Tag: Fan fest

Panthers OLB DJ Johnson receives high praise from Dave Canales, Jadeveon Clowney

Second-year OLB DJ Johnson may be getting ready to emerge for the Panthers in 2024.

Don’t break out the “bust” label for Carolina Panthers outside linebacker DJ Johnson just yet, folks.

The second-year defender was a pretty hot topic of conversation tonight, particularly after the team’s Fan Fest practice at Memorial Stadium from Clemson, S.C. Head coach Dave Canales provided the first of two pertinent reviews on Johnson.

“He’s doing fantastic,” Canales said of the 25-year-old. “The effort and the style we’re looking for—DJ’s exemplifying that. So I’m really hopeful to see what he gets to do.”

Carolina went a bit out of their way to select Johnson last spring, trading up to the 2023 draft’s 80th overall pick for the raw prospect. Unfortunately, he didn’t do much to justify the move—as Johnson posted a grand total of zero sacks as a rookie.

But he could be turning a corner, literally. Just ask a fella named Jadeveon Clowney.

“He’s definitely one of the best edge setters that we have out there,” the three-time Pro Bowler later added of his new teammate. “Setting the edge, stopping the run, DJ definitely brings that physicality to the game and you need that out of the guys.

“This is a physical game. This is most definitely what you’re gonna need to stop the run in this league—physicality. So for him to be able to set the edge, that’s good for the team.”

That’s certainly good for a team which is quite desperate for a pass rush. Not only did the Panthers just finish last in the league in sacks, but they also lost both Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu this offseason.

Johnson’s potential emergence may be especially timely given the absence of free-agent signing D.J. Wonnum, who is expected to start opposite of Clowney. But with Wonnum yet to hit the practice field as he recovers from a torn quad, that spot may be up for the taking.

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Panthers going back to their roots for 2024 Fan Fest

The Panthers are honoring their humble beginnings for this year’s Fan Fest.

Party like it’s 1995!

The Carolina Panthers announced the dates for this summer’s training camp on Thursday. Among the nuggets of new information were details about 2024 Fan Fest, which is set to go down from Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C.

Memorial Stadium served as the home field for the Panthers during their inaugural NFL campaign in 1995. It wouldn’t be until the next season, 1996, when they moved into Ericsson Stadium (now Bank of America Stadium).

Team president Kristi Coleman provided a statement about the team going back to their roots in this morning’s official release:

“As we head into our 30th season, we’re looking forward to bringing football to our fans across the Carolinas this summer, including going to Clemson where it all began. From bringing Training Camp to Charlotte to honoring our South Carolina ties by hosting Fan Fest at Clemson, we are excited to celebrate our fans across both states.”

The Panthers also included some words from Athletic Director of Clemson University Graham Neff:

“We are honored to play a part in the Panthers celebration of their 30th season by hosting Fan Fest in Memorial Stadium, site of the franchise’s inaugural season. Clemson University and the Panthers’ organization share many connections, and we’re excited to collaborate on this unique opportunity.”

Fan Fest will be held on Thursday, Aug. 1 at 6:30 p.m. ET. Tickets for the event will cost $5 and will be available for purchase starting on Friday, June 21.

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Panthers training camp tracker: Observations and takeaways from Fan Fest

Fans who filed in to see Bryce Young at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday night probably weren’t disappointed.

The Carolina Panthers took a brief break from Spartanburg on Wednesday, returning home to Bank of America Stadium for this year’s edition of Fan Fest.

Let’s run down the top takeaways and observations from the fun fan-filled night:

 

Frank Reich takes blame for Bryce Young’s Fan Fest interception

Panthers HC Frank Reich took the blame for Bryce Young’s lone blemish from a sharp Fan Fest debut.

Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young had just one blemish on what was a sharp-looking showing in his Fan Fest debut. And that one blemish, according to head coach Frank Reich, wasn’t even of his own doing.

Reich spoke with reporters following Wednesday’s practice at Bank of America Stadium. When asked of Young’s pick, which came on his final pass of two-minute drills, he took the blame.

“When you get in those situations at the end and you got 15 seconds left, so what do you wanna do?” Reich explained. “Do you wanna take a shot into the end zone? Well, that’s what the defense is gonna do. So sometimes it’s just good to take your medicine, kick the field goal with 15 seconds to go. And then, you gotta kick off.

“But, in this situation, sometimes what you find is—man, I feel like we’re in midseason form right now, this is good stuff. Sometimes you wanna see, ‘Is the defense gonna screw it up?’ I wanna see what the defense is gonna do. So I said, ‘Hey, let’s just go out there and run four verts, see if the defense plays the wrong coverage and then we’ll just throw it away. And then they got a pretty good rush and I put him in a hard position.”

That position saw Young take a shot at wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. in the end zone. His ball, however, was tipped by cornerback Herb Miller and ended up in the hands of summer standout and linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill.

Outside of that experimental shot, the No. 1 overall pick completed 11 of his 16 attempts in his second straight step forward.

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Rutgers football to host Fan Fest on Sunday, August 20th

Rutgers football will host Fan Fest on Busch Campus in front of the Rodkin Academic Success Center on August 20.

One sure fire sign that Rutgers football is back – the Fan Fest is almost here.

Rutgers football will host its annual Fan Fest on Busch Campus in front of the Rodkin Academic Success Center on August 20 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Fans will have the opportunity to meet the team during the free event with the chance to receive autographs, the official 2023 Rutgers football season poster, and enjoy The Rutgers Boardwalk. Also,  food trucks will attend the event, providing sandwiches, wings, ice cream, and more.

Fan Fest will include a photo booth, face painter, caricature artist, free carnival games, and an inflatable obstacle course. After the conclusion of Fan Fest, attendees can walk over to Yurcak Field to watch Rutgers women’s soccer host Hofstra.

The Scarlet Knights made the NCAA Tournament last year.

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The Scarlet Knights open their 2023 season home on Sunday, September 3, 2023, against the Northwestern Wildcats (noon, CBS). The 2023 season will be the first time Rutgers football will start the season against a Big Ten opponent at home since joining the conference in 2014.

After their match-up against Northwestern, the Scarlet Knights will remain at SHI Stadium for three consecutive home games against Temple and Virginia Tech. Rutgers’ first away game will be in week four when they take on the Michigan Wolverines. After their game against Michigan, the Scarlet Knights will return home to take on Wagner to cap off their fourth home game in September (Seven 2023 home games total). 

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Panthers WR DJ Moore breaks up fight between fans

Thanks to Panthers WR DJ Moore, Thursday night’s Fan Fest didn’t turn into a slugfest.

No wonder why Carolina Panthers wideout DJ Moore got paid so much this offseason. Not only is he a highly effective pass catcher for the organization, but he’s also a highly effective security guard as well.

During the team’s annual Fan Fest event at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday night, two men appeared to be growing rather heated with one another in the seats. That’s when Moore, who apparently climbed up the stands to get to them, decided to deescalate the brewing argument.

You tell ’em, DJ. This is a family function, sirs!

The 25-year-old receiver, who is entering his fifth season in Carolina, has taken on a leadership role for the franchise—both on (and quite clearly) off the field. His production, toughness and kindness has made him a favorite amongst fans—and this latest instance of Moore’s character is only going to endear him even more to his supporters.

So while Panthers fans may disagree on many things, they can all agree upon their love for No. 2—a well-respected player, father and peacemaker.

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Panthers HC Matt Rhule hilariously acknowledges ‘Fire Matt Rhule’ chants

While Matt Rhule was speaking with reporters after Fan Fest, a Panthers fan was heard loudly chanting “Fire Matt Rhule.” And Rhule definitely took note of it.

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule hasn’t exactly endeared himself to fans over the past three years. And although he’s heading into the 2022 campaign with a refreshed outlook, for both himself and his team, he still has detractors.

One of those detractors was in attendance at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday night for this summer’s edition of Fan Fest. While Rhule was chopping it up a bit with reporters following the light practice, said fan could be heard (quite clearly) chanting “Fire Matt Rhule!”

It was so clear, in fact, that Rhule couldn’t help but acknowledge it mid-answer.

“Between soccer, between the concerts, between football, to me—it’s been tremendous to see the atmosphere, to see the people coming out.” Rhule said when asked what the event means for the fans and the city. “So, I’m happy everyone’s here, even the guy saying ‘Fire Matt Rhule’ right now. I’m happy that everyone’s out here.”

(To get a look and a listen, the action starts right around the 1:00 mark below.)

Well, many fans may want Rhule to lose his job, but at least he hasn’t lost his sense of humor.

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