South Charlotte Today

The Carolina Panthers are preparing for their upcoming game in Germany by focusing on rest and adjusting to the time difference. The team has sought advice from previous travelers, including NASA, to optimize their schedules and meal plans. Last year, Robert Hunt learned a lesson when he stayed awake playing video games during a flight with the Dolphins, resulting in fatigue.

"I was up playing video games the whole nine hours," Hunt said. "This is not a made-up story."

Hunt plans to get some sleep this time around. The Panthers will fly overnight after practice, aiming to maximize rest during the flight. Director of Health, Performance, and Nutrition Andrew Althoff emphasized finding a balance between managing jet lag and avoiding stress.

"The hard part is like, let's find a balance of giving guys realistic things that they can do to help with the time change," Althoff said.

Veteran players like Jadeveon Clowney and Taylor Moton have strategies for sleeping on planes, while others like D.J. Wonnum struggle with in-flight rest.

"It comes down to discipline," Althoff added. "It's understanding we're going over there and this is a business trip."

Upon arrival in Germany, players will be encouraged to stay active until 11 p.m. local time to adjust quickly. Andy Dalton shared his experience from previous international games, emphasizing the importance of rest despite awkward departure times.

"So you've got to try to get your body to relax and find a way to get some sleep," Dalton said.

Punter Johnny Hekker highlighted the challenge of traveling long distances but noted that preparation could ease adjustment upon landing.

"You want to kind of be running on fumes so that way you can just kind of lay down and fall asleep," Hekker explained.

The Panthers aim for discipline as they prepare for their overseas match while managing travel-related challenges.