Panthers believe they've found the right fit

[Sir Purr]

Fitterer himself is no stranger to the grunt work that goes into building a football team.


After his professional baseball career flamed out because of shoulder problems, he began his career in football scouting with the Giants in 1998.


Technology wasn't what it is now, and Fitterer quickly came to learn about The Box.


The Box was a scouting instrument, with sensors to measure lateral quickness, change-of-direction, and explosive movement. To operate it correctly, it had to be placed on a hard surface (as opposed to a grass football field or a track). It was also extremely unwieldy, and other scouts would make fun of you for carrying it around.


His was bequeathed to him from longtime Giants scout Jeremiah Davis, and Fitterer had to learn the art of electronics repair in the field, taping together his instrument and lugging it from town to town.


"The Box was a big silver suitcase, and it was about 40 pounds," Fitterer said with a laugh. "I would have to lug it everywhere I went. And I'd bring it on the airplane. And there's no chance now this would ever get on an airplane — it had wires, and pads, and a control box. It literally looks likes a bomb."


When he thinks back on his early days in the scouting business, those first burdened steps bring a smile.


"It was absolutely a rite of passage," he said.


But time has passed as well, as moments after he was doing his first round of interviews in his new home Thursday morning, a player Fitterer scouted was having his own press conference.


Fitterer recalled working out a tight end from Texas A&M named Dan Campbell, who was just introduced as the Lions' head coach.


Time has changed things. The job is different.


But the Panthers believe they've found their fit, and he's ready to get to work playing his part in the process.


"We're going to get after it," Fitterer said. "The wins are going to come. It's not going to be a quick fix, that we're looking for a quick spike. We're going to do this the right way, so we can sustain it, and build it over a period of time, and have a championship-caliber team.


"We're looking to compete right now, and we're going to build from there."