Carolina Panthers punter Johnny Hekker used the last of his media availability on Wednesday to send a sincere and loving message to the state of Hawaii.
The 12th-year veteran and four-time First-team All-Pro was nearing the end of his presser this afternoon when he was asked a few hypotheticals about the roster’s emergency options. As far as the backup to longtime long snapper JJ Jansen, Hekker believes it’s definitely linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill.
“I think, right now, Kamu is workin’ on it,” Hekker said. “He’s got some real talent. Great blocker, too. Great athlete down the field. So, yeah, Kamu’s the man.”
Hekker then quickly transitioned into speaking about the ongoing wildfires in Maui, a situation that’s particularly close to the heart of his teammate—who’s a Honolulu native.
“Also, piggybacking off Kamu, guy from Hawaii—I just wanna send our thoughts and prayers to people in Maui,” he added. “I’ve vacationed in Lahaina a few times. And so, as someone who’s witnessed the natural beauty of the islands, we’re taken aback by the loss of the wildfires there and the people of the Hawaiian islands deserve a lot of aid immediately and we hope to be a part of that. I think Kamu’s got some wheels on the ground, things we’re gonna do from an organizational standpoint. He’s workin’ with Ken Winston and a few other guys to get something movin’.”
Grugier-Hill arrived at Bank of America Stadium for this past Saturday’s preseason opener wearing a shirt that read “Pray For Maui.”
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— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 12, 2023
The wildfires, which began last week, have become the country’s deadliest in more than a century. On Tuesday, Hawaii Governor Josh Green confirmed the death toll from the tragedy now sits at 101 people.
Hekker concluded his message with this:
“To the people of Hawaii—we love you, we’re thinking about you and wishing you all the best.”
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