Like Charles Johnson, Mike Tolbert Takes Less to Stay with Panthers

Bill Voth
3 weeks ago
Categories: News
Tags: Mike Tolbert

Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert took less money to get back South in 2012. Four years later, he did it again to stay "home."

Hours before he would have become a free agent, Tolbert on Wednesday re-upped with Carolina with a two-year deal worth nearly $4 million.

"I had a few other offers, for more money, but at the end of the day, it’s all about where I felt comfortable and who I wanted be and what I wanted to do for my family," Tolbert said on a conference call with local reporters.

"Carolina’s home. I went to Coastal Carolina University, played here for four years and now it’s about to be six and it just felt right to be able to stay and finish what we didn’t do last year."

Tolbert, who declined to detail where his other offers came from, earned his second career Pro Bowl nod last year. But the final game of his season was a disaster.

"It’s so hard to watch (the Super Bowl) because we just didn’t play like ourselves. So, I’m not going to even attempt to watch it," Tolbert said.

Not only did the Panthers lose, but Tolbert was a key figure in the result. He missed at least one pivotal block and fumbled twice, losing one that stymied a potential scoring drive. That from a guy who hadn't put a single ball on the ground since Week 4 of the 2011 season.

"The first one that I got back, I don’t even know how the ball came out. I got hit and I went down and was like, 'Woah, where’s the ball?' So, I looked and I grabbed it real quick," Tolbert recalled. "The second one, the safety did a great job. He just put his head right on the ball and then it came out. I tried to run him over instead of running around him."

"I mean, it's football. Obviously, everybody knows I don’t fumble like that often."

The Panthers not only value Tolbert's versatility, but if there were a designation for a locker room captain, he'd be a frontrunner. So for a team that's been built with chemistry front of mind, he's an important presence.

The now-retired Jared Allen recently raved about Carolina's culture, and it's showing up again this week. Tolbert and defensive end Charles Johnson could have earned bigger paydays elsewhere. Instead, they stayed "home."

"It’s just something like (general manager Dave) Gettleman and Mr. Richardson and coach (Ron) Rivera are all about maintaining the culture and keeping the right guys in the locker room. That’s just proof in the puddin’ with myself and Charles being back this year," Tolbert said.

"I left a little bit on the table to be able to come back here and be with my family. That’s one thing I wanted to do, maintain some type of comradery. My kids love Charlotte, my wife loves the area in Charlotte, and obviously I love the team, so it’s just a perfect fit."

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