25 Seasons of Panthers Football: Mr. Reliable thrives in 2014

Sir Purr

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Mar 16, 2019
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"And that's Greg. That's the way he's been every day since I've been here, and everything he said is the absolute truth."


The same was true the previous two seasons as well, even as Olsen battled through adversity off the field while his son, TJ, fought to overcome serious health issues after being born, along with his healthy twin sister, Talbot, on Oct. 9, 2012.


TJ was born with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which means the left side of his heart is severely underdeveloped and cannot do its job effectively. He already has undergone four surgeries - three open-heart procedures and the installation of a pacemaker - and is now healthy with no other procedures scheduled.


"It's been an interesting couple of years. But sometimes you just have to handle whatever life presents," Olsen said. "This has been one of those cases where it's nothing you foresee happening to you. But once it does, you just have to come to the realization that this is your reality and find the best way to keep moving forward.


"Something like this will snap you back into reality really fast. It shows you what really matters and what true troubles are, what true problems in this world really are. We've been very fortunate to have the support of the organization and the guys on the team. It's made the situation a lot easier."


Head coach Ron Rivera said the way Olsen has handled the situation with his son while continuing to play at a high level has not only been impressive but an inspiration to the entire team. As evidence of how the rest of the players feel about Olsen, he recently was voted by his teammates as the recipient of the Panthers' 2014 Ed Block Courage Award - which each NFL team gives out annually to a player who best exemplifies courage.


Then came Tuesday's announcement that Olsen finally had been named to the Pro Bowl, which pleased Rivera greatly.


"Greg has just been steady," Rivera said. "He's very deserving. He's having a great year, and a lot of it has to do with who he is as a person - considering all of the things he and his family have gone through. It kind of gives an indication as to who he is for this team."


Olsen prides himself on making sure he is thoroughly prepared to perform his job at the highest level every time he steps on the field, whether it's for a practice or game. That approach recently resulted in the 6-foot-5, 253-pound Olsen having consecutive games with 10 catches for 72 yards and one touchdown at New Orleans and then 10 receptions for 110 yards versus Tampa Bay.


"It just seems like things are really coming your way on days like that," Olsen said. "And you feel like no matter what they call or what the look is, you're going to get open. You get into a rhythm like that, and it's just fun. As soon as one play is over, you're already thinking about the next looks and setting up the next route, anticipating what the defense is going to give you and what their answer is going to be. It's fun, trying to anticipate those types of things. You get in a groove like that, and it's just fun."
 
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