Once upon a time, Devin Funchess was a wide-eyed, somewhat shy rookie who was struggling to adapt from college life to the rigors of playing in the NFL.

That was just a year ago, of course, but as Carolina Panthers' coach Ron Rivera pointed out this spring, Funchess appears “light years ahead of where he was.” And not just as a player.

Funchess, who turned just 22 in May, again flashed his on-the-field growth when he sprinted past the secondary Thursday morning for two long receptions within a matter of minutes. Perhaps more compelling, though, was what he revealed a couple hours later.

As he was sitting down to chat with the media, a whistling Funchess finished up the final few notes of “Pop Goes the Weasel.” Then, when asked to describe the biggest play of practice — a deep post he hauled in from quarterback Cam Newton after beating safety Tre Boston — Funchess dropped a great line.

"Cam threw the mess out of it,” he said.

Maybe it’s because he was the youngest player on the roster last summer, but it seems like Funchess hid his personality from teammates and the media. Now with a year under his belt, he’s much more comfortable being a big kid around both.

Example No. 2 — this reaction during Thursday’s lunchtime entertainment:

 

 

A Slow Start

 

Coming out of the rookie shell was even tougher when Funchess lost valuable practice reps and two preseason games because of a nagging hamstring injury. He then totaled just seven receptions in his first seven games, with the low-point coming in Week 8 when he played only 10 snaps in an overtime win against the Colts.

Something happened after that, though. In the Panthers’ final nine regular-season games, Funchess caught 24 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns. And judging by his impressive spring and training camp — plus a number of lists mentioning him as a “breakout candidate” — Funchess appears poised for a big sophomore season.

"I'm much more knowledgeable of the offense, knowing all the positions really well,” he said.

"I'm just more comfortable and I've got a feel for the game and know where I'm supposed to be and know where I need to get."

 

‘A Nasty Lineup’

 

Last year’s preseason opener was the only time Funchess and Kelvin Benjamin have suited up on the same day. And during that game in Buffalo, Funchess came in after Benjamin had been taken out. So while the Panthers likened Benjamin’s return to having an extra first-round pick, pairing the 6-foot-5 wideout with another who’s only slightly shorter is a challenge Carolina's opponents haven’t yet faced.

On Wednesday, the Panthers’ defense got a sneak preview against Benjamin, Funchess, 6-foot-5 tight end Greg Olsen and the blazing-fast Ted Ginn Jr.

"It was a nasty lineup,” Funchess said. “They’ve got to double somebody.

“Cam missed it, but we ran it back and we were still open, so it's going to be difficult for the defenses to see what's really going on."

 

Growing Up

 

Among other highlights of Funchess’ nine-minute media session, he revealed who’d play what on the basketball court.

“I’d probably push point,” he said. “Got Cam playing the 2. KB's playing the 4.”

And he joked about the morning’s joint "practice" with the Spartanburg High School football team:

“I’m only a couple years older than them. Everybody else is way older than them.”

That’s almost true. Hopefully none of the high schoolers are 20, and Funchess is now just the fourth-youngest Panther behind cornerback Daryl Worley and defensive tackles Vernon Butler and Eric Crume.

But in just 12 months, the kid from Michigan has grown up considerably, even if teammates like Olsen and linebacker Thomas Davis still tease him about his age.

“Playing basketball, on the team at Michigan, I was always one of the youngest,” Funchess said, “so I don't really care how they clown me.

“I’ve just got to take my game and try to play like an older guy.”