The 21-year-old Ekwonu looks around in the offensive room and sees plenty of experience, and the right kind. The Panthers added guard Austin Corbett in free agency (fresh off winning a Super Bowl ring with the Rams) and center Bradley Bozeman (a three-year starter for the Ravens, one of the league’s most consistent teams).
Along with mentors known for their work habits, such as right tackle Taylor Moton, Ekwonu has plenty of good examples to follow.
As he spent his first few months as a professional getting caught up and learning, Ekwonu has also absorbed the lessons they have to share. During drills in OTAs, Corbett is one of the ones out front of every group, sprinting from station to station, and Moton’s often one of the last ones off the field.
“The biggest thing is the little things to me,” Ekwonu said. “Corbett’s always the first one in the drills; he’s always trying to set the example. So all of us, me wanting to grow my role as a leader on this team; that’s something I’m focusing on. Do everything little thing that you can, so the big things happen in the season.
“With Bozeman, his big thing is recovery. He has specialists he works with in season that have been working on his body for years. He’s got a routine. He has a routine for his body, and I’ve been talking to him about what he does to stay in this league as long as he has. Those have been the biggest things.
“I’m trying to be as proactive as I can about it. My age is one of my biggest positives, how fresh my body is, but in the NFL, that can go fast. So staying as fresh as I can while my body is fresh is going to preserve me that much longer.”
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