We’re starting to think Steve Smith Sr. may be a fan of Jonathan Mingo.
The Carolina Panthers all-time leading receiver was in attendance for Thursday’s outing of training camp over at Wofford College. Oh, and he was joined by an old pal and soon-to-be Panthers Hall of Honor inductee Muhsin Muhammad—and they both got the chance to link up with who could be the franchise’s next big-time pass catcher.
Passing the torch 🫡 pic.twitter.com/H3mYfK1MIA
— Steve Smith Sr. (@SteveSmithSr89) July 27, 2023
Smith Sr. is a well-documented supporter of Mingo’s. Not only did he possibly influence the Panthers to draft the eventual second-round selection, but he also said this about the 22-year-old last month:
“Jonathan Mingo—he’s . . . uh . . . I don’t know how tall he is because everybody’s taller than me,” he said jokingly. “But he’s 222 pounds, and his fluidity is a lot better than what I expected. I thought he was a stiff guy. That boy gets in and out of breaks, he’s very physical, very humble. Southern kid who isn’t really gonna say anything, but he’s gonna give ya hips a little bit and let you know, ‘I’m not no average rookie and you’re not gonna punk me.’”
He also said Mingo has “that dawg” in him, one that’ll bite and not just bark. And coming from one of the game’s greatest barkers and biters, those words (and that torch) mean something.
