Tahir Whitehead never played directly under Panthers head coach Matt Rhule when they were at Temple.
Rhule was the Owls’ offensive coordinator, and Whitehead a linebacker, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t leave a strong impression.
Whitehead, the newest Panthers linebacker, while staying safe at his home in Atlanta with his four kids — including a baby born on March 19 — described Rhule as a “player’s coach,” someone who was “extremely vocal” and loves to “have fun,” but also keeps his players accountable for their actions. They’ve known each other for more than a decade.
Whitehead, 29, was at Temple from 2008-11. Since then, he spent the first six years of his career with the Lions, and the past two with the Raiders until he was released earlier this month before free agency began. He was set to account for $7.29 million in cap space in 2020, per Over The Cap, and his release saved the Raiders $6.25 million. The Panthers gave him a one-year, $2.5 million contract.
There are multiple reasons why Whitehead ended up with the Panthers, including the fact that it’s near his home in Atlanta, but the Panthers’ coaching staff was a big part of it. He even has a story about Rhule that stuck with him over the years.
“One practice (we were getting ready), then out of nowhere (Rhule) comes out with a helmet and shoulder pads on. I remember looking at him like, ‘hey, this guy’s crazy,’” Whitehead said. “(The player he went up against was) probably about twice Matt’s size and Matt still, he didn’t care. He’s like, come on, we got to show you guys how to get going right here. Push the issue, you know, believe in toughness and all that stuff and he went out there and he just just started hitting guys, got in the middle of the circle boom in the ring style … I was like okay, this is the type of guy you know you want to have on your team you could go to battle for.”
When he’s going to battle for his new head coach, Whitehead will be among the more experienced players on the Panthers’ new-look defense with many veterans from last season having moved on in free agency, including Gerald McCoy and Mario Addison. But it’s Luke Kuechly’s absence following his retirement in January that most directly impacts Whitehead. He has significant experience playing middle linebacker, like Kuechly. Both were selected in the 2012 NFL draft, — Kuechly ninth overall to the Panthers and Whitehead 138th (fifth-round) to the Lions.
But Whitehead said that he won’t necessarily be filling the future hall-of-famer’s spot directly.
“I can play any position pretty much, I’m versatile in that sense. It hasn’t really been something that’s been racking my brains, I really didn’t want to reach out to them and, you know, pin them down like, ‘hey, you know what am I going to play?’ “ Whitehead said. “I know that I’m pretty much comfortable on the inside or outside, so whenever they let me know … I’m rolling with the flow and then that’s I’m going to learn and that’s what I’m going to play.”
Last year with the Raiders, he totaled 100-plus tackles for the fourth straight year, but had no sacks, no forced fumbles and no interceptions. He played 90% of the defensive snaps and was the team’s defensive play-caller after Vontaze Burfit was suspended indefinitely.
Even if Whitehead doesn’t end up exactly filling the middle linebacker role, he has another big similarity with Kuechly. They both wore jersey No. 59. At both his stops with the Lions and the Raiders, Whitehead has donned the number. The Panthers have yet to making announcements about new numbers being retired or additions to the team’s Hall of Honor. Carolina’s website lists Whitehead as numberless and he said he isn’t particularly attached to 59.
“I haven’t really even thought about it too much … it would just be, you know the number, that I’ve been able to wear my whole career but we haven’t really talked about it,” Whitehead said. “I know Luke wore it and everything, obviously he’s a great guy, a great player and all around, you know, it would be different. I would say for people to you know see me in the number. At the end of the day, we’re gonna see how that goes … I’m not really too hung up on the number.”
Whatever number he wears or role he fills, Whitehead will be among four former Temple players playing for Rhule, who has left the quite the impression on his players, even from afar.
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