Thursday night’s conference call between local reporters and Panthers first-round pick Shaq Thompson.

How does it feel?“I’m still speechless right now because I’ve been talking to my agent, and he’s been saying anywhere from the 20th pick to the 55th pick. So I’ve just had my whole mindset set on the second round because that’s the type of person I am. I don’t expect the best. So I was just sitting, waiting around with my family, and I got the call. It was crazy. I was smiling. I was just happy.”Excited to team up with Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly?“Those are two of the best linebackers you just named. Man of the Year and you have Defensive Player of the Year back-to-back. So just learning from them and learning how they learn the game and just picking their brains with every little thing. I feel like I can be one of those top linebackers, best linebackers in the game. I’m really excited to learn from those two, not just from those two, and not just those two. My coaches, my linebacker coach, coach Al Holcomb, and all the linebackers that are there.”What do you remember from your visit and workout with the Panthers?“When I went up there for the visit, that was my very first visit. We were all cool, they were giving me good advice just for after the draft. I was talking to coach Rivera, he was like, ‘Take time, get stuff off. The 40 really doesn’t matter.’ He really wants people to come in there and complete. So that’s what I’m going to do; I’m going to come in there and compete. And that’s what the biggest thing is. And yeah, they worked me out, too, so my whole mindset was, ‘Ok, I took a visit, they worked me out.’ So I’m thinking, ‘Ok, they liked me.’ But I wasn’t thinking no first round or anything like that. I was just hoping just for the opportunity to get drafted, just to compete. Whether it was undrafted or 5th, 7th round. It was just the opportunity of getting drafted.”What role do you see yourself playing?“It’s whatever they want, whatever role they want me to play in that certain package, that’s what I’m going to play. I’m going to learn that position. I feel like I’m able to play in space as one of the linebackers that came into this draft class. And I’m able to cover people, cover tight ends, running backs. I’m able to do a lot. This past year I played three positions.”What was it like to have Thomas Davis announce your name?“Ah, man, it was huge. Coach Rivera told me he was going to announce it, and I was kind of speechless, I didn’t know what to say. I was like, man; this is crazy. The Man of the Year, that’s just big, you know? And for the Man of the Year to announce your name? That’s respect right there. I talked with him briefly, and he’s excited and I’m excited to pick their brain and learn from them and hopefully help the defense get better.”Which NFL player do you compare yourself to?“I compare myself to (Bucs linebacker) Lavonte David. I feel like me and him were the same, size-wise. He was athletic, he was able to play in space. He was able to guard tight ends, running backs, and I felt like he was an athlete.”Do you have a plan for making up for the time you’ll miss during OTAs?“I’m very disappointed. That’s something, just being on the quarter system, that’s just something I have to deal with. But I have a plan for what I’m going to do and work my way in there. If I can just study what I need to know in OTAs … that’s what I have to do … I’m trying to get my degree. That’s one thing I really want to focus on, and that’s one of the biggest things I really want to accomplish.”What is your degree in?“My degree is in America ethnic studies, so just learning about history, basically. I have six more classes left, and then I’ll be done. I have to go basically two more quarters, so I plan to finish probably after my rookie year. Going back just to train and go to school. I’m the type of guy who if I start something I have to finish it, or else it’s going to bug me.”Can you explain your knack of getting in the end zone?“I contribute that to my defense. I was just there at the right place at the right time. But it’s all up to the guys up front, that’s the people who don’t get a lot of credit. They’re in the trenches every day. They go head-up every play. Like I had big (defensive tackle) Danny (Shelton), he was a guy that I love. He was taking on two or three blocks, freeing us up. So all my credit goes to my D-lineman and one of my best friends, my brother (fellow linebacker) John Timu. He was just a great guy.”What have the Panthers told you about your role?“We’ll probably talk about that more when I get down there. But they just said Will linebacker, and we’ll see what the best scheme is.”What did you during the draft tonight and what was the celebration like when you were picked?“It was with my family. My family has been there since I first started. All my brothers, except for one. My mom, cousins. It was crazy. I was just sitting there, and my mind wasn’t on the first round. It was on the second round. So I’m just watching the draft, seeing who gets picked. I was happy two of my guys went, Marcus Peters and Danny Shelton. So I was like, ‘That’s great. That’s two out of four right there.’ And it was crazy. I got the call, and everybody was just looking at me. I was like, ‘Ah, I hope they don’t know.’ Coach was like, ‘Did you tell them?’ I was like, ‘Nah; I didn’t.’ He was like, ‘Tell them to look at the screen.’ I told them to look, and it was just a lot of screaming in my ear. Almost popped my eardrums.”Why did you have the mentality that you wouldn’t be a first-round pick?“I’m very confident in myself, but talking to my agent, he told me, ‘Look from the back half. You might be first round, you might be second round. So I’m like, ‘Ok, I’m going to think second round,’ because that’s what I feel. And if I get first than so be it, I’m going to be happy. But my whole mentality was just second round. I expect the worst.”How does getting drafted in the NFL compare to when you were drafted by the Red Sox in 2012?“This is much better. Some would say you’re successful just getting drafted, but I still have a lot of goals to reach. And baseball, it was a great experience … I understood how to be a professional, and go about myself. I met a lot of great people … I had a lot of motivation going into my freshman year. It was a great experience. A lot of people will laugh and joke at it, 0-for-39, but hey, some people don’t get drafted and I was lucky enough to get drafted. I had a great experienced. It opened up my eyes.”