When he was breaking into the NFL in 2007, Carolina Panthers center Ryan Kalil had several veterans willing to show him the ropes.
Offensive linemen Jordan Gross, Travelle Wharton and Geoff Hangartner all took an interest in the second-round pick from Southern Cal, as did quarterback Jake Delhomme.
As Kalil enters his 12th and final season, he wants to pay that forward by mentoring and counseling the Panthers’ young linemen.
Kalil, 33, has always looked out for young guys — he literally wrote the book on it (“The Rookie Handbook,” published in 2016). But with Kalil nearing the end of his NFL journey, his encouraging words and pearls of wisdom are taking on more meaning to those who are benefiting from them.