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closeCHARLOTTE — It wasn’t that long ago that when Carolina Panthers wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett was talking, Steve Smith would bristle. Wednesday, when Jarrett’s name came up, Smith flashed a smile and threw a thumbs-up in the air.
“All good,” Smith said when asked about the youngster, who’ll get a chance to play this week because of D.J. Hackett’s knee injury. “He’s got his listening ears on.”
All signs point to that being the case, that Jarrett’s over last year’s near-terminal bout of 21 — and ready to become a contributing member of the team that chose him in the second round of the draft with high expectations.
When he arrived last year, he was full of swagger, dragging a load of college records behind him. It’s just that he was a little slow making those talents translate into NFL skill. Now, at the ripe old age of 22, he can look back on his lost rookie season as a lesson.
“Yeah, I think last year was me just trying to figure things out,” Jarrett said. “I didn’t know if I was coming or going, or active this week and inactive the next. It was a learning experience. I had to be a man about it and figure out what I was doing wrong.
“Some people take longer than others, but as long as you get it, that’s what matters.”
In his laundry list of symptoms of a season gone wrong, he left out his drunk driving arrest and making Smith mad by missing a film session, which got him a public scolding. Those items have become part of Jarrett’s backstory now, as much as the 41 touchdowns in three years at Southern Cal. Or really, that he had just six catches last season and was inactive for more games than he played.
He admits that much of his problem had to do with the immaturity that comes with that perilous age, and an instant immersion into a lifestyle of money and unsupervised free time.
“Yeah, I would say so,” Jarrett said when asked if he’s in a better place now. “Just more comfortable with everything, where I’m at as an individual, as a person, and just growing up. I came in just scratching 21. So, coming in from college to the NFL is definitely two different lifestyles.
“Playing wasn’t, but the learning and the off-the-field stuff was. It came slowly but gradually, and I just kept working on it.”
That work has earned him the respect of his teammates, who agree that he’s more ready for a role now than he would have been earlier. Each week, they give an award for the scout team player of the week, the guy who best helped the starters prepare for that week’s game. Last week, it was Jarrett, proof of his new work ethic since he knew there was no way he was going to be active for the Kansas City game with Hackett ahead of him.
“Dwayne has looked like a totally different player this year,” cornerback Ken Lucas said. “I’ve commended him all since training camp. You can see the urgency that he’s been practicing with and playing when he has had the opportunity to go out there and play.
“It goes to the hard work he put in this summer. He came in (last year), and I don’t think mentally he was ready for what the NFL presented to him. This second year, he came in and conducted himself like a seasoned veteran. You’re seeing it on the field now.”
Quarterback Jake Delhomme, a guy who knows about waiting for your turn, said he singled Jarrett out last week, struck by the intensity with which he was practicing.
“To watch him run and participate and not sulk was one of the most satisfying things to me,” Delhomme said. “That’s somebody when they start to realize — and I told him that the other day. I told him that the other day, this was before I knew D.J. was hurt. I said, ‘Hey, it’s going to come at some time for you.’ It’s frustrating, I don’t think there’s any doubt. It’s frustrating when you can’t get a uniform to go out there on Sunday. He grew up a whole lot from year one to year two. He’s kept working. He hasn’t said anything. He hasn’t sulked. He’s been here. Other guys have seen it. Coaches have seen it. That’s why I expect him to do big things when he gets out there.
“He’s kind of taken the bull by the horns, and you respect somebody when they do that.”
Jarrett’s still not going to have a starring role in the offense, but at least he’s going to play. With Smith and Muhsin Muhammad firmly entrenched as starters, his chances to make plays will be limited. Since the Panthers are using far more two-tight end than three-receiver sets this year, the opportunities are narrower.
But it was in that role as the third receiver that he made a big third-down catch during the San Diego comeback, so there will be a chance for him. He’s not as versatile as Hackett (not quite ready to be as effective in the slot), but he’s still capable of things on the field.
If it works out during this injury audition (Hackett’s going to miss several weeks with an MCL sprain), there’s a chance he might never go back to the days of practicing hard and never playing.
“Oh yeah, it’s an opportunity for me,” Jarrett said. “Coach (John) Fox always says to stay ready, you never know what’s going to happen. It’s unfortunate it took somebody getting hurt for me to be active, but at the same time it’s an opportunity, and I’m going to represent this receiving crew to the best of my ability and try to help this team win.”
The only question that remains is whether he’s really prepared.
A year ago, the answer might have been different.
Wednesday, the look of relief on his face said it all.
“Oh yeah,” Jarrett said. “Been ready.”
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