Panthers’ Bradley Bozeman jumps head first into fatherhood following whirlwind offseason
Bradley Bozeman adopted a new morning routine during the offseason program.
Before heading to work to block for Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young in practice, the veteran lineman would take part in his new favorite pastime: cuddling with his infant son, Brody.
“It’s awesome to wake up, start your day (and) see him,” Bozeman said. “He’s getting to the point now where he’s reaching out. You put your arms out for him, and he reaches back out and wants you to grab him. And it’s just so heart-filling — it’s just such a great way to start your morning — start your day off, really.”
Bozeman will celebrate his first Father’s Day on Sunday following a whirlwind offseason that included the early birth of his son, three moves, and the signing of a long-term contract with the Panthers. With his wife, Nikki, by his side, Bozeman has had to adapt to a lot of change this offseason, but when the 28-year-old lineman returns home from work every day, he’s reminded that all of moments added up to a special time in his life.
“Mine and Nikki’s motto is they’re good problems to have,” Bozeman said. “Like they are great problems to have to be in the position we’re in — to be able to pick up and move to come here, to be able to do the things that we’re doing, to be playing in the NFL. And that’s kind of our mindset, we take one thing at a time, we march through it, we do it together and figure it out.”
Nikki Bozeman said her husband has really taken on the brunt of diaper duty and nap-time responsibilities in his spare time away from Bank of America Stadium. The offensive lineman, who makes a living protecting his teammates, is an extremely attentive father, according to the new mom.
“He’s just jumped head first into dadhood, which has just been really cool and fun to watch,” Nikki Bozeman said.
Bozeman credits his father, Barry, with setting a loving example of how he should parent his young son. Bozeman has tried to take their experiences and bring that to his own father-son dynamic.
“My father is an amazing father — you couldn’t ask for a better father than mine,” Bozeman said. “And my biggest thing right now, (Brody is) still a toddler, but I’m just giving him and showing him all the love that I possibly can. Showing him that big smile, like my father did with me — and at an early age, knowing happiness.”
Brody’s name came out of a combination of Bradley and Jody, Bozeman’s brother. The newborn’s middle name, Grant, is the name of his other uncle, Nikki Bozeman’s brother.
“So, he’s all the boys in our family,” Nikki Bozeman said.
Brody was born on Jan. 18, which was 10 days after the Panthers’ 2022 season finale against the New Orleans Saints.
Roughly a week after Brody was born, the Bozemans left Charlotte for Nashville, Tennessee.
The couple started building a home in April 2021, as they wanted to make Nashville their offseason base at the time. Despite completing the build in the summer of 2022, the Bozemans didn’t move into the new house until January of this year.
As they approached free agency in March, the Bozemans — now with Brody along for the ride — didn’t know where Bradley would end up playing. Eventually, the Panthers reached a deal with the center at the beginning of free agency in March.
With a long-term future in North Carolina, the Bozemans decided to sell their Nashville house and look for a permanent residence in Charlotte.
“It was totally way more hectic than any (other) offseason because it was baby, move, contract, move — buy a house — and then move out of the other house,” Nikki Bozeman said with a laugh.
The Bozemans are now permanent residents of the Queen City, and Brody has become of a fixture at the Bradley and Nikki Bozeman Foundation’s community service. Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina CEO Kay Carter calls Brody a “future food banker” and even gave him a shirt with that projection on it.
Carter has seen firsthand that Brody has become part of the Bozeman’s mission to give back.
“You can just tell, watching Bradley, how proud he is to be a dad, and how much he adores Brody,” Carter said. “It’s the same thing with Nikki. They’re just a wonderful couple. We feel really honored to have gotten to know them, and to get to work with them on a regular basis. They have really big hearts, and my favorite kind of people are people who have big hearts and want to help people, and they certainly fit into that.”
With the Panthers’ offseason program completed, the young family is looking to spend quality time together this summer, including on a trip to Alaska. And this weekend, as they celebrate Bradley’s first year as a father, the lineman just wants to be present for both Brody and Nikki.
“We have a little summer break for six weeks, but I’m just excited to be hanging out — being able to spend some real time with Brody and Nikki — and just be there,” Bradley said. “That’s my biggest thing, I just love being there.”
This story was originally published June 18, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
