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Vets Moving On by Jon Beason

pantherfan81

By pantherfan81,
in Carolina Panthers

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pantherfan81 Newbie

pantherfan81

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As a player just finishing his third season, though I feel old in terms of being a professional athlete, you realize just how young you are when the veteran guys you look up to are moving on.

It’s been quite an experience being around a group of veteran guys that includes Jake Delhomme, Brad Hoover, Julius Peppers, Maake Kemoeatu, Damione Lewis and Na’il Diggs. Those guys, in my opinion, were truly the face of the organization, right up there with John Kasay, the original Panther.

It’s tough for me to see them go. They made my job of playing football so much easier by sharing their wisdom, both on and off the field. While I was close with all of them, of course losing the guys on the defensive side of the ball really hurt. Na’il is like a big brother to me. I really look up to him and I’m in awe of his professionalism, his ability to be consistent and, more importantly, the husband and father he is to his family. Na’il and Damione are both great examples to a young guy of what a father and husband should be.

Those guys are also my neighbors. Their kids call me Uncle Beas.

So it’s definitely a tough pill to swallow knowing they won’t be out there with me on Sundays, having fun and going to war to try to win a football game.

I’m confident that all of them will land on their feet elsewhere. Each of those guys has a lot to bring to an organization that is a player or two away from getting over the hump. It’s just sad that it never came to fruition with them here in Carolina.

So as a veteran leader of this team heading into the 2010 season, what do I do? One, I trust in the organization and the coaching staff that they are making the best decisions for the team, and two, come to work with my hard hat on, ready to work to be better than ever before. That’s the most important thing you can do for a team that’s going to be so young. Our oldest skill-position player is Steve Smith and he’s only 30.

Going young is not necessarily a bad thing. I’m sure it’s all part of a master plan, and I have faith in Coach Fox and everyone else in the organization who is involved in the decision-making process.

It was funny when I talked to the guys who were let go. I was upset after they were released, but they all assured me that it’s part of the business and that everyone has to deal with it someday, no matter how great you were or think you are. They’re content with the fact that they know they gave it their all, did the best they could to help the Carolina Panthers win football games, and they’ll bounce back.

In terms of Jake Delhomme, he’s one of those teammates that you always want to do well, a guy you definitely want on your football team. He has those intangibles that make professional athletes who they are, what makes them special. Jake is a warrior, a competitor. One thing I always appreciated about Jake was that he was honest and genuinely wanted to win. Every snap, every day in practice, whether he was rehabbing an injury or preparing to win on Sundays, he always had the same philosophy. Jake always gave it everything he had, he played with guts and played with his heart on his sleeve. The QB position is rare in terms of the evaluation process. There are quarterbacks who can throw, quarterbacks who are great athletes and can run, quarterbacks who are smart and have all the intangibles, but the No. 1 factor in choosing a quarterback is the IT factor, and every quarterback doesn’t have it. Simply put, they know how to win. In any sport, that in itself is more important than gold, and Jake has it.

It’s sad to see him go, but I know he’s going to land on his feet like he always has. He’s overcome bigger obstacles before.

More than anything, next season should be special in terms of all the new faces that will be in front of me. The coaches are going to find guys who want to win and compete, and once they do that, then it’s up to us to be exceptional and special.

I just had a conversation with Thomas Davis, who is working extremely hard to come back from his ACL injury. In my eyes, we can be the best linebacker tandem in the NFL. He was a safety in college and converted to linebacker here, and I think last year he was just turning the corner before he was injured. He got to the point where he understood the position so well that he could just go out there and be a football player, not have to think at all.

To me, I expect every guy on this team and everybody affiliated with the organization to go out and try to be exceptional. The last two years have been glaring to me in terms of the teams that played in and won the Super Bowl. It’s very fresh in my mind that the team we should have beaten twice this year won the Super Bowl, and I’m asking myself, why them and not us? The answer is simple: as a whole, as a group collectively, the Saints decided to go out and win the Super Bowl and they did that. The year before it was the Arizona Cardinals, they went 8-8 but made it to the Super Bowl, and again, I’m asking myself, why them and not us?

Really, the focal point for me is to do what we have to do to get it done. We’re good enough. We’ve got to have that mentality moving forward, going into the preseason and then into every regular-season game.

http://www.playerpress.com/articles/vets-moving-on

He finally broke his silence. I think that Captain patch will suit him just fine.

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AceMan Proficient

AceMan

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It’s tough for me to see them go. They made my job of playing football so much easier by sharing their wisdom, both on and off the field. While I was close with all of them, of course losing the guys on the defensive side of the ball really hurt. Na’il is like a big brother to me. I really look up to him and I’m in awe of his professionalism, his ability to be consistent and, more importantly, the husband and father he is to his family. Na’il and Damione are both great examples to a young guy of what a father and husband should be.

Those guys are also my neighbors. Their kids call me Uncle Beas.

This part made me sad for a moment.

But man...do I have a mancrush on Beason. Said everything I wanted to hear from a leader on this team.

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