WATCH: Panthers OT Brady Christensen Introductory Press Conference
RE: The last 24 hours
"It’s been surreal. It’s been an amazing experience. When I got that call, I was so pumped to be here in Carolina, to be a Panther. I had my family there, I have a wife and a baby, and to be able to celebrate with them was amazing. Then I was able to fly out this morning at 6 a.m., so I fell asleep about 12 last night. I woke up about three [o’clock] to get to the airport to come out here because I wanted to meet all the coaches and get out here. I’m just so excited to be here."
RE: Having an early morning flight
"They said, “Are you good with a 6 a.m. flight?” and I said, “Yep, I’ll be there.” That’s what happened, and I’m glad to be here.
RE: If he’s used to being up early with a baby at home; and how has fatherhood been
"That’s what I’ve been telling everyone. I flew into Atlanta first and they had those pods where you can kind of lay down your seat. My feet were like jammed into the front, but I was able to lay down and get a little bit of sleep. I don’t know if I’ve slept that good for a few weeks here now. Fatherhood, it’s amazing. To be able to just be a dad and see my son get bigger and stuff, it’s been so amazing so far."
RE: His son’s measurables
"He was only seven (pounds), 13 (ounces). He’s like really normal sized. His head was normal, which is crazy, because me and my wife both have big heads and we were shocked. But the funny thing about him is the doctors were like, “He has the biggest feet out of any newborn baby we’ve every seen.” They measured it, and he was like three inches. They were like, “We’ve never seen that in our life.” He just has massive feet, and they stick out. There’s pictures, and people are like, “Is that a real picture of his feet?” I’m like, “Yes, that’s real. He just has really long feet. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be tall, maybe he’ll be short, but he has just really big feet."
RE: His son’s name
"His name is Ledger. Ledger Brady Christensen."
RE: The past year dealing with the pandemic, preparing for the draft and having a son
"I think really enjoying being in the moment is how I’ve dealt with everything. I played at BYU and our schedule was basically ripped down. We had 12 games and by the end, we had like one game, so we had to rebuild that whole schedule. For a while we were in fall camp and we really didn’t know if we were going to play. When were actually able to play a season and play those games, it was just so enjoyable. Then this whole process of training for the NFL, it’s obviously a dream come true, and being able to have a baby on top of that, it’s really just enjoying the moment, and I’m excited to get out here and ready to compete for sure."
RE: Familiarity with Charlotte
"First time in Charlotte. I’ve heard so many good things. My father-in-law was actually here like 10 years ago when they got this much of snow, and he said the whole city shut down. So I was like, “That’s good. It must be warm.” Because in Utah, you need like three feet of snow to shut down. I’m glad it’s nice and warm, good weather."
RE: Walking into Bank of America Stadium for the first time
"It was almost as surreal as that phone call I got. I walked out, and it’s a beautiful stadium. It’s a big bowl right along the city. You can see the city right behind it. I just looked and I was picturing myself playing out there. It was unbelievable, and I’m just so excited to be here. I feel like this is a perfect place for me, and I can’t wait to compete and play the game that I love."
RE: His thoughts on Carolina’s draft class
"My first part was – he’s not part of the draft class – but they picked up Micah Simon after his pro day, and he’s from BYU as well. I was pumped when I got the call. I was pumped right away to be able to play with him again. As far as the draft class, I think it’s a great draft class. I know they have a bunch of picks today. I know last year they had like seven defensive picks, so a really young team, obviously a pretty new coaching staff. I can just feel the great energy in this building. You can feel it. You can fell there is something special brewing here, and I’m just ready to be a part of it and to be able to give it my all for this organization and this team."
RE: Playing multiple positions on the offensive line
"I think I have proven that I can play left tackle at a high level and I feel like I can play at a high level in the NFL as well and for the Panthers. With that being said, I know I can play all five (offensive line positions) at a high level. I feel like my athleticism will be able to transfer over to any position. Really, I want to do what’s best to help this team win. O-linemen, you put the five best guys out there, and I’m planning to be one of those guys and ready to compete and ready to roll."
RE: Panthers QB Sam Darnold and RB Christian McCaffrey
"I’ve obviously watched Christian a ton. Unbelievable running back. So fun to watch him play. And Sam Darnold as well. A top-five pick. Really excited to meet him and be able to protect him. It’s going to be fun. I’m excited to meet those guys and earn their respect with my work ethic and be able to just grind. That’s what I plan on doing here and excited to roll and get to work."
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