On fatherhood and replacing Luke Kuechly: 1-on-1 with the Panthers’ Tahir Whitehead
Panthers middle linebacker Tahir Whitehead knows that replacing a player like Luke Kuechly, who was one of the most loved players in franchise history, comes with pressure.
But Whitehead doesn’t feel it.
He said he’s focused on being himself, and a leader of a young defense. The Panthers’ defense will likely have its challenges this season under first-year head coach Matt Rhule. They are one of the youngest defenses in the NFL. And at 30, Whitehead is the second oldest player on the defense, behind Kawann Short, who is 31.
Whitehead, a father of four boys, previously played with the Las Vegas Raiders before being released this past offseason. He was also at Temple when Rhule was the offensive coordinator there.
During an interview with the Observer, Whitehead talked about getting adjusted to a new team, being a black father, and how his upbringing influenced who he is today.
How has it been getting adjusted to a new team?
Everything has been good. Obviously, not having an offseason and or having to do virtual things, it altered things, where you would normally build on that key aspect of camaraderie. But the virtual meetings definitely helped everybody kind of get used to guys and then it was really refreshing to finally get in the building and get around everybody and meet everyone face to face. I’m the type of guy, I like knowing my teammates, I like knowing the coaching staff, I like knowing who I’m going to be working closely with on a day to day. You want to learn about people. I go out of my way to make sure I try to talk to all of the teammates. Having training camp surrounding the pandemic, it’s been good getting around everybody.
You’ve been in a lot of different locker rooms, what does this locker room have and what will it take to get to where you need to be?
I think we are surprisingly, we’re very deep. We really have an understanding that we’re pulling in the same direction. As long as we’re doing that and we’re in a place to play defense the way we’re envisioning ourselves going. I actually think we’re right where we envision ourselves being at this point in time. Being two weeks out from the start of the season.
One thing you said earlier was that you didn’t really feel the pressure of having to replace Luke Kuechly. Has it been that way from the beginning? Or what did it take to get to that point?
It’s really been that way from the start. I’m me. At the end of the day, I can’t try to mold myself into Luke. The most I can do is make sure I’m where I need to be, do my job and lead the team as best I can, in the way I know how to do, which I’ve done for the past eight years on the teams I’ve been on. But with that being said, I still take advantage of having access to Luke. He’s one of the smartest guys to ever play the game. I’m always eager to still learn. There’s always things you can get better at. I ask him questions, breaking down the film. So I don’t have my mind wrapped around trying to replace Luke because he’s done a lot of great things here. Just me going out there and doing my job and making sure I’m leading the way I lead.
What’s one thing that gnaws at you when it’s quiet and you’re alone and driving to work?
For me, it’s my upbringing. I was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. They call it Brick City. Various urban, inner city areas around the country. It was just tough. You had to be aware of your surroundings, your whereabouts. Many people don’t make it out where I’m from. And I’ve lost friends when I was young. To me, I just ride and think about my life experiences that got me to this point. All of the trials and tribulations. I use that to keep me grounded. To really never get complacent, never get comfortable. There’s always something I feel I am chasing. I’m always looking to get better, as a person, as a father, as a husband, a son, a football player. In all shapes and forms. I use that time on the way in to keep me grounded, humble myself and try to figure out my purpose in life and always working towards that. That same energy I get transfers to the football field and I try to maximize every opportunity I get to be the best player I can be.
How has your upbringing influenced who you are as a father?
I love up on them every day. Obviously they can’t learn the same lessons I learned...For me, that took a toll on me, because it was like, how do I keep them down to earth, humble but yet hard-working and not making them lazy or complacent...So I just give them truth. I teach them anything in life worth having doesn’t come easy. So you’ve got to work for it. I have an 11-year-old, 6-year-old, a 3-year-old and a month old. Even down to my 3-year-old we’re starting to implement chores. My 6-year-old, I tell him, if you want this toy, what are you going to do to get this toy? How are you going to earn it?...
It really boils down to me not growing up with my dad.
I met my dad five years ago. It was all love. It was just a matter of my mom being strong-willed, she was just like, ‘I don’t need anybody...’ I ended up still being fine, but for me, not growing up with my dad and understanding at this point in my life how crucial that father figure, mentor, that day in and day out person in your life, I make sure I’m there every step of the way to give them life lessons.
I saw that you had studied criminal justice (at Temple) and one of your mentors was in law enforcement, so what are your conversations like with you children, based on what’s going on today?
It goes back to respect. Just be cautious. Don’t be fearful. Because when you’re fearful, you kind of slip up, you’re stumbling around, and police officers can view that as something is wrong. Why are you acting so nervous? And I feel like once you have that fear aspect it puts you in a weird space where you’re no longer yourself. No just treat them with respect. ‘Hey, good evening officer.’ Just be respectful in the way that person, in the way you would want one of your family members who was doing their job in law enforcement.
Even when they start to get hostile, because some times they do, don’t take the bait. Just roll down your windows. It’s unfortunate you’ve got to talk to them like that. You can’t have any slip ups...I just tell them to be respectful, make sure you kill them with kindness...Keep your cool. You can control what you can control. Then, you get your ticket, go on about that ticket and fight it. If they treated you in a manner in which you felt you shouldn’t have been treated, you take account of that ticket, get the badge number. You just want to be able to live to fight another day.
This story was originally published August 30, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
