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Tight end Hayden Hurst was one of many free-agent acquisitions picked up by the Carolina Panthers this offseason. At age 29, Hurst is one of the oldest members on Carolina's roster.
One of the roles he has besides catching passes from Bryce Young and blocking for the running backs is to lead by example.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Hurst said that he's expected to do more this season for the Panthers being a veteran on a younger team, and he's embracing it.
"They're asking me to do a little bit more as far as, being a leader, a vocal leader on the team," Hurst said. "It's new for me. I'm getting used to things like that, but I think the best thing that I do is I'm prepared Monday through Saturday, and I can go out there on Sunday and cut it loose. I'm gonna lead by example."
Hayden Hurst is confident in new coach Frank Reich
Hayden Hurst decided to sign with an emerging, young Carolina Panthers team this offseason. They made many moves such as hiring Frank Reich to be their new coach, as well as many other coaching staff changes.
They signed key free agents such as defensive end Justin Houston, running back Miles Sanders and wide receivers Adam Thielen and DJ Chark.
Heading into the 2023 season, Hayden Hurst is confident in Reich leading the team.
"We're a talented organization," Hurst said. "We just gotta put guys in the right position. I think getting Frank and this coaching staff has been huge. Just knowing where to put guys and playing to our strong suits. I think that's what Frank has done in the past. He's had a lot of success doing it, and he's been a head coach and won Super Bowls and things like that and he's producing pretty good players."
"So, he's got the blueprint to do it. He'll get us lined up and get us in the right spots, but defensively it's a talented group. Offensively, the offensive line is good, we have a rookie quarterback coming in and we got skill guys all over the place. So, like I said, Frank and these guys are gonna turn it up and definitely get us in the right spot."
The new Panthers coaching staff has over 200 years of NFL coaching experience, three former NFL head coaches and 10 Super Bowl rings. Combine that with the solid veterans that they signed this offseason, and they have a chance to compete for the NFC South division.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Hayden Hurst and H/T Sportskeeda.
