It’s no accident that after clearing the decks of the old wide receivers, Panthers first-rounder Kelvin Benjamin became quarterback Cam Newton’s BFF.
Now, he’s learning the hard way the same lessons Newton learned as a rookie.
“He always talks to me about the first season he had with the Panthers, how that was so tough for him, and how he learned from it. I’m learning,” Benjamin said, via Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review.
Benjamin has had a good rookie season (43 catches for 659 yards and seven touchdowns), as the only legitimate target at the position on the roster. But last Monday’s loss to the Eagles showed both sides of his potential.
Early in the game, he stopped running on a slant route, which turned into an easy interception and started the snowball rolling downhill. He came back and scored a pair of touchdowns which helped the cosmetics of the game, but didn’t make up for the early hole.
“I kind of got down when we started getting down, so I was determined to come out with a whole different mindset after halftime,” Benjamin said. “[Tight end] Greg Olsen, another great vet, he told me one day, ‘Take pride what you put on film.’ So that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Like Newton, Benjamin also came from a championship college program, meaning he’s endured more losses this year than he was ever accustomed to. If the two can continue to grow together, and get some help, they may feel what it’s like to win again.
