November 27, 2024 • 15 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 J-Stew sits down with former Panthers quarterback, Steve Beuerlein.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're the thirteenth pick in the two thousand and eight
NFL drafts. Karen Lanson half their select.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Jonathan Stewart gets to Stewart, he leads touched up Stewart
oh Rough tough right.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Angry man out at elbows, knees.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Stewart hesitates, accelerates.
Speaker 5 (00:13):
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Fit the spass ball football contain Stuart Kyt running around, Stewart,
jump over a tackler at the tenth flows up Laura's
his shoulder, keeps running.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
No one will touch him.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Jonathan Stewart, how does it you talk about explosive plays
in the run game. It's like the fourth of July
round here right now.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
You are listening to Stu and the Crew. Now to
Jonathan Stewart's and Jeremy Kelly. Welcome back to another episode
of Stu and the Crew. We're excited for this special
guest joining us today. A fourth round selection in the
nineteen eighty seven NFL Draft by the La Raiders, where
(00:53):
you would spend four seasons before becoming the first overall
pick in the nineteen ninety five expansion Draft by the
Jacksonville Jaguars. This signal caller made his way to the Carolinas,
playing for the Panthers from nineteen ninety six to two thousand,
where he surely made his mark. During five years for
the Carolina Panthers, Steve burrlines set nearly every passing record
(01:17):
and some that still stand today. Ladies and gentlemen, please
welcome Jonathan Stewart and Steve Berline.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
How does a knee transplant? How does that actually feel?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Well, you know, it's kind of hard to explain how
it feels, but you know, in general, walking around, it
feels pretty not much different. But like if I were
to get down and kneel down right now, it's the
weirdest thing in the world. And I've gotten used to
it because I've had you know, the new knee for
about a year and a half now. But when I
(01:52):
kneel down, I can't feel anything on this knee. Wow,
So it's kind of like it just feels like dead,
you know. And this knee feels normal when I kneel down,
So it's just weird some of the nerves yet, but
I feel touch and I you know, it doesn't feel
much different when I'm you know, from one leg to
the other. As far as the just touching it. But
(02:14):
when I when I kneel down on it, it's weirdest thing.
It's like you don't feel anything right, and it's not painful,
but you you kind of favor it because it's like
you don't feel like you're on your knee right.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
So it's weird.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
But but I'll tell you it's life change and all
these and I'm able to play golf and do all
the things, work out, do all the things I want
to do, uh that I could not do until I
had these joints replaced.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
So each one.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Of them is debilitating, you know when you get to
that point and pray that you don't have to and.
Speaker 6 (02:47):
Trying to stay I'm trying my best to stay as
active as possible.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
It's important.
Speaker 6 (02:51):
I'm thirty seven. And the phrase if you don't use it,
you lose it. Sure, I'm going to try to use
it every.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Single day, one hundred percent accurate.
Speaker 6 (02:59):
But because when I was because when I retired, I
took a year and I was like, I'm not doing
anything right.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
My body started hurting.
Speaker 6 (03:06):
Yeah, and I was like, it's true, I gotta start lifting,
I gotta do my cardio.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Figure that out.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
So you don't want to get out of control. But
so I retired at thirty eight. Okay, okay, So I
was playing till I was thirty eight, taking a.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
Beating at my age. Right now I'm thirty seven.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, and you've been at how many years? But a
running back is different, obviously, I mean, but.
Speaker 5 (03:29):
You were getting pretty beat up sixty two.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
So oh, I got beatn I got I couldn't move
too well.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
So I always said, you know, don't feel sorry for
me because I'm not a mobile guy. So if you're
not very mobile and you want to you want to
survive in the NFL, you better be able to take
a hit because you're gonna get hit. Yeah, you're gonna
get hit. And back in those days, quarterbacks really got hit,
as you know.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
But well, you moved pretty good on that quarterback sneak.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Do not call it a quarterback sneak. What it was
a quarterback draw quarterbacks, It was not the yard line.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
It was definitely a quarterback drop.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
But you three steps and that I ran and I
into the I.
Speaker 6 (04:10):
So you can watch I've watched, I've watched a bunch
of the interviews that you've done about that. And I
thought to myself. I'm going to actually do something opposite.
I'm going to tell him that he snuck it.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
In that that is that's an insult. That was I
took that to the house.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
No, that was awesome.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
That was an amazing time.
Speaker 6 (04:32):
Like, tell me about you know, obviously we all know
about the nineteen ninety nine season, and you know the
players and all that.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
I want to know, like what stood out that year.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
Specifically compared to all the other years and all the
different teams that you played on. I mean, you have
the Dallas Cowboys where you placed Troy Aikman in the
playoffs and all those those measurements, and all of a
sudden you come to the Carolina Panther and you explode.
You know, thrown for four thousand yards plus, Like what
(05:07):
about when it was hard to throw for four It
was hard especially that right right a different.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
League, different league, different game.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Right now, you probably throw for ten thousand.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Yards maybe I think maybe a little bit higher.
Speaker 6 (05:18):
I'm living in La La Land a little bit. But
what was so different about that team?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Well, there were a few things that that really jump
out at me. You know, personally, what it meant to
me that year was kind of the validation of what
I knew I could do if I was given the opportunity.
And yes, I had been a starting quarterback at different
points during my career, probably fifty percent of my career,
(05:46):
but but I had never been in a situation where
I was the clear cut starting quarterback and the team
understood that the organization had made that public statement, the
commitment to me. Even though George Seaffert it was his
first year there, I don't think he really believed in me.
(06:08):
He didn't think that I would be able to do
it at the level that I was able to do it.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
And you know, it was validation for me.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
So I really appreciated that opportunity more than anything. I
was like, I knew I could do it if I
was just given that opportunity.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
And you know, that year was a crazy year. You know,
Ray Caruth, that Ray Caru.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Thing happened four games end of that year, and none
of us knew how that was going to play out.
You know, it was a huge national story, not positive
for the Panthers. And we had a guy named Patrick
Jeffers that stepped in. He was our third guy. He
became our starter, and he was on the other side
of the field from Mussin Muhammad and Moose was going
(06:48):
into his second year in the NFL and was really
just trying to learn how to play still at this level.
And Patrick Jeffers nobody knew who he was. And then
our third wide receiver became a guy named Donald Hayes,
who was a draft choice that year at.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
The University of Wisconsin. Nobody kne who he was, and
so here we go.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
We have these three wide receivers, and of course we
had Wesley Walls. And what I did, I just remember
grat gathering everybody up and just saying, you know what,
I want you all to know that I am going
to give you opportunities to make plays. I'm gonna go
where my red takes me. I'm not gonna worry about
who's over there. I know that if I do my
(07:26):
job and get the ball to where you guys are
or where it's expected to be, you're gonna be there.
You're gonna make the place. So I don't want any
of you to ever think that you're not in my
thought process. Run your routes and expect the football my
read takes me to you. I'm going I'm gonna give
it to I'm gonna give you a chance to make plays.
And Patrick Jeffers started only twelve games at you that
(07:48):
was back when we had sixteen games. Ray Caruth the
first four games he was the guy, and then Patrick
started twelve end up the season with twelve touchdowns about
twelve hundred yards. Wesley Wallas ended up with twelve touchdowns
that year, Musim Muhammad had eight or nine. And uh,
you know, we just we just threw the heck out
of the ball.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
We had to. We were in a shootout pretty much
every week.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Yeah, I think, you know, you probably wouldn't have appreciated
this very much, but I think we only ran the
ball maybe fourteen or fifteen times a game the whole year.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
That was our average. We were throwing it almost every down.
Speaker 6 (08:25):
And that because guys were getting ahead on you guys
or what you.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
You would have to talk to George Seffert about that.
I don't know what the thought process was, but he,
you know, he loved the creativity that goes into the
passing game.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
And we had an offensive coordinator.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Gil Haskell was the first time offensive coordinator and he
was just I still believe he was kind of I
love Gil and I think he was a great coach,
but I think he was just kind of closing his
eyes and picking a play and they were just coming
up for us, and guys were making plays, and you know,
it was most of the time it was a shootout
kind of scenario. We were trailing, or we were you know,
(09:05):
we had to come back and score lately, who knows,
But we threw the ball a lot.
Speaker 6 (09:10):
And how important was Wesley Walls to your success?
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Huge?
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Huge, And and I'd been here a couple of years before,
so I'd gotten to know Wesley. And when Carrie Collins
was a quarterback, there were there were several games that
I had started and played over the previous three years
that you know, I'd gotten a relationship with Wesley and
(09:36):
the other guys out there on the field. So I
knew what an asset Wesley Walls was, and so I
knew that I always had that security blanket of him
on the inside, and if he ever was singled up
or f it was ever his own coverage, I knew
he was going to give me a place to put
that ball. So I I I took advantage of that
a lot.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
Yeah, I talked to Wesley Walls about you the other
day because we were at we were at an event
at the stadium, and it was just awesome to kind
of hear him talk about you and just him being
excited to see you coming back into town.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Just talk about like how.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
Important it is to stay connected to your teammates, especially
the ones that you have relationships with and have had
these moments of connection.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
You know, it's really cool.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
And I always say this, you know, I wish that
life would allow us to keep those relationships that we
had during those most incredible years of our lives that
you know, I was fortunate to play seventeen years, had
so many great friends and guys that I wish I
(10:47):
was able to keep up with and keep in touch with.
But you know, life happens, and you get family, you
get kids, and you everybody get their own lives going,
and people kind of go different directions. And I've always
been really I get I get kind of sad about
that part of what happens, because, as you know, Jonathan,
those bonds are so strong, you know, and especially on teams,
(11:10):
it's those special teams that are really close. And you know,
I've been able to maintain that relationship with Wesley and uh,
you know, it's it's always so great to be able
to reconnect with those special relationships guys that you had
and just relive those moments because what we what we
did was so cool to have the opportunities we had
(11:33):
to to to live out the dreams of every young boy,
pretty much every young boy in America. To to be
able to live that dream out and play in that
stage and have success and experience those highs and the
lows that bring you closer together as a team. You know,
you can't find that anywhere else. And and uh, I
love being able to reconnect with Moose and with all
(11:56):
my different teammates that we're going to be able to
connect with here this week, just to be able to
relive those moments because they were amazing.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Yeah, can you.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
Share with me one of your favorite Panther moments that's
not game related?
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Panther moments that's not game related? That's a good question, man,
Panther moments not game related? Oh, there's probably I have
to really, you caught me off guard with that one earlier. Yeah,
you should have given me another time to think about this.
I will, I would, Yeah, I would say not game related,
(12:36):
So I meaning not during the course of a game. Yeah, okay,
I would say, you know, we we played the Green
Bay Packers UH in the NFC Championship my first year
here in nineteen ninety six, and this is kind of
(12:56):
a sad moment, but I think back of all the
different they know, different experiences during during the course of
the time here, and we had lost that game and
it was freezing. It was I think that day with
the wind chill it was twenty five below twenty five
to thirty below somewhere in that neighborhood. And we just
(13:17):
didn't have it that day. And you know a lot
of the guys went out there without sleeves on, you know,
trying to be tough, and everybody's going there showing the
guns and everything else. And you do that in lambeau Field,
you know, that's that's that's asking a lot in January.
And I remember getting on the plane after that game
and everybody was down and we were disappointed, and Lamar
(13:39):
Lathan sat down. You know, they never had we had
enough seats to where we didn't have to sit side
by side, but he sat down one seat away from me,
and so he was the closest guy to me and
he sits there in Lamar. I don't if you remember
Lamar Lathan, but Lamar was Kevin Green was on one side,
Lamar Lathan was on the other. They called himself Salt
(14:00):
and Pepper, and they brought it in that three four
defense off the edge, and they were as good a
pass rushing duo as anybody in the NFL at that time.
And Lamar was a freak. I mean he was a specimen,
you know, like a shorter Julius Peppers. Yeah, yeah, not
quite as tall, but he had that physique that it
was just like, you know, he would intimidate just by
(14:22):
showing up, you know. And he came in, sat down
on that plane and he puts his head down and
kind of closes his eyes and takes a deep breath,
and then all of a sudden, he just broke down
crying and just just started just crying and just I
mean sobbing. And I leaned over and I grabbed his arm.
I was like, dude, I said, what are you okay?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
You all right?
Speaker 2 (14:43):
He looks at me and he goes berline. It was
so cold out there, It was so cold. I don't
know how how did we survived that game? I should
have worn sleeves. It was so cold. And I just
remember that moment, you know, you think about those just
those little conversations that you have, those key points. And
(15:05):
I was worried about him because I thought he was
just kind of breaking down. Now, obviously he was disappointed
because of the loss, but just I didn't expect him.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
To say it was so cold out there.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
That was his way of saying he was pissed.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Yeah, I did that.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I could have made a difference if I would have maybe,
you know, done it a different way. And that's what
champions do, right. We all know that that when you
when you come up short, you think, you know, the
real champions look at themselves instead of looking an important
things saying this is why we lost. What could I
have done that would have made a difference? How could
I have made a difference in that game?
Speaker 6 (15:39):
So well, man, thanks for your time. That was awesome
hearing your stories.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
You got you got it and anytime, Jonathan, thank you, buddy.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I appreciate that takes one to know one
We're the thirteenth pick in the two thousand and eight
NFL drafts. Karen Lanson half their select.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Jonathan Stewart gets to Stewart, he leads touched up Stewart
oh Rough tough right.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Angry man out at elbows, knees.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Stewart hesitates, accelerates.
Speaker 5 (00:13):
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Fit the spass ball football contain Stuart Kyt running around, Stewart,
jump over a tackler at the tenth flows up Laura's
his shoulder, keeps running.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
No one will touch him.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Jonathan Stewart, how does it you talk about explosive plays
in the run game. It's like the fourth of July
round here right now.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
You are listening to Stu and the Crew. Now to
Jonathan Stewart's and Jeremy Kelly. Welcome back to another episode
of Stu and the Crew. We're excited for this special
guest joining us today. A fourth round selection in the
nineteen eighty seven NFL Draft by the La Raiders, where
(00:53):
you would spend four seasons before becoming the first overall
pick in the nineteen ninety five expansion Draft by the
Jacksonville Jaguars. This signal caller made his way to the Carolinas,
playing for the Panthers from nineteen ninety six to two thousand,
where he surely made his mark. During five years for
the Carolina Panthers, Steve burrlines set nearly every passing record
(01:17):
and some that still stand today. Ladies and gentlemen, please
welcome Jonathan Stewart and Steve Berline.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
How does a knee transplant? How does that actually feel?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Well, you know, it's kind of hard to explain how
it feels, but you know, in general, walking around, it
feels pretty not much different. But like if I were
to get down and kneel down right now, it's the
weirdest thing in the world. And I've gotten used to
it because I've had you know, the new knee for
about a year and a half now. But when I
(01:52):
kneel down, I can't feel anything on this knee. Wow,
So it's kind of like it just feels like dead,
you know. And this knee feels normal when I kneel down,
So it's just weird some of the nerves yet, but
I feel touch and I you know, it doesn't feel
much different when I'm you know, from one leg to
the other. As far as the just touching it. But
(02:14):
when I when I kneel down on it, it's weirdest thing.
It's like you don't feel anything right, and it's not painful,
but you you kind of favor it because it's like
you don't feel like you're on your knee right.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
So it's weird.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
But but I'll tell you it's life change and all
these and I'm able to play golf and do all
the things, work out, do all the things I want
to do, uh that I could not do until I
had these joints replaced.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
So each one.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Of them is debilitating, you know when you get to
that point and pray that you don't have to and.
Speaker 6 (02:47):
Trying to stay I'm trying my best to stay as
active as possible.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
It's important.
Speaker 6 (02:51):
I'm thirty seven. And the phrase if you don't use it,
you lose it. Sure, I'm going to try to use
it every.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Single day, one hundred percent accurate.
Speaker 6 (02:59):
But because when I was because when I retired, I
took a year and I was like, I'm not doing
anything right.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
My body started hurting.
Speaker 6 (03:06):
Yeah, and I was like, it's true, I gotta start lifting,
I gotta do my cardio.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Figure that out.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
So you don't want to get out of control. But
so I retired at thirty eight. Okay, okay, So I
was playing till I was thirty eight, taking a.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
Beating at my age. Right now I'm thirty seven.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Yeah, and you've been at how many years? But a
running back is different, obviously, I mean, but.
Speaker 5 (03:29):
You were getting pretty beat up sixty two.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
So oh, I got beatn I got I couldn't move
too well.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
So I always said, you know, don't feel sorry for
me because I'm not a mobile guy. So if you're
not very mobile and you want to you want to
survive in the NFL, you better be able to take
a hit because you're gonna get hit. Yeah, you're gonna
get hit. And back in those days, quarterbacks really got hit,
as you know.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
But well, you moved pretty good on that quarterback sneak.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Do not call it a quarterback sneak. What it was
a quarterback draw quarterbacks, It was not the yard line.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
It was definitely a quarterback drop.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
But you three steps and that I ran and I
into the I.
Speaker 6 (04:10):
So you can watch I've watched, I've watched a bunch
of the interviews that you've done about that. And I
thought to myself. I'm going to actually do something opposite.
I'm going to tell him that he snuck it.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
In that that is that's an insult. That was I
took that to the house.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
No, that was awesome.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
That was an amazing time.
Speaker 6 (04:32):
Like, tell me about you know, obviously we all know
about the nineteen ninety nine season, and you know the
players and all that.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
I want to know, like what stood out that year.
Speaker 6 (04:44):
Specifically compared to all the other years and all the
different teams that you played on. I mean, you have
the Dallas Cowboys where you placed Troy Aikman in the
playoffs and all those those measurements, and all of a
sudden you come to the Carolina Panther and you explode.
You know, thrown for four thousand yards plus, Like what
(05:07):
about when it was hard to throw for four It
was hard especially that right right a different.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
League, different league, different game.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Right now, you probably throw for ten thousand.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Yards maybe I think maybe a little bit higher.
Speaker 6 (05:18):
I'm living in La La Land a little bit. But
what was so different about that team?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Well, there were a few things that that really jump
out at me. You know, personally, what it meant to
me that year was kind of the validation of what
I knew I could do if I was given the opportunity.
And yes, I had been a starting quarterback at different
points during my career, probably fifty percent of my career,
(05:46):
but but I had never been in a situation where
I was the clear cut starting quarterback and the team
understood that the organization had made that public statement, the
commitment to me. Even though George Seaffert it was his
first year there, I don't think he really believed in me.
(06:08):
He didn't think that I would be able to do
it at the level that I was able to do it.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
And you know, it was validation for me.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
So I really appreciated that opportunity more than anything. I
was like, I knew I could do it if I
was just given that opportunity.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
And you know, that year was a crazy year. You know,
Ray Caruth, that Ray Caru.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Thing happened four games end of that year, and none
of us knew how that was going to play out.
You know, it was a huge national story, not positive
for the Panthers. And we had a guy named Patrick
Jeffers that stepped in. He was our third guy. He
became our starter, and he was on the other side
of the field from Mussin Muhammad and Moose was going
(06:48):
into his second year in the NFL and was really
just trying to learn how to play still at this level.
And Patrick Jeffers nobody knew who he was. And then
our third wide receiver became a guy named Donald Hayes,
who was a draft choice that year at.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
The University of Wisconsin. Nobody kne who he was, and
so here we go.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
We have these three wide receivers, and of course we
had Wesley Walls. And what I did, I just remember
grat gathering everybody up and just saying, you know what,
I want you all to know that I am going
to give you opportunities to make plays. I'm gonna go
where my red takes me. I'm not gonna worry about
who's over there. I know that if I do my
(07:26):
job and get the ball to where you guys are
or where it's expected to be, you're gonna be there.
You're gonna make the place. So I don't want any
of you to ever think that you're not in my
thought process. Run your routes and expect the football my
read takes me to you. I'm going I'm gonna give
it to I'm gonna give you a chance to make plays.
And Patrick Jeffers started only twelve games at you that
(07:48):
was back when we had sixteen games. Ray Caruth the
first four games he was the guy, and then Patrick
started twelve end up the season with twelve touchdowns about
twelve hundred yards. Wesley Wallas ended up with twelve touchdowns
that year, Musim Muhammad had eight or nine. And uh,
you know, we just we just threw the heck out
of the ball.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
We had to. We were in a shootout pretty much
every week.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Yeah, I think, you know, you probably wouldn't have appreciated
this very much, but I think we only ran the
ball maybe fourteen or fifteen times a game the whole year.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
That was our average. We were throwing it almost every down.
Speaker 6 (08:25):
And that because guys were getting ahead on you guys
or what you.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
You would have to talk to George Seffert about that.
I don't know what the thought process was, but he,
you know, he loved the creativity that goes into the
passing game.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
And we had an offensive coordinator.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Gil Haskell was the first time offensive coordinator and he
was just I still believe he was kind of I
love Gil and I think he was a great coach,
but I think he was just kind of closing his
eyes and picking a play and they were just coming
up for us, and guys were making plays, and you know,
it was most of the time it was a shootout
kind of scenario. We were trailing, or we were you know,
(09:05):
we had to come back and score lately, who knows,
But we threw the ball a lot.
Speaker 6 (09:10):
And how important was Wesley Walls to your success?
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Huge?
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Huge, And and I'd been here a couple of years before,
so I'd gotten to know Wesley. And when Carrie Collins
was a quarterback, there were there were several games that
I had started and played over the previous three years
that you know, I'd gotten a relationship with Wesley and
(09:36):
the other guys out there on the field. So I
knew what an asset Wesley Walls was, and so I
knew that I always had that security blanket of him
on the inside, and if he ever was singled up
or f it was ever his own coverage, I knew
he was going to give me a place to put
that ball. So I I I took advantage of that
a lot.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
Yeah, I talked to Wesley Walls about you the other
day because we were at we were at an event
at the stadium, and it was just awesome to kind
of hear him talk about you and just him being
excited to see you coming back into town.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Just talk about like how.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
Important it is to stay connected to your teammates, especially
the ones that you have relationships with and have had
these moments of connection.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
You know, it's really cool.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
And I always say this, you know, I wish that
life would allow us to keep those relationships that we
had during those most incredible years of our lives that
you know, I was fortunate to play seventeen years, had
so many great friends and guys that I wish I
(10:47):
was able to keep up with and keep in touch with.
But you know, life happens, and you get family, you
get kids, and you everybody get their own lives going,
and people kind of go different directions. And I've always
been really I get I get kind of sad about
that part of what happens, because, as you know, Jonathan,
those bonds are so strong, you know, and especially on teams,
(11:10):
it's those special teams that are really close. And you know,
I've been able to maintain that relationship with Wesley and uh,
you know, it's it's always so great to be able
to reconnect with those special relationships guys that you had
and just relive those moments because what we what we
did was so cool to have the opportunities we had
(11:33):
to to to live out the dreams of every young boy,
pretty much every young boy in America. To to be
able to live that dream out and play in that
stage and have success and experience those highs and the
lows that bring you closer together as a team. You know,
you can't find that anywhere else. And and uh, I
love being able to reconnect with Moose and with all
(11:56):
my different teammates that we're going to be able to
connect with here this week, just to be able to
relive those moments because they were amazing.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
Yeah, can you.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
Share with me one of your favorite Panther moments that's
not game related?
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Panther moments that's not game related? That's a good question, man,
Panther moments not game related? Oh, there's probably I have
to really, you caught me off guard with that one earlier. Yeah,
you should have given me another time to think about this.
I will, I would, Yeah, I would say not game related,
(12:36):
So I meaning not during the course of a game. Yeah, okay,
I would say, you know, we we played the Green
Bay Packers UH in the NFC Championship my first year
here in nineteen ninety six, and this is kind of
(12:56):
a sad moment, but I think back of all the
different they know, different experiences during during the course of
the time here, and we had lost that game and
it was freezing. It was I think that day with
the wind chill it was twenty five below twenty five
to thirty below somewhere in that neighborhood. And we just
(13:17):
didn't have it that day. And you know a lot
of the guys went out there without sleeves on, you know,
trying to be tough, and everybody's going there showing the
guns and everything else. And you do that in lambeau Field,
you know, that's that's that's asking a lot in January.
And I remember getting on the plane after that game
and everybody was down and we were disappointed, and Lamar
(13:39):
Lathan sat down. You know, they never had we had
enough seats to where we didn't have to sit side
by side, but he sat down one seat away from me,
and so he was the closest guy to me and
he sits there in Lamar. I don't if you remember
Lamar Lathan, but Lamar was Kevin Green was on one side,
Lamar Lathan was on the other. They called himself Salt
(14:00):
and Pepper, and they brought it in that three four
defense off the edge, and they were as good a
pass rushing duo as anybody in the NFL at that time.
And Lamar was a freak. I mean he was a specimen,
you know, like a shorter Julius Peppers. Yeah, yeah, not
quite as tall, but he had that physique that it
was just like, you know, he would intimidate just by
(14:22):
showing up, you know. And he came in, sat down
on that plane and he puts his head down and
kind of closes his eyes and takes a deep breath,
and then all of a sudden, he just broke down
crying and just just started just crying and just I
mean sobbing. And I leaned over and I grabbed his arm.
I was like, dude, I said, what are you okay?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
You all right?
Speaker 2 (14:43):
He looks at me and he goes berline. It was
so cold out there, It was so cold. I don't
know how how did we survived that game? I should
have worn sleeves. It was so cold. And I just
remember that moment, you know, you think about those just
those little conversations that you have, those key points. And
(15:05):
I was worried about him because I thought he was
just kind of breaking down. Now, obviously he was disappointed
because of the loss, but just I didn't expect him.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
To say it was so cold out there.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
That was his way of saying he was pissed.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Yeah, I did that.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
I could have made a difference if I would have maybe,
you know, done it a different way. And that's what
champions do, right. We all know that that when you
when you come up short, you think, you know, the
real champions look at themselves instead of looking an important
things saying this is why we lost. What could I
have done that would have made a difference? How could
I have made a difference in that game?
Speaker 6 (15:39):
So well, man, thanks for your time. That was awesome
hearing your stories.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
You got you got it and anytime, Jonathan, thank you, buddy.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I appreciate that takes one to know one
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