Opening Statement“Before I start, I want to give a little shout out. I want to thank the organization, Mr. Richardson, Mr. Gettleman, and Coach Rivera for drafting me yesterday. It was a great thing, and I’m happy and excited to be a Panther.”RE: Being speechless yesterday and what’s going through his mind today“Yesterday I almost had to go to the hospital my heart was beating so fast I didn’t know what to do. I’ve never been so excited in my life. I just felt so good and I’m just glad I had the opportunity to get drafted by a great organization. A great family here, great teammates, and I’m still happy to this day. I came in smiling and now I’m talking to you guys.”RE: What he’s done today“Well, I woke up about four o’clock this morning and got on a flight. I slept all the way to Chicago. Now I’m here, dressed, and talking to the media.”RE: If he’s seen any players floating around today“No, I haven’t seen anybody floating around. I talked to Thomas Davis last night, and he gave me good information. He said, ‘I’m excited to work with you’ and to pick his brain at any time.”RE: On expecting to be drafted in the second round and how he addresses the question, ‘Where do we play you?’“I knew I had a lot of confidence in myself. I had my skill set as first round, but you think of the worst. Something good came out of it. This great organization saw something in me as a first rounder. There’s a lot of different positions I could play. I came here to fit a great scheme that they have and we can talk more about it once I finally get here.”RE: What he liked about the Panthers organization“Everybody is family oriented from the coaches, everybody coming together and being on one page. I met Luke (Kuechly) when I first got here. He’s a really cool guy. He’s like teammates I had back in Washington. That’s what I like, it’s more just like a family. That’s what I felt when I first came in.”RE: If his intentions were always to play football even after being drafted for baseball“Yeah, football is my first love. I had a love for baseball back in the day when I was younger. I grew out of baseball. Nobody really taught me how to play. I was just playing off of talent. I wanted to get another shot. I had an opportunity, I got drafted in the 18th round and it didn’t go so hot. But, I learned from it and football is just my passion and I stuck with it.”RE: If he hadn’t played baseball for a few years before playing his senior year of high school“Yeah, I played my sophomore year just a little bit then skipped my junior year and played my senior year. It was crazy. I never thought I would be back there and playing baseball, and I took another shot it and had an opportunity.”RE: On if he plans to go back to baseball“I’m definitely not going back. 0 and 39, it was funny. A lot people still laugh at it, I still laugh at it. But, I look at it as it was a great opportunity that I went through that nobody else can say they went through. It was something in my life that I enjoyed and I would do it again, just the experience of it.”RE: On if he wants to play running back“No, not at all actually. I got drafted for defense, and that’s what they see in me, that’s what I see in myself and I’m going to work on my skill set and improve as a defensive player.”RE: On if he could play quarterback again“Definitely not. My arm is terrible now. It’s a little stiff. But, there’s no throwing the ball for me.”RE: If there are any positions he has not played“D-line. I’ve never played D-line. My first year of football I played left, guard. I’ll always remember that day. Then the next year I just switched.”RE: What Thomas Davis, Ron Rivera or Dave Gettleman told him about preparing for the NFL“The biggest thing was just coming in and competing. I was talking to Thomas Davis, and I said I have to come in and earn you guys respect, I have to respect all the vets (veterans), and he said yeah. I was like that’s what I am going to do, that’s the kind of person I am, so I have to come in here and work hard to get their trust and their respect.”RE: First thing he wants to do for his mom“It really has not sunk in yet, about what I want to get her. When the time comes, we can talk about that but nothing’s in my pocket, and it’s not about the money. I just want to get with my team and build that bond together, and the trust.”RE: His role as a strongside or weakside linebacker“I think the Will fits me, last year was my first year playing inside backer. I feel like they must see something inside of me, and I know I see something inside myself, that I can develop that skill set to play will-side backer. There are a lot of things that I can improve on, I think everyone needs to improve on things. That is what I am coming in here for, to work on and better.”RE: What he can improve on the field“Getting off blocks. Like I said everyone needs something to improve on, and that is probably one of the biggest parts of my game that I need to improve on.”RE: Connection with any current Panthers players“I know Bene (Benwikere), he went to college with my cousin Peyton Thompson at San Jose State, so we know a little bit about each other.”RE: Having a calm demeanor and if he ever gets excited“I feel like excitement in football raises your anxiety level, Coach (Justin) Wilcox (Washington’s defensive coordinator) said you have to play at a calm level. That’s just me; I am a calm person. I don’t get too excited for things. Unless it is a big win, then I get excited but other than that I’m really calm and relaxed.”RE: How baseball helped him grow up“Just dealing with failure, a lot of people don’t know how to deal with failure. I had to get though it and keep a strong, positive mindset on that. That helped me through my freshman year, just thinking about all the people laughing, it was something that motivated me to keep going in football and keep doing good and keep driving for something that I want.”RE: If some draft experts saying he was biggest reach in draft motivates him“No, I really don’t care. I just want to get here and play with my teammates, with my new team. Get right in it and work hard, earn respect and keep grinding.”RE: Lifestyle playing a summer of Minor League Baseball“It was a crazy lifestyle, waking up every day knowing you have to go swing a bat and throw a ball, same old routine. It felt good because that is what you do here, you wake up and play ball. Everything is breath, eat, sleep it’s all ball. That helped me get to where I am at now.”RE: What he knows about of Charlotte“Charlotte is a beautiful place, number one banking system. [laughs]”RE: Where his name came from“From Shaquille O’Neal. I guess she was watching the Magic game.”