Bryce Young may have been the star of Spartanburg on Wednesday, but he wasn’t the only Carolina Panthers player getting his first taste of an NFL training camp.
Rookie wide receiver Jonathan Mingo hit the podium for a few questions following his first practice for the Panthers at Wofford College. He spoke a bit about his budding connection with Young, one the second-round pick says is going well.
“It’s been goin’ real good,” he stated. “Just tryin’ to pick his brain, he’s tryin’ to pick mine. He’s tryin’ to get our timing down. I went out there to California with him for the offseason for one week to train with him. So we worked on our connection out there. Just try to pick his brain about the timing and what he’s tryin’ to do and what window he’s tryin’ to hit me in. So it’s goin’ pretty good.”
Mingo was then asked about what type of leader his fellow rookie is.
“He’s vocal,” Mingo replied. “Not vocal as most quarterbacks, but he always take the blame for everything. Some quarterbacks like to try to put the blame on others, but he’s always takin’ the blame for everything. Tryin’ to be a good guy. He talks to everybody. Sometimes you talk to him, you won’t even know he’s a quarterback on the team—just tryin’ to talk to you like you’re one of the guys. He’s a real good leader. He leads by example. He speaks when he needs to.”
Like Young, Mingo carries a unique confidence and swagger about himself. And whether it’s silent or cool, the two could be connecting on the same wavelength for years to come.
