a It's a message, man, It's a message. Yeah,
(37:35):
Like yo, I'm sending a message to Tuba saying keep working.
I'm sending a message to every single body that wants
to be a Carolina Panther. If you want to get paid.
This is how you do it, and that everybody can
do it at that fashion, right, but this is the
standard in which we follow and and and shout out
(37:56):
to the Raheem Black Cheer and Miles Sanders. This last game,
that was fun. Man's going to watch those guys get off.
Speaker 1 (38:02):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
I love black shar absolutely and Moore got that dog.
He's got energy, man, and he's just always a smile
on his face. You know, there's a lot of that
locker room is tough, man, and they fight, you know.
I think Breke said it after the game, like there's
some dogs.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
We go back to.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
Per first press conference that they had, there's some dogs
in there man, right, you know we were missing a
few pieces, right. We talked about it, injuries and key
leaders on our on our team offensively, defensively, But there's
some dogs.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
What's the best type of dog.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
The best type of dog, the one who's always hungry.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
We got this, That's what I'm talking about. Dog Man
was ready, Oh yeah, always ready to eat, looking to eat.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
You know, and he don't he don't just take a bike,
come back to it. He cleans the bowl, clean the bowl,
and he's snatching your bowl Yeah, you gotta stay hungry,
stay ready, stay hungry.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
So you know, above all else, a fun.
Speaker 3 (39:05):
Season build off of and I always say, break by brick,
break by brick man. It's a process again pointing back
to those those seasons that took place before Super Bowl appearances, right,
and we hope that history repeats itself.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
In that standpoint, I'm gonna say, we got cylinder blocks
this year. We got cylinder blocks. We didn't get bricks,
we got celling. We built that thing fast, the shirt, Yeah,
cylinder blocks.
Speaker 3 (39:33):
There's some cornerstones, some cornerstones for sure, and there's some
additions and we didn't you know, you talk about they're
talking about guys like Robert Hunts of the world, right,
and the performance that Icky put on the season, and
the rest of the offensive line and some defensive player.
DJ warn I'm stepping up as a rookie taking some
plays showing that hey, I belong here, right, So.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
That as a rookie, but as a as a guy
that we're waiting for, that's right. Yeah. And then Trevor Wallace,
Trevor Wallace got a bright future, yes, as Sean Robinson,
you know they put him in a position this year
to where he can rush the quarterback. You know what
I'm saying, Like, that's something that's special for him. He
keep on eating, keep on working, and it's three four
(40:15):
defense and then we're gonna get Derek Brown back.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Boy.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
Hey, I saw Derek Brown coming in. He had a
bowl tacos, and I just smiled. I'm like, just keep
on eating them tacos, eating on taco.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Oh, it is great, it is great, man, got Lee.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
It was it was quite the season. Many twenty four
is beautiful. Twenty twenty five. We can't wait to arrive.
You can only go up. It's on going up.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
That's for sure. That's for sure. So we're excited. Man.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
You know what I'm not excited about. Its cold weather
right here. We gotta we gotta turn it up. I
want to bring this out. I know I bring it
up because you just said what you said before we
walked into the studio here.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
But man, always talking about us cold. I'm just like,
I came down here. I'm trying to play golf. Stewie listen.
Oh yeah, hey, I just posted on Instagram question how
cold is too cold to go golf?
Speaker 1 (41:21):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Anything under fifty and win? No, anything under fifty you
and that golfing. No, all right, that's why you.
Speaker 3 (41:30):
If there's, if there's, if there's, if it's near, if
it's near fifty.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
And sunny and no wind. Yeah, the wind is depending
on Hey, where were going. The wind is definitely factor.
I am a thirty if it's thirty degrees and lower.
I ain't golfing thirty in up as long as the
wind is right.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Hey, what's Shannon Sharp through?
Speaker 2 (41:53):
No skip, no, no, let me tell you something scipt No, man,
I'm not even about to do my do the impersonation
out to get caught up.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Stuff, there's some stuff going on that alone.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
What a great year.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Shout out to Luke Keikley and Steve Smith.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
Great transition. That's what we wanted to.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
That's that's what you know. Hall of Fame finalist about
time for Smitty. Look if he don't get in, listen,
I ain't gonna talk about that. He getting in. So
Steve Smith is getting in to the Hall of Fame,
and I can't wait. I'm gonna be there front row,
and I'm gonna be there in my eighty nine jersey
with my visor hat back backwards upside down, and I'm
(42:42):
be wearing my uh my, uh my jeans and my
and a tall tea underneath it like I was when
I was in middle school.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
Yeah wow.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
So, as many of you probably know, Louke Keikley Steve
Smith on the twenty twenty five Hall of Fame finalist list.
Luke Keikley first, this is this is his first time
first year being eligible. This is Steve Smith's first year
(43:16):
making the finalist list. So we're excited for both of
our Panthers legends. There obviously Steve a Hall of Honor member.
So what makes this interesting and the way the process
works from a thousand four view, At this point there's
fifteen finalists. This will be narrowed down. This list will
be narrowed down sometime this month to ten and that'll
(43:41):
take place behind closed doors with the Hall of Fame
Selection Committee, which is available on Hall of the prof
Football Hall of Fame dot com.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
Should you be interested in who I want to talk
to in that committee?
Speaker 3 (43:53):
Who you need to talk to man, well, you can
go on that list and you can find out look
at the list.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Each all thirty two cities.
Speaker 3 (44:00):
Have a long time media person that knows the intricacies
and the background of players, clubs, organizations, et cetera. So
they've watched them for many years. They have tremendous insight
and knowledge of the game. And so it will go
from fifteen to ten. And of that now there's a
new voting process this year that the Pro Football Hall
(44:23):
of Fame has instilled that once said the NFL. Most
don't know that the NFL and the Pro Football Hall
of Fame are two separate entities. It's not the same.
And so there is a voting process that will take place.
And of that final ten, there is likely gonna be
in a ballpark of three to five, and I would
(44:43):
five might be on the way too.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
Top end probably three to four.
Speaker 3 (44:47):
That need that will be the twenty twenty five Modern
Era class. Those nominees will need to receive eighty percent
of the votes from the selection committee in order to
be nominated.
Speaker 1 (45:03):
So we're polling for our guys, obviously.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
I think there is you know, Louke Keikley absolutely a
first ballot Hall of Fame talent in his eight years,
I mean between Pro Bowls, All Pros, NFL dp O I,
NFL Rookie of the Year, his numbers set him to
be and in that capacity. If you can compare him
(45:29):
to Patrick Willis who just went in last year, nearly identical.
So we know where Luke stands in the mix, whether
or not he's selected against the other candidates, which is
a which is a formidable class. I mean, obviously it is.
It's a Pro Football Hall of Fame. Were talking about
gold jackets, but whether or not he gets in as
a first year yet to be seen. Steve Smith obviously
(45:51):
the same thing.
Speaker 1 (45:52):
I mean, we are.
Speaker 3 (45:53):
All Smitthty fans and what he did, what he brought
to the game, the position of wide receiver that a
lot of guys I think look up to him and
try to replicate that hard to do. He's just you know,
you talk about dog cleaning the bowl. That's Smitty. But
he also has its own challenges as it comes to nomination.
When you are looking at Reggie Wayne's of the world,
(46:16):
the Tory Holts of the world, and so there's a
lot of people will view yards, receptions, years played, et cetera.
When they compare numbers and numbers against each other, there's
cases to be made. But the way Smitty did it,
in our opinion, we're on the Carolina Panthers podcast. We
can advocate for him in the longevity of his career
as a as a Triple Crown winner, as a third
(46:39):
round draft pick to do it the only one of
those three without a Hall of Fame quarterback, which, in
no disrespect to Jake Delom Smitty did it in a
tremendous fashion.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
And Smitty went and got all in the yards and
different way. Is no question if it was a check down.
He was stiff farming people to the ground that's been
out of the world to get to the end zone.
I mean, I remember Bro we played the Arizona Cardinals,
I think, and we had like a draw with a
smoke option, and I remember him looking at Jake and he's.
Speaker 3 (47:11):
Like, for the listeners, a draw with a smoke options,
smoke options is a screen.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
Screen, Yeah, like a tonne of screen almost.
Speaker 1 (47:18):
But like.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
He looked at Jake and he said, throw me the ball.
Jake was like, all right, that's what made Jake a
great quarterback. But like, obviously Jake wasn't just gonna throw
in the ball. He had to be the right look right,
and so literally I see like like he throws the
(47:43):
smoke and Smithie takes down, takes off down the sideline
and scores. It's like, what, like, how do you like
just like make up in your mind, Like you throw
me the ball, I'm a score, I'm gonna do something
with the ball. Just give it to me. That's the
type of player he was like no matter where he
was on the field, you know, he he believed that
(48:07):
he can take at the distance and that was his objective,
that was his mindset. His mindset was like somebody's I've
never seen before. And the crazy thing is when you
talk to him about it, you really gauge like the
place in which that comes from. And he's a special
person to be able to harness, you know, his emotion,
(48:31):
his drive, and to be able to like be the
competitor that he is consistently in everything that he does.
Speaker 3 (48:42):
Especial man. Yeah, especially eighty nine is special. Fifty nine
was special. So we hope to see both of those
guys get the knock within the next couple of weeks
here prior to the Super Bowl and NFL Honors where
that'll be announced to the twenty twenty five class US
and that we are we have the opportunity to be
(49:04):
in Canton come this August celeb either one or both
of them, So stay tuned. We're all excited, we're all
anxiously waiting those results. But if not, we do know
that in the years to come, we're looking at a
couple of things that we can celebrate for, and it's
gonna be big moments. Yeah, milestone moments for the Carolina.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Pay And next will be the I guess the ten
year anniversary of our super Bowl twenty fifteen five.
Speaker 3 (49:30):
Yes, that's it, just like that. Oh but like that,
And with that we're signing off. This has been an
amazing season. We're still in the crew the inaugural year.
Speaker 1 (49:42):
We hope to be back. Still we take us out.
Speaker 2 (49:47):
I really appreciate y'all tuning in all season, sharing it, liking, subscribing,
doing all the things necessary with these podcasts. But I
hope you guys got an opportunity to learn something new,
to be able to catch up with some of your
favorite Panthers that you haven't heard from in a while,
(50:07):
but most importantly, just staying in tune with your favorite team.
And I'm glad to be able to do this with you. Jeremy,
your important piece to this, uh this, you know, this organization,
not just from the legend standpoint, but just from you know,
the players standpoint. I mean, guys relate to you. Guys
(50:30):
see you, see you moving and all those types of things,
and you know how you from an NFL player and
just your history, your story and where you are now
and the trajectory and the push and like you're in
business school right now, you're doing a lot of things
don't and so that's inspirational all by itself. So appreciate you.
(50:54):
But yeah, man, we out still in the Crew Season
one
Speaker 1 (51:12):
S
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