Talk » Community Q&A with former Panthers receiver and

coach Ricky Proehl Playing in the NFL is a dream that many people have had Stitched Luke Kuechly Jersey , but so few have ever actually experienced.It takes an incredible amount of work, athletic ability, and more than your fair share of luck just to even get the chance to step on an NFL field. Of those precious few, an even scarcer amount will make an NFL roster, record a statistic, or participate in a playoff game. The rarest of all trophies is to play in, or win, a Super Bowl... and that’s a dream that even those fortunate enough to have a full career in the NFL might never realize.Ricky Proehl did it four times, with three teams, and won it twice.Now imagine the entire football life cycle. Start with junior ball, playing just in front of your friends and family. Progress in your mind through gradually larger crowds in high school and college, constantly wondering if you’ll ever get that shot in the pros.Think of your first training camp as a rookie that kickstarts a 17-year NFL career that lands you in front of millions of fans at four different Super Bowls... all the while balancing a “normal” life with a wife, three kids, and the prospect of a life after football looming on the horizon. Picture that horizon finally arriving, and thinking that the real reward is finally on your doorstep. Build a life in Greensboro, North Carolina. Build an incredible athletic complex, Proehlific Park, the likes of which this town has never seen. Watch your kids grow up as you grow older, and admire as your sons play their own football at East Carolina and in the NFL. Now invite a group of around seventy-five people into your sports complex to share in some laughter Youth Bruce Irvin Jersey , fellowship, story-telling, and of course... pizza. In a great show of humility, let these folks, many of them strangers, pass around and wear those championship rings you worked so hard to achieve on their pepperoni stained fingers while they shamelessly take selfie after selfie.Greatest Show on Turf ring with the St. Louis Rams on the pinky, and Carolina Panthers NFC Championship ring on the middle. If you thought I could resist taking this picture, you’re giving me far more professional credit than I deserve.You’re now living that Ricky Proehl life... and life is good.I was lucky enough to be one of those in attendance as Ricky recounted his various steps along the way, sharing stories of great and not so great moments in a refreshingly candid fashion. He spoke about some of his clutch moments, like two separate instances of game-tying touchdown catches in two different Super Bowls (with the Rams and the Panthers), both of which would have been the defining moments of their respective games... had it not been for that meddling Adam Vinatieri. Speaking of some of the greatest to ever play their positions, Ricky had an opportunity to experience all sorts of NFL characters across many different teams. When asked about his favorite QBs, he mentioned several that included Steve Beurlein and Jake Delhomme, but those were dwarfed by two of the games greats.The most hilarious story of the night came when Proehl was talking about a little known Carolina Panthers practice squad guy named Casey Cramer, and the sorts of hijinx and dares that guys like him would take on just to make a few bucks while they tried to make the roster.The building roared with laughter. He continued... Another round of roaring laughter. He had the crowd in stitches. It was so great to hear some of these stories of the types of shenanigans you or I might have also got into with our friends growing up (but probably for a heck of a lot less money).It wasn’t all laughter though. Ricky touched on a few hard subjects as well. These ranged from problems in the league like the lack of prospects coming out of college that are truly NFL ready, to personal issues he had keeping his athletic complex open early on, and even answered a question from me about CTE and what the future of the game will need to look like to stay relevant.But perhaps the most poignant moment of the evening, was hearing Ricky talk about coaching young players and being a dad himself, and some of the moments he shared with his kids that let him know he raised them right and how proud of them he was. He told a story about one of his sons being afraid of driving home after a concert one night Stitched Bruce Irvin Jersey , and he did the thing that many of our parents told us to do... he made the right decision to call his Dad to come pick him up. When asked why he didn't ride with a friend, or take an Uber, he responded that he didn't want to leave anything to chance, and knew he could count on his Dad.You could see, hear, and feel that moment in time as he spoke unguarded to all of us like just another man trying to make sense of kids and fatherhood. Even those of us without kids could empathize with him and what it takes as men to openly share these feelings. Moments like these are what turn meetings into fellowships, and strangers into friends.The evening closed with a round of applause and I got the chance to ask a few more things one on one with him a bit more informally. He gave me a positive review from what he’s seen so far in D.J. Moore, and as if it would surprise any of you, when asked about Luke Kuechly he called him an extremely special player and the guy he’d always want leading his football team. When the players bring up their Madden ratings, he wears the fact he pre-existed such nonsense by being featured in Tecmo Super Bowl for the NES as a badge of honor.From the “Greatest Show on Turf” to the “Cardiac Cats”, Ricky has led a charmed football life. Now he’s enjoying watching his kids forge their own paths, while he fosters his own greatest show on turf at Proehlific Park. Events like this one organized by him and Search Ministries of Greensboro might become more common in the future, should any of you in the area want to get involved. I left tonight with the lesson in hand that no matter the paths we walk, there’s always common ground for conversation and camaraderie... and if we dedicate ourselves to being students of our respective games, we can all come out on top.The only part that stings, is that it just says “NFC Champions” on the side. NEW YORK (AP) — Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have that familiar look that the rest of the NFL has grown accustomed to over the years.Championship contender.The Patriots remained No. 1 in the AP Pro32 poll on Tuesday , receiving 10 of 12 first-place votes for 381 points in balloting by media members who regularly cover the NFL.New England (12-3) needs just a win or a Pittsburgh loss to claim home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs again.“The road to the Super Bowl will undoubtedly go through Foxborough — again — now that the Patriots are one win away from clinching home-field advantage — again — in the AFC playoffs,” Newsday’s Bob Glauber said.“Rob Gronkowski makes the Bills pay — again — for not drafting the hometown star tight end Youth Graham Gano Jersey , as the Pats dominate Buffalo.“All they need now to clinch the No. 1 seed is a season-ending win over the Jets — a layup if there ever was one.”The Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings, who received one first-place vote, are tied for No. 2.“Don’t think Ben Roethlisberger and company wouldn’t relish a rematch against the Patriots, even if it’s in Foxborough with a Super Bowl berth on the line,” Ira Kaufman of SB Nation Radio said of the Steelers.Despite having the NFL’s best record at 13-2 and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, the Philadelphia Eagles, who received the other first-place vote, couldn’t make up any ground and remained No. 4. The Eagles got past the Oakland Raiders 19-10 on Christmas night in a sluggish game.“Doug Pederson probably has won Coach of the Year, managing to keep winning without Carson Wentz,” said Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.“But the Eagles didn’t look like Super Bowl contenders against the Raiders.”Another NFC division champion, the Los Angeles Rams, maintained its spot in the poll at No. 5.“Keep hitting high notes,” Fox Sports John Czarnecki said of the NFC West champions.The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers, tied for first place in the NFC South, followed at No. 6 and No. 7 respectively.“It has to please Sean Payton how well the defense is finishing the season,” John Clayton of 710-ESPN Seattle said about the Saints coach. “What a turnaround.”The Jacksonville Jaguars, set to host a playoff game for the first time since the 1999 season, remained at No. 8.“Does anyone outside of Jags HQ trust Blake Bortles in the playoffs?” asked Alex Marvez of The Sporting News.The Kansas City Chiefs (No. 9) and Atlanta Falcons flipped places from last week to round out the top 10.