Given how much Duce Staley was mentioned by his five colleagues in the five press conferences that preceded his, it was rather fitting that the former rusher and energetic “leader of men” was this week’s main event. And, boy, did he deliver.
The Carolina Panthers’ new assistant head coach and running backs coach took the lectern at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday, and he had the room rocking. He was asked, amongst a bevy of topics, what he thinks of the team’s current running backs.
“Haven’t gotten that far, but I can tell you firsthand—those dudes are real,” he said. “We came down here last year and got our ass whipped. Exactly what happened. Those guys were running up and down the field. And, of course, as a former running back, you love seeing running backs have success—not against us, of course—but you like seeing it.”
That day, which was headlined by a 37-23 win over Staley’s Detroit Lions, saw the Panthers break single-game franchise records for total yards (570) and rushing yards (320). The historic effort was led by D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard—who ran for career-highs with 165 yards and 125 yards, respectively.
Staley was also asked high how of a priority re-signing the soon-to-be free agent in Foreman will be.
“Super high, for me,” he said. “But my name ain’t Fitterer.”
And now that he’s on this side, Staley explained what excites him about these Panthers.
“It’s all about grit,” he stated. “And I just left a team in Detroit, that’s all about grit. I see a bunch of hungry men. And I can’t wait to get out there with ’em and go to war with ’em.
“One of the things for me when it comes to coaching—there’s a couple things. No. 1—putting them in position to make plays. That’s No. 1. No. 2 is getting them to run through a brick wall with me and not for me. ‘Cause I’ma be the first one to run through the brick wall. I’ma lead the charge.”
So, uh, does anyone else feel like putting on some pads with Staley right about now?
