At some positions, it's realistically possible for a player's career to extend for 15, 16 or even 17 years.
Fullback is not typically considered among those positions.
All the while, it is a slot for the strong, filled with collisions -- some of the brutal nature. It is also a position that rewards savvy, evidenced by the recent Pro Bowl appearances of players like Lorenzo Neal and Mack Strong, both of whom earned trips to Honolulu as their years of experience hit a dozen or slightly beyond.
Brad Hoover is advancing into that territory now with his ninth year upon him. The end of his career is anything but imminent; the contract he signed with the Panthers in February to avoid free agency stands as evidence of the organization's faith in his future.
But Hoover knows there are fewer days ahead as an NFL player than behind him.
"I've still got some good years in me, but not a whole, whole lot,"
Hoover acknowledges. "But I also want to stay healthy, and as long as I'm staying healthy and still think I can go out and perform on a consistent basis, I'm going to go out and play as long as I can."
"I think I've got at least three, maybe four (years). But that can change in the snap of a finger, too."
We'll have more from Hoover -- including his thoughts on being able to continue his career in his home state -- here on Panthers.com next week as we shine the spotlight on players you know ... and some you might not ... in our series of player profiles, so keep checking this site regularly for something new every weekday.
Website promotion over. Now, back to the field ...
For the North Carolina Tar Heels assistant coaches who dropped in at Wednesday morning's summer-school session, seeing the Panthers work provided a chance to learn a few tidbits that they can take back to Chapel Hill as they attempt to get the Tar Heels to their first bowl game since 2004 -- when they faced Boston College at Bank of America stadium.
But for UNC offensive coordinator John Shoop (pictured at right), the trip to Charlotte represented a homecoming of sorts, as he was a part of the original Panthers coaching staff as a quality-control assistant in 1995 and 1996 before becoming the club's quarterbacks coach for the following two seasons.
"It's a long way from Rock Hill,"
Shoop said, referring to Carolina's first-year training facility at Winthrop College.
"It was great to watch to Coach (Richard) Williamson again. That's what I came out for, to watch him."
Williamson is the last remaining link to Carolina's first coaching staff in 1995, a beacon of longevity in a sport that yields almost constant movement for many in it. Shoop's resume is typical of the business; he had three NFL stops after leaving the Panthers before joining the Tar Heels in 2007.
"It's been a long journey with lots of twists and turns, that's for sure,"
Shoop said. "I'm just happy to be back in the Carolinas."
A PURR-FECT START ... Okay, so I once again succumbed to the urge to craft yet another feline-related pun regarding mascot Sir Purr. But he merits mention once again in this space for advancing to the second round in CBSSports.com's mascot-ferocity bracket after dealing a thumping first-round defeat to Arizona's lazily-named Big Red.
In this round, Sir Purr finds himself in the mascot permutation of one of Carolina's more sizzling rivalries, facing off against Freddie Falcon of the NFC South neighbors down Interstate 85. There's really nothing I can say to mock Freddie; I don't take umbrage with his name because it a) isn't a copycat and b) it possesses alliteration.
If a mascot name has alliteration like Freddie falcon or a catchy rhyme like Sir Purr, this writer is pleased.
Anyhow, Sir Purr took a solid lead in the early rounds of voting, but for all we know the vote count is Palm Beach County-slow in Macon, Athens and other Georgian hamlets, so be sure to vote.
