Nicknames are a lot of fun. Whether it be the Legion of Boom or our very own Bomb Squad, nicknames are a good way for fans to refer to their favorite players. The Panthers defensive line was once known as Monstrz Inc, a name given to the group by former Panther Greg Hardy, who himself had a CSR given nickname that he embraced during his time in Charlotte. Quite possibly my favorite prime time NFL introduction is Hardy simply stating "Kraken, Hogwarts." So I thought it would be fun to give the position groups their very own nicknames as we head into training camp. Obviously the Special Teams unit is well covered in that department so we will skip them. Below you will find the position groups, the best nickname I could come up with for them, and an explanation. Feel free to add your own nickname ideas in the comments.
Quarterbacks: Cookies 'n' Cream
Cam Newton and Derek Anderson have seemingly fit extremely well together since, well, ever. While they do have different quarterbacking styles, both guys support each other and love watching one another succeed. This type of chemistry is not often seen among guys fighting for the same job. Cam Newton is obviously one tough cookie (get it?!), missing just one game after a horrific car crash last season. He also makes some sweet plays on the field. Though Derek Anderson's play style is a little more vanilla (hah!), his presence really brings out the best in Cam. In this case, the whole is greater than the sum of its already delicious parts.
Running Backs: The Owls
This was honestly one of the tougher nicknames to come up with, but this one fits the best. While owls are not the majestic birds of prey that (Sea)Hawks can be, they can still occasionally go beast mode (see what I did there?). Owls are smart, efficient hunters and are often associated with wisdom. None of the running backs on the Panthers roster are super athletic, big name guys but they all are known as smart, patient runners who don't try to do too much. Jonathan Stewart is really the only somewhat well-known player of the group, and when the other guys get their names called during the games, many casual NFL fans will make owl noises. Picture it, "Jordan Toddman with a three-yard touchdown run!".... "Who?"
Full Backs/Tight Ends: The Avengers
I combined fullbacks and tight ends because many of the tight ends line up at fullback for the Panthers. Obviously Greg Olsen has the fitting nickname of his doppelganger, Thor (Chris Hemsworth). He's also the best of the bunch so it makes sense that he would be the immortal Norse god. Richie Brockel would be Ant Man, as he's the oft-forgotten member who is also one of the longest-tenured of the group. And at "only" 6-foot-1-inch tall, he's also one of the more diminutive. Brandon Williams would be Hulk because of his enormous muscles. Ed Dickson would be Captain America (sorry, Romo) since he's not the flashiest of the group but does his job whenever he is called upon. Mike Tolbert (technically a fullback) is Iron Man, mainly because, by all accounts, he has that outwardly playful personality of Tony Stark.
Wide Receivers: The Mod Squad
For those of us too young to remember, The Mod Squad was a crime drama TV series that started in the late 60's (apparently they had TV back then, who knew?). The Mod Squad was a group of young people that, for different reasons, society somewhat feared (damn hippies!). They were sent undercover to solve cases in exchange for the police dropping the charges the three members individually faced. The Panthers' wide receivers are also a group of (mostly) young guys that many teams "feared." Kelvin Benjamin was too slow and old for a rookie so his draft stock dropped a little, Corey Brown went undrafted because he was undersized and slow, Devin Funchess slipped to the second round after his injuries and lackluster season scared some teams off. Let's hope Ricky Proehl can play the role of Capt. Greer and help these young'uns crack the cases of opposing defenses.
Offensive Line: The Island of Misfit Toys
The much-maligned Panthers' offensive line has been called many things the last few years. Honestly, the Island of Misfit Toys might be one of the nicer things they've been called lately. The line features a group of "unwanted" players, including undrafted rookies, veteran journeymen and even a former defensive lineman. Obviously Ryan Kalil is a very good center and some of the others have shown flashes, but they are still a band of misfits that a lot of teams would not touch.
Defensive Line: Hydra
No, not the bad guys from Captain America, I mean the actual hydra. It was a mythical creature in ancient Greece that was said to have seven heads. And if you cut off one of the heads, two more would grow back in its place. The defensive line as a unit fits this description quite well. The Panthers rotate defensive lineman so much that it feels like at least seven guys are coming at you. Between Charles Johnson, Kony Ealy, Frank Alexander, Mario Addison, Wes Horton, Star Lotulelei, and Kawann Short, stopping everyone will take a Herculean effort (lol) from the opposing offensive line.
Linebackers: Behemoth/Leviathan/Ziz
The Behemoth, Leviathan and Ziz are large monsters mentioned in the Old Testament. The Behemoth is said to control the land, the Leviathan rules over the seas, and the Ziz owns the skies. The Behemoth in this case would be Luke Kuechly. He's the one that patrols the middle of the field and HE decides how far he will allow you to go. All creatures bow before the Behemoth and Luke is no different, as evidenced by his Madden rating being incredibly high. The Leviathan is Thomas Davis. Anything that Luke can't get to, Davis is there to take care of. Ball carriers in the open field have the same fate as sailors on the open seas. The Ziz is only mentioned a couple times in passing and is often not recognized as one of the great creatures. This is fine for our nickname because a third linebacker probably won't see a ton of time on the field. The one player who will likely be that third linebacker (when necessary) is Shaq Thomson, whose coverage skills translate perfectly into the whole "ruling the air" thing that the Ziz is said to do.
Defensive Backs: Descent of Man
The Descent of Man was a book by Darwin about evolutionary theory and descent also means the act of going down. Interestingly enough, the secondary players later on in their "evolution" are definitely in the act of going down talent-wise. Bene Benwikere is a very young player who has done well so far, but he is still trying to prove himself. Josh Norman is a slightly older player who is a little further on the evolutionary scale. He has proven himself lately and will try to continue his stellar play to earn himself a big contract (PAY THE MAN!). Much further on the evolutionary scale is Charles Tillman. He has already had a big contract or two, so he was signed for basically peanuts (I'll be here all week!). He is not as athletic as those earlier in their evolution, but he has veteran wiles. Even further through his evolution is Roman Harper, who is well past his prime. His physical abilities are nowhere near what they used to be so he has to make do with his intelligence. Picture Benwikere as the fish with legs just crawling out of the ocean, Norman as a BA dinosaur, and Tillman and Harper as Homo habilis and Homo sapien, respectively. This also works since many Panther fans think the secondary still has a "missing link" as well.