July 22, 2025 • 9 mins
Robert Hunt speaks with the media on Tuesday, July 22nd.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
Robert l last season, you kicked down the door and
you ultimately got that Pro Bowl that you were hoping for.
Can you just reflect on that experience and then what
what's it gonna take for you to uh repeat that?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
So repeat it. We'll probably have to win some games.
I hope we can do that. Gotta play well, play
better than I did last year. You know this y
every year's a different challenge in his own So a
lot of guys that come out of nowhere and get
it are a lot of guys that are the same
guys that play really well and get it. So, you know,
just gotta play be consistent, play well, help win games. Ultimately,
if we win a lot of games and win the
(00:43):
games we need to, maybe I don't go there, go somewhere,
you know, a little a little bigger. So that's that's that's.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Kind of go Or what about the experience was cool?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
The experience was fantastic.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
I really had a really good time there. That's a
really good they They they do a really good job
down there. It's really fun, very family, you know what
I mean, all the families there, and it's pretty much
about celebrating your season. Man, it's really what it felt like.
It felt like a celebration. You're not doing much of nothing,
if I'm being completely honest, you just really has been there.
You show on face and you do what you gotta
do obviously, like having fun playing games, which is great,
(01:15):
but it's mostly family time. Man. Everybody's family up by
the water, hanging out. Just it's a really good job.
They do a really good job with that.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I've got a competition next to you at center. How
how do you find kind of chemistry with two guys
that you I mean, you've already worked with both of them,
but like throughout the summer, Like, how do you work
on getting.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
That chemistry down? You know, because I play with both
of them, I kind of know the tendencies of both guys. Uh,
So it is what it is, you know, you know,
I don't know. I let those guys compete with both
of them the best. You know, at the end of
the day, we're trying to win games, and you know
they both of those guys know that they're both capable
of playing it on any team in this lead. So, uh,
(01:53):
you got a step.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Robert, what's different about the vibe this year?
Speaker 2 (01:57):
When you came here last year. I think last year
was nobody knew you know what I mean, and including me.
I got into a situation here, you know, not not
really knowing what I was getting into. No, didn't know
much about Carolina, didn't know much about the Panthers, never
really watched them, kept up with them. But then getting
into the building, getting into the stadium and playing game stuff.
You see, you see, I don't know you you could
feel it, man, it's uh this this city, speaking for
(02:19):
the city, has a lot of hope. They want winners,
and you can feel it once it's kind of closed.
We like even if we want five games that year,
which is not great by any means, but it felt
like we were doing something great, you know what I mean,
because it's the city looking for it. So that Viobe
feels great, The team vibe feel great. I feel like
the teams feel that, and we all want to be
(02:40):
good man, no matter what it is. And uh yeah,
that's that, Robert.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
The Panthers are maybe a trendy pick among some folks
in the national media to be better than some people think.
How do you how do you manage positive expectations?
Speaker 2 (02:59):
No, I don't really to pay attention to I mean,
obviously we all see it if you watch like I'm
a sports and I got so I'll watch all that.
So I kep up with all that. But I mean,
at the end of the day, what what do you
expect as two before I got here? It was five
last year year before. I have no idea what it
was before that. I have no idea what it was.
I remember fifteen when Cam Newton was here, you know
what I mean. So that's kind of where everybody remember
(03:20):
and until that change, that's what you're probably gonna get.
And that's that's the fairst. I mean, if if I
sucked or if I did something terrible, you know what
I mean, And I would expect that, I would expect
people to not root for me. I'll vote for me
or have my back, you know what I mean, pushing me.
But what I can say and what I feel is, uh,
I'm excited to see if we can surprise a lot
(03:41):
of people. That's what I feel.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Having grown up somewhere else. I mean, you mentioned the
twenty fifteen season. Was that the first time like the
Panthers kind of got on.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Your radar twenty fifteen? Yeah, I grew up a Patriots fan,
man I grew up Patrists fans. I only care about
Tom Brady and that's it. Other iv Other than that,
I didn't really pay attention. Obviously I watched the game,
but it still didn't have m much meaning to me,
if I'm being completely honest. But yeah, I've what who
(04:11):
was surprising? People look play competing in winning games? Man, Well,
I think we all know what that mean.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I mean that cause they're prising people meaning I think personally, man,
I like what I see. You know what I mean?
And I obviously we gotta play some football here these
next couple of weeks, and we'll see how that feel
and look, and then we'll play other teams we'll see
how that feel and look. But uh, I think we
built the right way, man. I think we're physical. I
think we're big. I think we're nasty. We got new skills,
(04:39):
we got skills on defense. I think you know, I
mean new d line. I I just I don't know
for me personally, I'm not setting this expectations anything like that.
I'm just saying for me personally, I like, I think
I like what I cause I'm a I'm a guy
that's always back against the wall, Like I was a
two star athlete, went to a school graduate of eighteen kids.
I like to surprise people. Go when I walk in
the room, they don't know they oh, he went to
this here. Then I walk up and I show up
(04:59):
and then oh, you know what I mean. So that's
what I I love doing that. So hopefully and I
mean that I get chill speaking on it, Hopefully that
we can do that, man, cause I really feel.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
I like what I feel that the old line you
got all five starters backs and keep depth pieces as
well from a continuity same point, how important is that,
you know?
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Going into the second year with the team. That's awesome, man.
I mean I've never been a part of a room
that has retained everybody. Everybody came back like that's the
first time I've seen that in my career. So yeah,
it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Man.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
It just it just builds speaks for us. The guys
in the room. They mean, they believe in us. We
work hard, you know what I mean, and we we
trust each other. You know. Second year should be fun, man.
I mean, first year we all trying to get our
feet wet and just see what we're doing and doing that.
But now everybody's been back and we kind of know
the system a little bit. It'll be it'll be fun
all the same guys back, with all those guys back.
(05:49):
How does that help you as you go ahead? And Radon?
Can that help speed things up? Yeah? I mean this
second year in the system, so I think everybody besides
the rookies, I don't expect that. I never expect, you
know what I mean anything from Brita because it's it's
I get it as hard, but everybody else, man, that's
it's the second year, so you know, we get a
feel for it. And second year is always better than
the first year, obviously because you know what's going on.
(06:10):
So yeah, everybody's you know what I mean, nothing would
be ready thinking of the second year. Often did you
guys hang out together? It just kind of gel mini
camp instead. Again it's a team organized. Uh you know,
we don't got a couple of times and uh OTAs
we got together a couple of times. Actually more than more, Yeah,
more than a couple in Ota said, I was good
that five weeks, buddy, I was out of here, you know,
(06:30):
I mean, I'm sure everybody else was too. I'm not
young man. I got a little boy and all that
kind of stuff. I love he's guys, but like we're
hanging out, man, we're family enjoying my time. So uh yeah,
I still did hang out some guys though. I played
basketball with a couple of guys and stuff like that.
So sure people got together, but all of us not
a chance.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Think thinking of the second years they've can Holso the
second year you made him last year a rookie didn't
know much about him. What are you seeing different in him?
His approach and the way things.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Well, I think he's the guy who he was last year.
You know, he's the Obviously he got better in certain
areas of his life, which I don't particularly know. But
what r I respect about him? And he is who
he is, you know what I mean, He's the same guy.
He's never changed. No, even when we're one in seven eight,
what it was, and when we won the last couple
of games and we had more metim gooy, he's the
same guy. So that's Dave's gonna be Dave. And that's
what I honestly respect about him. Because get hard, man,
(07:20):
people t typically turn to run or start doing different.
But he's, uh, he's been the same guy, and I
respect that. I mean, that's that's how I think a
lot of people want to be in their life.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
What you learn about him from the decision of bench
price last year.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Uh, I don't know about that. That's above my peg. Gary.
I mean you know that it's crazy, you know, you
my guy that that went through this ear and out
the of them. Like, I don't even know how to
answer that. Like I barely even heard it. I like,
that's how like I don't know, man, I don't know
what you say? Head? What did you say?
Speaker 4 (07:46):
That's a that's a gutsy moved to do that, and
it's especially your sect two games in the year, first
year as a head coach.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I just you got to learn something about him? And
what did what did that show you? Manu? My first
year was here, I was new too, I was I'll
try to figure out everyth I don't know. I don't
know how outse at that hour. I don't not to
do that one.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
That's a in an ideal season. W what does Bryce
Young's ideal season look like?
Speaker 2 (08:08):
See him? Man? I would let that be a Bryce
Young deal, you know, cause we all have goals, we
all have we wanna do and uh, that's his I
I I I that's another man. I can't send noattention
on that man. I will say that I'm happy to
see his confidence. I'm happy to see him play the
way he played because then when I walked into the building,
I saw that and like I saw how good he was,
(08:30):
and like how he can throw football and hit anything
in his room. So he's he's he's he's talented as
as hell. So whatever you know he wanna do, he
got the pieces around him to h like try to
help go that. And you know we can do a
good job protecting him, and everybody else can come in
and and it's gonna take all eleven of us. So
we all play the right way. Bryce to do well,
Olana do well, Paths do well, everybody happy. You guys
(08:52):
do well at this. We all live a good at Charlotte.
And then we will remember that this season we got
the best jumper in the room jumper or post work.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
I know.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
You know, typically when we go play, we don't we
try out to bang cause we're the bigger guy than
and you know, if you start banging, they wanna get
physical cause they wanna shut they're you know what I mean.
They they men so they wannay, they wanna get physical,
and then they roll your anchor and then you get hurt.
And so what I do. I go out that spot up.
I miss a lot, but I make some as well.
So is that JT is a absolute freak. Can jump,
(09:25):
grab the ball, two hands, bring it back around. And
I'm not making this up when actually he's like three
hundred pounds and to do all that
Robert l last season, you kicked down the door and
you ultimately got that Pro Bowl that you were hoping for.
Can you just reflect on that experience and then what
what's it gonna take for you to uh repeat that?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
So repeat it. We'll probably have to win some games.
I hope we can do that. Gotta play well, play
better than I did last year. You know this y
every year's a different challenge in his own So a
lot of guys that come out of nowhere and get
it are a lot of guys that are the same
guys that play really well and get it. So, you know,
just gotta play be consistent, play well, help win games. Ultimately,
if we win a lot of games and win the
(00:43):
games we need to, maybe I don't go there, go somewhere,
you know, a little a little bigger. So that's that's that's.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Kind of go Or what about the experience was cool?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
The experience was fantastic.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Man.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
I really had a really good time there. That's a
really good they They they do a really good job
down there. It's really fun, very family, you know what
I mean, all the families there, and it's pretty much
about celebrating your season. Man, it's really what it felt like.
It felt like a celebration. You're not doing much of nothing,
if I'm being completely honest, you just really has been there.
You show on face and you do what you gotta
do obviously, like having fun playing games, which is great,
(01:15):
but it's mostly family time. Man. Everybody's family up by
the water, hanging out. Just it's a really good job.
They do a really good job with that.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
I've got a competition next to you at center. How
how do you find kind of chemistry with two guys
that you I mean, you've already worked with both of them,
but like throughout the summer, Like, how do you work
on getting.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
That chemistry down? You know, because I play with both
of them, I kind of know the tendencies of both guys. Uh,
So it is what it is, you know, you know,
I don't know. I let those guys compete with both
of them the best. You know, at the end of
the day, we're trying to win games, and you know
they both of those guys know that they're both capable
of playing it on any team in this lead. So, uh,
(01:53):
you got a step.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Robert, what's different about the vibe this year?
Speaker 2 (01:57):
When you came here last year. I think last year
was nobody knew you know what I mean, and including me.
I got into a situation here, you know, not not
really knowing what I was getting into. No, didn't know
much about Carolina, didn't know much about the Panthers, never
really watched them, kept up with them. But then getting
into the building, getting into the stadium and playing game stuff.
You see, you see, I don't know you you could
feel it, man, it's uh this this city, speaking for
(02:19):
the city, has a lot of hope. They want winners,
and you can feel it once it's kind of closed.
We like even if we want five games that year,
which is not great by any means, but it felt
like we were doing something great, you know what I mean,
because it's the city looking for it. So that Viobe
feels great, The team vibe feel great. I feel like
the teams feel that, and we all want to be
(02:40):
good man, no matter what it is. And uh yeah,
that's that, Robert.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
The Panthers are maybe a trendy pick among some folks
in the national media to be better than some people think.
How do you how do you manage positive expectations?
Speaker 2 (02:59):
No, I don't really to pay attention to I mean,
obviously we all see it if you watch like I'm
a sports and I got so I'll watch all that.
So I kep up with all that. But I mean,
at the end of the day, what what do you
expect as two before I got here? It was five
last year year before. I have no idea what it
was before that. I have no idea what it was.
I remember fifteen when Cam Newton was here, you know
what I mean. So that's kind of where everybody remember
(03:20):
and until that change, that's what you're probably gonna get.
And that's that's the fairst. I mean, if if I
sucked or if I did something terrible, you know what
I mean, And I would expect that, I would expect
people to not root for me. I'll vote for me
or have my back, you know what I mean, pushing me.
But what I can say and what I feel is, uh,
I'm excited to see if we can surprise a lot
(03:41):
of people. That's what I feel.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Having grown up somewhere else. I mean, you mentioned the
twenty fifteen season. Was that the first time like the
Panthers kind of got on.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Your radar twenty fifteen? Yeah, I grew up a Patriots fan,
man I grew up Patrists fans. I only care about
Tom Brady and that's it. Other iv Other than that,
I didn't really pay attention. Obviously I watched the game,
but it still didn't have m much meaning to me,
if I'm being completely honest. But yeah, I've what who
(04:11):
was surprising? People look play competing in winning games? Man, Well,
I think we all know what that mean.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I mean that cause they're prising people meaning I think personally, man,
I like what I see. You know what I mean?
And I obviously we gotta play some football here these
next couple of weeks, and we'll see how that feel
and look, and then we'll play other teams we'll see
how that feel and look. But uh, I think we
built the right way, man. I think we're physical. I
think we're big. I think we're nasty. We got new skills,
(04:39):
we got skills on defense. I think you know, I
mean new d line. I I just I don't know
for me personally, I'm not setting this expectations anything like that.
I'm just saying for me personally, I like, I think
I like what I cause I'm a I'm a guy
that's always back against the wall, Like I was a
two star athlete, went to a school graduate of eighteen kids.
I like to surprise people. Go when I walk in
the room, they don't know they oh, he went to
this here. Then I walk up and I show up
(04:59):
and then oh, you know what I mean. So that's
what I I love doing that. So hopefully and I
mean that I get chill speaking on it, Hopefully that
we can do that, man, cause I really feel.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
I like what I feel that the old line you
got all five starters backs and keep depth pieces as
well from a continuity same point, how important is that,
you know?
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Going into the second year with the team. That's awesome, man.
I mean I've never been a part of a room
that has retained everybody. Everybody came back like that's the
first time I've seen that in my career. So yeah,
it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Man.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
It just it just builds speaks for us. The guys
in the room. They mean, they believe in us. We
work hard, you know what I mean, and we we
trust each other. You know. Second year should be fun, man.
I mean, first year we all trying to get our
feet wet and just see what we're doing and doing that.
But now everybody's been back and we kind of know
the system a little bit. It'll be it'll be fun
all the same guys back, with all those guys back.
(05:49):
How does that help you as you go ahead? And Radon?
Can that help speed things up? Yeah? I mean this
second year in the system, so I think everybody besides
the rookies, I don't expect that. I never expect, you
know what I mean anything from Brita because it's it's
I get it as hard, but everybody else, man, that's
it's the second year, so you know, we get a
feel for it. And second year is always better than
the first year, obviously because you know what's going on.
(06:10):
So yeah, everybody's you know what I mean, nothing would
be ready thinking of the second year. Often did you
guys hang out together? It just kind of gel mini
camp instead. Again it's a team organized. Uh you know,
we don't got a couple of times and uh OTAs
we got together a couple of times. Actually more than more, Yeah,
more than a couple in Ota said, I was good
that five weeks, buddy, I was out of here, you know,
(06:30):
I mean, I'm sure everybody else was too. I'm not
young man. I got a little boy and all that
kind of stuff. I love he's guys, but like we're
hanging out, man, we're family enjoying my time. So uh yeah,
I still did hang out some guys though. I played
basketball with a couple of guys and stuff like that.
So sure people got together, but all of us not
a chance.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Think thinking of the second years they've can Holso the
second year you made him last year a rookie didn't
know much about him. What are you seeing different in him?
His approach and the way things.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
Well, I think he's the guy who he was last year.
You know, he's the Obviously he got better in certain
areas of his life, which I don't particularly know. But
what r I respect about him? And he is who
he is, you know what I mean, He's the same guy.
He's never changed. No, even when we're one in seven eight,
what it was, and when we won the last couple
of games and we had more metim gooy, he's the
same guy. So that's Dave's gonna be Dave. And that's
what I honestly respect about him. Because get hard, man,
(07:20):
people t typically turn to run or start doing different.
But he's, uh, he's been the same guy, and I
respect that. I mean, that's that's how I think a
lot of people want to be in their life.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
What you learn about him from the decision of bench
price last year.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Uh, I don't know about that. That's above my peg. Gary.
I mean you know that it's crazy, you know, you
my guy that that went through this ear and out
the of them. Like, I don't even know how to
answer that. Like I barely even heard it. I like,
that's how like I don't know, man, I don't know
what you say? Head? What did you say?
Speaker 4 (07:46):
That's a that's a gutsy moved to do that, and
it's especially your sect two games in the year, first
year as a head coach.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I just you got to learn something about him? And
what did what did that show you? Manu? My first
year was here, I was new too, I was I'll
try to figure out everyth I don't know. I don't
know how outse at that hour. I don't not to
do that one.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
That's a in an ideal season. W what does Bryce
Young's ideal season look like?
Speaker 2 (08:08):
See him? Man? I would let that be a Bryce
Young deal, you know, cause we all have goals, we
all have we wanna do and uh, that's his I
I I I that's another man. I can't send noattention
on that man. I will say that I'm happy to
see his confidence. I'm happy to see him play the
way he played because then when I walked into the building,
I saw that and like I saw how good he was,
(08:30):
and like how he can throw football and hit anything
in his room. So he's he's he's he's talented as
as hell. So whatever you know he wanna do, he
got the pieces around him to h like try to
help go that. And you know we can do a
good job protecting him, and everybody else can come in
and and it's gonna take all eleven of us. So
we all play the right way. Bryce to do well,
Olana do well, Paths do well, everybody happy. You guys
(08:52):
do well at this. We all live a good at Charlotte.
And then we will remember that this season we got
the best jumper in the room jumper or post work.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
I know.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
You know, typically when we go play, we don't we
try out to bang cause we're the bigger guy than
and you know, if you start banging, they wanna get
physical cause they wanna shut they're you know what I mean.
They they men so they wannay, they wanna get physical,
and then they roll your anchor and then you get hurt.
And so what I do. I go out that spot up.
I miss a lot, but I make some as well.
So is that JT is a absolute freak. Can jump,
(09:25):
grab the ball, two hands, bring it back around. And
I'm not making this up when actually he's like three
hundred pounds and to do all that
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