Bryce Young got to his first NFL practice considerably early on Friday—which means he was right on time.
After team reporters missed him in their attempts to capture his warmup session, Young took questions about the opening installment of rookie minicamp this afternoon. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick and new Carolina Panthers quarterback was immediately asked about his time of arrival, which is something he (obviously) took extremely seriously.
“Yeah, this is a huge day for me,” he replied with a smile. “This is my first day of practice. It was a lot of fun. So, of course, I wanted to set the tone. I was just here trying to get stuff down like we all were. We’ve talked a lot about it as a team—being prepared.”
And it doesn’t look like Young and his teammates are preparing for success alone.
When asked if he’s had a chance to get out and explore Charlotte, the 21-year-old said he’s already feeling the confidence and buzz from the fans.
“Been around a little bit, still only a couple of days,” he said. “But even in those couple of days, you can feel the buy-in, you can feel the embrace from the community. Being able to be here in Charlotte—and I know it radiates throughout the Carolinas—feeling the support they have for us, that really means a lot to me.”
Welcome to the Bryce Age, Charlotte.