Competition Fuels Jake Delhomme

by Andy Little

While recently talking with Carolina Panthers wide receiver Drew Carter, I asked him to name the first few leaders on this team that came to mind. His first response was, “Jake Delhomme. He’s definitely a leader and he’s our guy.”

I have probably asked half the offensive starters this question over the past two seasons and Jake Delhomme has been the first player named every time. Sometimes players may think through a question or answer one slowly, but the answer to the question about leaders on the team is always quick and easy. After Jake is named, I then ask what it is about him that made them say his name first. Those answers are also easy for the players who have fought with him on the field over the past few years. Drew Carter went on to say this about Delhomme:

“He’s a competitor. He gets you fired up-I’m sure you can tell on the sidelines from TV the way his antics and he just makes you want to win. He comes in the huddle and he might even crack a joke just to make you feel more comfortable but he’s definitely a leader and gets you relaxed and ready to play.”

The key word in the above statement is competitor.

Delhomme has never had the strongest arm, made the best runs, or made the best decision with every throw, but you get his best every Sunday. Delhomme stands on the edge of failure every Sunday either by being down or engaged in a close game, but never backs down. A competitor won’t back down, and even though they may lose they still know they did their best and didn’t give up.

Competitors hate to lose. Delhomme has won nearly sixty percent of his starts since taking over as the Panthers quarterback. The NFL has players that do quit. Some would rather quit than go through what it takes to keep up your spirits and fight it out. Keeping a positive attitude is easier if you have a competitive nature. Even if you don’t win every game, you can win by staying in the game and giving your all. Delhomme usually saves his best for last-his fourth quarter rating is higher than his overall rating for his career. Only a handful of quarterbacks can boast his number of games won in the fourth quarter over the past few years. And the players know this.

They look to him as their leader in close games. They follow him because they know he may somehow pull out a win at the end like so many other times over the years. Being a leader means keeping the ship steady and keeping everyone focused on the goal. It means raising the level of play of everyone else around you to make them better. A true leader can get more out of everyone else than average.

Delhomme will only take up a small part of the $100+ million salary cap this season, but his competitive play and leadership will impact how they fare more than any other player on the team.