South Charlotte Today

CHARLOTTE—If given 30 seconds and an opening, Shy Tuttle can recount half the roster of the team that ignited his passion for football. "Steve Smith, Julius Peppers. I like Chris Gamble too. Stephen Davis. I used to swear I was going to be Stephen Davis."

The Midway, North Carolina native is built like someone who destroys ball carriers, not acts as one. But as a 7-year-old growing up an hour north of the Panthers' home in 2003, being the next Stephen Davis was a kid's biggest dream.

"I never got to run the ball my whole life because they had a weight limit where I was from," Tuttle lamented, shuffling away from the 2004 Madden NFL video game set up during the Panthers media day, where the defensive tackle played with the roster he grew up watching. "You couldn't be over a certain amount of pounds and if you were, you had to play O-line. So, I got to middle school, I finally got to run the ball in the championship game. I scored like three touchdowns finally."

Tuttle's career as a running back was short-lived, but the hope to one day be a Panther was born. As he watched the Panthers go to the Super Bowl that 2003 season, his first cognizant memory of the NFL – "I hated the Patriots; that put a bad taste in my mouth on the Patriots. I still don't like the Patriots." – a dream began to form.

"This is a dream come true. It was always in the back of my head."

But for years, it was simply that—a dream requiring significant work and some luck to become tangible. When Tuttle first entered the NFL in 2019, he aimed to provide a clearer path and example for those from his hometown.

On one side of Oak Grove High School's field stood Shy Tuttle, ready for kickoff. On the other side of the field were 150 kids ranging in age from six to twelve, eager to take on Tuttle.

Tuttle took off with the kickoff but was quickly tackled by an energetic 12-year-old after just three seconds. The two had been going head-to-head all day, with Tuttle offering tough love to kids wanting an authentic NFL experience. The camper returned the favor by leading others in tackling Tuttle.

When Tuttle emerged from this dog-pile smiling ear-to-ear, it represented what he had envisioned when starting his free football camp through The Shy Tuttle Foundation three years prior—a chance for local kids to have memories and touchstones for any NFL dreams they might harbor.

"I never had anyone throw a football camp from the NFL when I was a kid," Tuttle reflected as participants lined up for pictures with their local success story. He emphasized why it's crucial for him to return each summer: "All the kids from my neighborhood come to this high school."

Tuttle attended North Davidson High School before Oak Grove was founded. With family on Oak Grove’s coaching staff now and his former defensive coordinator working there as head coach, hosting a camp close to his neighborhood became an opportunity too good to pass up.

"Each year is a better turnout and there are more kids," Tuttle noted proudly.

Throughout camp activities, Tuttle engaged personally with campers at each drill station and exchanged greetings with familiar faces from his community.

Heading into his second year with the Panthers and sixth in the NFL overall, Tuttle remains enthusiastic about those who inspired him growing up—especially meeting Peppers—and continues returning home each summer to provide concrete examples that even wildest dreams can come true.

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