Absence shows Panther's Hoover's influence

By Darin Gantt - daringantt@carolina.rr.com

CHARLOTTE -- To look at him, to watch him walk across the room looking like an old man, you never would know how much the Carolina Panthers have missed Brad Hoover this year.

But if the last three weeks (and two scattered games earlier in the year) have taught them anything, it's that they might have taken him for granted earlier this year, or at least underestimated the lag time needed to train his replacement.

As much as his teammates respected him before, it was hard to realize the impact Hoover has had in Charlotte until he went missing. While he doesn't expect to be pain-free the rest of the year, he expects to be back on the field today when the Panthers play the New York Jets.

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“I don't (take him for granted). I tried to say that in training camp,” Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme said last week. “He's very valuable. There's no denying it. What he does, run game, pass game, his smarts, his toughness and he's looked up to.

“He's held in high regard by players. That's the biggest thing.”

Delhomme was referring to an interview back in August, when in the middle of discussing another topic altogether, he admitted he was changing course to “get up on my soapbox a little bit.”

“Brad Hoover does not get the credit he deserves,” Delhomme said that day. “It's true. I think he goes under the radar. He's such a key part of our running game. He's a guy I wish would get more national recog-nition, meaning more Pro Bowls and things like that.

“You can ask those two running backs, because he's their eyes. And he's fantastic. He's a big key to that. Having him really helps the running game.”

The respect for Hoover is the kind won over years, because on the surface, you would think he would be easier to replace.

After all, there are a lot of players bigger, faster and with better hands than Hoover. It's not hard to achieve some of those goals. But the things he does best are the hardest to define.

The ability to read defenses, set up blocks and clear lanes for others is what has separated Hoover in recent years. While the Panthers are better and deeper at running back than at any point in franchise history, his improvement in that area might be the reason the Panthers are truly a running team.

Tailback DeAngelo Williams said it was Hoover's early background as a running back that has made him more valuable. Whether it was his days as a record-setter at Ledford High or Western Carolina, or his early stint in Charlotte which included reaching cult-hero status on Monday Night Football against Green Bay in 2000, the night the chant of “Hooooooov” was born.

“Brad's been at the fullback spot, has a lot of experience,” Williams said. “But playing running back before he got to the NFL helps him. He doesn't read the hole like a lineman or a tight end. He reads the hole like a running back. Where he'd run the ball is where you run the ball, because he clears up holes. ...

“Ultimately, it does come down to his read. He does a great job of finding those holes and opening them for us. Whenever he's in there, he's very critical.”

But the not being in there is the problem. Hoover turned 33 earlier this month, and the Panthers drafted the guy they wanted to replace him earlier this year. But if rookie fourth-rounder Tony Fiammetta — considered the best fullback prospect in last year's draft — has taught them anything this year, it's that he still has a lot to learn. He certainly is talented and bright, and has potential, but some of the plays he hasn't made are the ones that show you the true value of Hoover, the things that physical talent alone won't get you.

There was no better example than in the Panthers' last game against Miami, when Fiammetta misread a pass protection and cleanly picked left tackle Travelle Wharton out of the play, allowing Miami linebacker Joey Porter a sack.

“He's come a long way,” Hoover said of Fiammetta. “I continue to talk to him, tell him you've got to continue to learn, whether it's good or bad every time you step out there. I think that's something, with every experience he's getting to play, he's growing and learning from it. You're going to have good games, bad games, but every time you've got to evaluate yourself and take something away from it.