Great Article on Tolbert

[fieryprophet]

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/08/25/2268246/tom-sorensen-panthers-mike-tolbert.html

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — I walk off the practice field with Carolina Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert. I tell Tolbert, who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 245 pounds, he's shorter and thicker than I expected.

I try to make it sound like a compliment.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera was San Diego's defensive coordinator when the Chargers signed Tolbert as a free agent out of Coastal Carolina in 2008.

What was your first impression?

"Honestly, I thought he was roly poly," says Rivera.

Rivera fails to suppress a smile.

"Oh, he's going to kill me for that," Rivera says.

A roly poly is a squat round terrestrial crustacean that, as bugs go, is likeable. It can turn into a ball.

Tolbert only looks as if he could.

Do people underestimate you?

"It happens all the time," Tolbert, 26, says.

He made the Douglas County High varsity football team (in Douglasville, Ga., about 20 miles west of Atlanta) as a freshman.

Says Tolbert: "People were, 'Oh, we got him, we got him, he's a fat running back.' I got the ball and started moving and it was, 'Oh, snap. I got my work cut out for me.' It's one of those things that definitely catches people off guard."

[PhillyB]

i didn't realize he was only 26.

[megadeth078]

"Everybody's been playing football since they were kids and it's only a select few of us that get to play as professionals," Tolbert says as we stand outside the stadium. "So why make it a job when you can have fun like we used have on Saturday mornings with our buddies? That's what I'm doing here. Getting paid is a bonus."

I can see why he turned down that money besides the convenient location. His personality fits perfectly into this offense. This offense is full of players just like him (Cam, Dwill, Stewart, Kalil, Lafell, etc). They all have a strong desire to win, but they all have fun while playing the game. Match made in heaven.

[OnlyPantherFaninMaine]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9kXkyxSV0I

Not mine but a new Tolbert highlight video. The dude breaks tackles and runs people over quite often. Welcome to Charlotte!

[Ivan The Awesome]

i didn't realize he was only 26.

Lots of tread on that tire, at least 5 years.

[Gallagher]

So excited for our running game this season. We are going to juke, burn, stiff arm and bulldoze people.

[rayzor]

So excited for our running game this season. We are going to juke, burn, stiff arm and bulldoze people.

i prefer the words smash, kill, and destroy. agreed, tho.

[jarhead]

I love when he get to the backfield with a head of steam and some db gets destroyed.You can see them trying to get low but they all look like they were punched by Tyson in the end.

[rayzor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9kXkyxSV0I

Not mine but a new Tolbert highlight video. The dude breaks tackles and runs people over quite often. Welcome to Charlotte!

@ 2:50 dude goes to stiff arm one guy and ends up knocking two over. :o

[PanthersAlv]

HAHAHA! I love the part about playing Defense as a linebacker... and the convo with Anderson.

[Lumps]

roly poly

[dr_rock]

"The coaches asked me to." Love me some Tolbert.

[Zod]

Said it months ago, Tolbert could be the best free agent pickup we have had in many, many seasons.

[Marguide]

My only concern with Tolbert is ball security. He does have a bit of a history of fumbles, although he was pretty good last year with just 1.

Hopefully, this is behind him, but seeing him put it on the ground against Miami brought this back to mind.