D.J. Wonnum, an outside linebacker for the Carolina Panthers, has stated that the team’s defense is focused on establishing a new standard as they enter the upcoming season. Speaking after a training camp session, Wonnum emphasized that last year’s performance was not acceptable and that both returning players and newcomers must embrace higher expectations.
“It’s a new standard around here,” Wonnum said Friday following the latest training camp practice. “We’ve got to set that standard each and every day, even the young guys that came in, they’ve got to know that we’re coming to work, we’re coming to get to it because last year was not the standard.”
Wonnum, 27, played only eight games last season due to injury but now holds the most starts among Panthers pass rushers. He described his efforts over the past year to recover from injury and prepare his body for a full season.
“Man, it’s going to mean a lot to me,” Wonnum said of playing all 17 games. “Obviously, I haven’t done that in a minute, so just the little things are taking care of my body each and every day off the field, and doing little things, just rehab, doing stuff at home.
“All different types of things is going to help me do that, 100% staying healthy, being ready to go, just get my body acclimated to playing a football game, being able to actually tackle and go to the ground and I don’t know, do whatever, whatever it takes to play live football pretty much.”
Wonnum also addressed his role as a leader on defense and outlined his goals for himself and his teammates.
“We expect greatness, we expect excellence, we expect just guys wanting to come to work and be ready to go to work every day,” Wonnum preached. “So it’s just a new standard. We’re not settling for nothing less, so we’re just ready to work every day.”
The Panthers added rookies Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen through this spring’s draft. Wonnum expressed optimism about their potential: “the sky’s the limit for those guys.” The defensive front will also see Derrick Brown return after injuries kept both him and Wonnum off the field together during much of last season. Wonnum anticipates working alongside Brown will strengthen their run defense.
“I didn’t get to play with him, but I watched a lot of film on him before,” he said. “He could set the edge from the 3, from wherever he’s at for real. So just having him putting a dent in those runs, making the runs bounce to me, makes my job a lot easier.”
A key change this year is Wonnum’s reunion with Patrick Jones II; both previously played together on the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive line. Their familiarity helps them communicate effectively during games.
“So Minnesota, we hung out a lot on the field and off the field. We talk football literally all the time. Every time we’re together we talk football,” Wonnum shared.
“So just because he plays inside as well, just him telling me or kind of knowing hand gestures; different signals that he might give me like oh yeah I’m going high I’m going wrap under you or just I don’t know just being around each other we kind of know just off his body language and how he look what he’s going do.”
Wonnum summarized these changes as part of creating an identity based on high standards throughout all aspects of preparation and performance.
“Basically it’s just a winning mentality—a winning standard,” promised Wonnum. “We’re not setting low standards around here. Everything is championship level from physicality to effort in practice to how you live off field. It’s just a different level.”
