Panthers’ Bradley Bozeman’s ‘finally’ moment made even more special by wife’s backing
Bradley Bozeman snapped the ball to Carolina Panthers quarterback PJ Walker and took off.
The starting center leaned to his right as he pushed Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches to the side with ease, opening up a crease for running back D’Onta Foreman — who had just received a handoff — to slide through and pick up steam.
Bozeman watched as Foreman barreled through defenders all the way to the Tampa Bay 17-yard line, picking up 60 yards in the process. That was the kind of play that Bozeman and his wife, Nikki, dreamed of when they arrived in Charlotte in March.
“It was just one of those moments like, ‘Hey, this is going, let’s see what happens here,’” Bozeman said Monday. “Just kind of a little eye-opening moment. It’s kind of refreshing to know that we can do that and we can do those types of things. I think that’s a good way to jump start what we are doing and who we are.”
Bozeman signed a one-year deal with the Panthers in the offseason. The journey back south followed a four-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens, where Bozeman, a 2018 sixth-round pick from Alabama, worked his way up to becoming a full-time starter by his second season.
So, when pen hit paper with the Panthers, Bozeman was expecting to start for the new franchise. However, he knew he would face competition from incumbent starter Pat Elflein for the top center job.
After a tight battle during training camp, Bozeman sustained a left ankle injury during joint practices with the New England Patriots in August. That poor luck cost Bozeman the starting job, and Elflein would lead the offensive line for the first six games of the season.
During his time as a backup, Bozeman still prepared for games like he was a starter. He also became a mentor for sixth-round pick Cade Mays.
“At least for me, he brings a lot of experience and he’s kind of taken me under his wing, and kind of shown me his process,” Mays said. “I’ll ask him about stuff on the field and watching film, and he’s always got those answers and he is always willing to help.”
Elflein sustained a hip injury in the 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6. With that injury, things opened up for Bozeman.
The veteran blocker received a call from offensive line coach James Campen last Tuesday, and Bozeman was told that the starting center job was his moving forward.
It was a conversation that brought tears to the eyes of both Bozeman and his wife.
“It was a great afternoon for us,” Bozeman said. “We just sat there and kind of embraced each other. It was just such an amazing moment for us and just kind of a ‘finally’ moment, so it was great.”
Sunday’s 21-3 win against the Buccaneers couldn’t have gone better for Bozeman, who brought a tenacity to the Panthers’ running game, as the offense racked up 173 rushing yards and a touchdown. The line also pass blocked well, as Walker was only hit three times and sacked just once.
Fellow starter Austin Corbett says Bozeman played a key role in that success.
“I think (Bozeman’s) preparation and how he attacked every single week as a backup, allowed him to just be in there and not miss a beat,” Corbett said. “Elite communicating when he was in the meeting room — always on the same page — to when we were in there, we were able to just keep rolling like he had just been there the whole time.”
With Bozeman’s promotion to the starting lineup, Mays was also active for the first time in his career. Bozeman passed along some knowledge to the rookie ahead of the week of practice.
“Last week, he told me, ‘Things happen fast. Stuff that you wouldn’t expect to happen, always happens,’” Mays said. “And this week, I came in, and I’ve been playing a lot of right tackle, and last week was strictly playing a lot of center, playing a lot of guard with what happened (with injuries), and he looked at me after the first practice and was like, ‘Told you, stuff happens fast.’”
Following the big success of Week 7, Bozeman will get to settle in at center, calling the protections and barreling forward into defenders. His teammates have confidence in him, and he wants to do everything he can to deliver for them.
He credits Nikki for having his back as he competes to make the Panthers’ starting center job his permanent place in the NFL.
“Nikki is my backbone,” Bozeman said. “She always lifts me up when I’m down. She keeps me grounded when I’m real high. But it’s been great — we’re a team in this — when people say ‘me’, it’s really ‘we’, because she’s a part of it, more than anyone would ever know.”
This story was originally published October 24, 2022 at 5:12 PM.
