Bryce Young explains his 'quiet confidence' as he starts NFL career
Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young is a cool customer, known for his calm demeanor and quiet confidence in his play. During Panthers OTA’s, Young was asked where his confidence comes from and the perception of others looking from the outside in.
“I don’t really know how other people necessarily perceive me or what people may think,” Young admitted. “For me, I think confidence is something you earn and I show up every day for I think right now is when as a team, as a group we try to earn that confidence.”
The Panthers were confident enough in Young to trade four draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore in order to secure the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Carolina selected Young following his impressive two-year run as Alabama‘s starting quarterback, where he threw for 8,200 yards and 79 yards and took home the Heisman Trophy in 2021.
There’s no doubt that Young’s college teammates in Tuscaloosa had plenty of confidence in him, but will his NFL teammates feel the same way? Young detailed the importance of building that trust and establishing confidence as an offense with him under center.
“We earn that trust in one another because you need that for the season. So I think that’s something that we’re still building on, I’m building on, I think those are a big part of OTAs, gonna be a big part of training camp to establish that trust, that confidence that we have in one another and that’s a process,” Young explained.
Young must be doing something right at OTAs, as veteran quarterback Andy Dalton initially took the first-team reps at quarterback to start off OTAs before Young was recently elevated to the team’s starter.
Physical talent and abilities aside, Young was praised during the NFL Draft evaluation process for his intangibles, regarded as a cerebral player with a high football IQ who even had his hands in the preparation and game plan of Alabama’s offense on a weekly basis in high school.
If Young can translate the mental and physical side of the game into his rookie season, he’ll surely earn the trust and confidence of his peers, as the Panthers enter a season where the NFC South is looking like one of the most open divisional title races in the entire league.
“So for me I feel like I try to attack that every day, us as a unit, me individually, try to instill trust and confidence in one another,” Young said. “So I think that’s a big goal for us.”