Tahir Whitehead using 'Ph.D.' in football to prepare for unique season

[Sir Purr]

"I'm open-minded enough to take pointers from them. I'm always eager to learn from others," he said. "So I'll ask them questions (like), 'Hey, what did you think about that rep?' Just to make them feel comfortable to speak on certain things and not just kind of let guys make mistakes or see something wrong and be like, 'Oh, well I think that's the way that's supposed to happen.


"I leave the floor open. I don't care if this is year nine or a rookie. One of my old head coaches, Jim Caldwell, used to say, 'A good idea has no rank.' So at the end of the day, don't get caught up in if you're a 10-year vet or if you're a rookie coming in: Everybody's got something to say. Everyone has good thoughts. You've just got to feed off each other."


Though he's a nine-year veteran, Whitehead feels there's still more to learn. To that end, he's enjoyed his conversations with Luke Kuechly, who joined Carolina's scouting department this spring following his retirement. Rookie safety Jeremy Chinn also referenced benefitting from talking with Kuechly this week. But Whitehead has the unique challenge of being the man to replace Kuechly on the Panthers' defense.


"I still take advantage of the fact that Luke is in the building. I'm not prideful in any way, shape or form, or egotistical (to be) like, 'Oh, I'm not going to talk to him just because he was here and everyone loved him.' No — I love the way Luke played," Whitehead said. "Respect and more power to him because of the fact that he played the game at a high level for a long time. We came in in the same year, and I've always admired the way he played the game from afar, the big plays, the energy he played with."


So far, Whitehead and Kuechly's conversations have mainly been on the practice field. But Whitehead is looking forward to eventually joining one of Kuechly's famed film sessions.


"When he's on the field, I'll ask him what he thought about certain things, what he's looking at when dissecting runs or passes," Whitehead said. "I'd be a fool not to take advantage of the fact that he's still around."


With a four-month-old son at home, Whitehead is currently sequestering himself at the team hotel to keep his family safe. But he feels comfortable with the protocols the NFL has implemented, especially after getting into Bank of America Stadium and seeing what preventative measures the Panthers have done as a franchise.


"For me, it was when I came in and I realized, OK, we don't necessarily have to be all up on each other like the days of old where you're right there — forget six feet, probably six inches from the next person," Whitehead said. "When I came in and realized everyone pretty much had their own setup, you can be in your own world if you want to except for on the practice field where everyone's running around and getting after it."


That's where those football instincts and training come in when Whitehead and the rest of the Panthers are between the white lines. Even in a season as different as this one is sure to be, "Dr." Whitehead can rely on his Ph.D. in football.