Panthers' Harper pens essay about undefeated start
Carolina Panthers safety Roman Harper is relied upon for his veteran leadership, and he provided his expert insights on his team's undefeated start in an essay for The MMQB published Friday.
Harper won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints in 2009, with the club jumping out to a 13-0 record before losing their final three regular season games. The 10th-year pro compared that team to his current Panthers squad.
"We had a quarterback in New Orleans who, like Cam Newton, was on the cusp of being considered in the top tier of passers," Harper wrote. "But Drew Brees was putting up gaudy passing numbers, and Newton is doing things that, while no less gaudy, are far from traditional. I don't remember Drew doing a front flip over a defender to get into the end zone, or running QB power on third-and-10 for a first down. I also don't remember Drew being the center of a social media storm."
Harper commented on the dabbing phenomenon that Newton popularized, noting that the dance was brought into the cultural lexicon by trap superstars Migos months ago.
"When I think of the things that have changed the most since 2009, the way fans consume the game today leads the list. In 2015 they’re closer to the game than they've ever been," he wrote. "The platform for players created by Twitter and Instagram makes it possible for Cam Newton to take a months-old hip-hop dance move and turn it into a national craze shared by millions and broadcast into the homes of people who would have never otherwise heard of Migos or trap music."
With Harper gearing up for a second Super Bowl victory, he advised his teammates to stay the course.
"As young as we Carolina Panthers are, we've got to understand that none of this can be taken for granted. You've got to enjoy it and do all the little things you've always done, but do them better. When everyone tries to pull and tug at us, and the opponent is just as hungry as we are, we've got to lean on what got us here and what made us who we are."