Ikem Ekownu Exit Interviews - End of 2023 Season
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00:00 I would say I appreciate a lot of the main reasons that I'm currently a fan of his.
00:05 Definitely wish him the best.
00:06 I appreciate everything he did for us.
00:08 >> Does this offer this organization just kind of a fresh start?
00:11 It's the first time in a long time.
00:12 You and Coach Nugent got to see him in time.
00:14 What kind of opportunities does this give you?
00:18 >> I mean, I guess fresh start is the word for it, I guess.
00:22 But obviously going into the off season, it's a fresh start for everybody.
00:25 Just resettling, evaluate things, make sure you're heading to off season strong.
00:31 >> Hickey, what do you think was the biggest difference from your rookie season
00:34 to this year, the past career struggles?
00:36 Just what was the biggest difference?
00:37 Was it scheme, potentially?
00:40 >> Biggest difference?
00:41 I wouldn't say it was scheme necessarily.
00:44 I think it was more just, I don't know.
00:47 It's really hard to pinpoint, honestly.
00:49 I really got to look back on the season and just kind of figure some things out.
00:53 Figure out what things went wrong, what things broke down,
00:56 that kind of just evaluate the whole season as a whole.
00:58 I'll be answering for you.
00:59 >> When you talk about fresh start, just the chance to go into this off season,
01:03 reset, watch from home, see how it's going on.
01:07 How excited are you?
01:09 >> Definitely, that'd be something I feel like I need.
01:13 Flush everything, evaluate everything I can,
01:16 evaluate myself as a player, evaluate ways I could have made this team better.
01:20 Ways I made this team worse, and kind of make sure that I've tied this off season and
01:24 make sure I'm ready for next year.
01:25 >> Icky, with a new coaching staff coming in,
01:27 there might be some change in the assistants.
01:29 What would be your kind of pitch to the new head coach about James Campin?
01:33 >> I think James Campin is obviously a great coach, great guy.
01:37 Really, really the glue for us.
01:39 Struggled through a lot of adversity this year, and he kind of kept the room together.
01:42 It's something I really appreciated for.
01:44 He's helped me a lot over these last couple years.
01:47 Definitely a high value guy.
01:49 I think we really have a high value class team moving forward.
01:53 So definitely a puzzle piece I don't wanna miss.
01:55 >> Regarding help, up and down season for a lot of folks on the roster.
02:01 Talk about the brotherhood and
02:04 what that's meant to you through the season and going forward.
02:08 >> Yeah, the brotherhood's been great.
02:09 Locker's been unified the whole year.
02:12 Hasn't had any finger pointing from the coaches or the players.
02:15 We stuck together through all the adversity.
02:18 Obviously, it's definitely harder, I feel like, for
02:20 the defense to stay with us.
02:22 Kinda just how we were struggling.
02:23 But definitely appreciate the guys on the defensive side of the ball always
02:26 encouraging us throughout the game, throughout the week.
02:28 And kinda just being a steady force.
02:33 Obviously, I wish we could have did more.
02:36 Wish I could have did more, more than anything.
02:38 Appreciate those guys.
02:38 Appreciate the guys in this building.
02:40 Just kinda just staying together through everything.
02:43 It was definitely something that I did appreciate.
02:46 >> And what do you, go ahead.
02:48 >> I have a real unique perspective here cuz you grew up here and
02:51 you went to games here.
02:52 And you know what it feels like and it's great.
02:55 I wonder if you could contrast the way it was when you were blown up as a fan to
03:00 maybe how it is now and cuz you really are so close lately.
03:06 >> I mean, I can't really speak on that too much just cuz obviously as a fan,
03:10 I wasn't in the building.
03:11 There's a lot of stuff that happens behind the scenes that the fans are privy to.
03:14 >> I guess it's more like excitement level in the city.
03:18 >> I guess energy has a different little bit.
03:23 Definitely want to do everything we can to put the best product on that field as
03:28 we can and this year we didn't get that done enough.
03:32 So I can understand the frustration that some of the fans.
03:34 I can understand why energy might be lost sometimes in the stadium but
03:39 we can't make that excuse ever.
03:40 We gotta do everything we can to make sure we play our best football.
03:43 >> But what's it like in Charlotte?
03:45 Maybe it'll happen next year, maybe it'll happen in two years.
03:47 What's it like in Charlotte though when the Panthers are off?
03:50 Cuz you know that better than anyone.
03:53 >> It's a great feeling.
03:54 A great feeling having a hometown team ball out.
03:55 Being able to talk, obviously you got a lot of different teams.
04:00 You got people living in Charlotte, so
04:02 it's kind of a melting pot when it comes to NFL teams.
04:04 So being able to stand, be proud of your hometown,
04:07 talk to anybody that comes from outside of town, it means a lot.
04:11 So that we're definitely gonna get back to.
04:13 >> I know it's early in the offseason, but
04:15 what are some of your personal areas of focus gonna be going into this offseason?
04:19 >> That's something I really gotta just, once I have a chance to evaluate myself for
04:23 what the offseason will happen, that's important.
04:25 Right now I'm just focused on getting away a little bit, resetting my mind.
04:29 I know Nigga Sharp, I tried to offseason as best as I can.
04:33 Nigga Sharp, the best tackle, come in next year.
04:35 So I gotta evaluate myself a little bit more.
04:38 I'll have an answer for you later.
04:41 >> Nicky, when you have a tough season as a team individually,
04:45 how do you stop that from taking away from your passion for the game?
04:49 You're wanting to get that improvement and get that.
04:53 >> Well, I think that's something that all the players in the locker room did
04:56 a great job at.
04:57 No matter what the record show, each and every week, I wanted to win,
05:01 wanted to compete.
05:02 There was never a week where we felt bad for ourselves.
05:05 There was never a week where we didn't have the spirit of winners.
05:08 And I think that's a huge credit to the players, but
05:10 also the coaching staff that we have on this team, keeping guys focused.
05:14 And internally, just focus on the main mission, which is winning games.
05:20 So I don't think that's ever gonna change.
05:21 We're always gonna have that fighter spirit.
05:23 >> Speaking of that, I mean, that's one of the biggest traits of your team.