Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

I’ve been here before, with an undefeated team in December, but this 2015 Panthers squad is different from the 2009 Saints—younger, more unified on the field, but still learning how to handle success. We may not go 16-0, but it’s what happens in Santa Clara in February that matters.


The Panthers are 11-0, something I’m proud to have a small part in. At 32, I’m no beacon of wisdom in the NFL, though our team is so young and my hair is so gray my young defensive backs are calling me Uncle Rome in the locker room. These days guys are beginning to realize how rare it is to go undefeated for this long. As a veteran of the 2009 New Orleans Saints, a team that started 13-0 and won a Super Bowl that season, I get asked about success, and winning, and what an undefeated team looks like.

The short answer is I don’t know.

I thought I knew, before I joined these Panthers two offseasons ago. Now I’m not so sure. Back in 2009, after our 11th consecutive win, a fellow defensive veteran and I had our fair share of drinks on Sunday night to celebrate. After our 11th win in Carolina, I celebrated by playing two-man spades with defensive back Kurt Coleman.

Carolina Panthers safety Roman Harper: Why We

I recommend this read. I enjoyed it.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Good perspective on Harper's part ... reminds me of an ol' infantry sergeant I once knew, :).

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Good read.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Great read, but wasn't it a Saturday night that Dallas beat us?

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Agreed. Experience and football I.Q. goes a long way in this league.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Are you listening, Payton, Junior, Cam, Loomis, Benson? One of the biggest problems with this year's team was, the "10 players in the club at 4 AM" before the season even started. This team spent far too much time partying and living out a real-life episode of "Ballers" down at Republic and the champagne room of the strip joint, and not enough time preparing or prepping. And just like last year, they believed their own hype and thought they were the bees' knees.

Read that paragraph by Harper carefully again, folks. I'd say he is definitely talking in an oblique way about Payton and the current locker room culture of the Saints. He is still friends with a lot of those guys here, and loves them.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Fantastic read. Thanks for posting that Crusader.

I liked this part...

Its the recipe for success that we need to get back to.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Every team in our division was built to beat us.

Guess What? Mission accomplished!:biglaser:

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

If carolina wins the sb it will bother me to stay a fan of football.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

And they are nothing like our 2009 season.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Total different team chemistry. Main difference though is Carolina has not won squat yet so really no point in comparing them. Go win the SB then write the article. I'm not taking away their record, they have had success but still a lot of football. Way to early too compare these teams.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

That might be the reason Payton is taking them away from NOLA for training camp....to get them away from that culture. I don't care what they do in their personal time, as long as they win championships, I could care less. The Saints used to be an organization where FA's had a good shot to play because regardless of draft status we had a "best player play" culture. I didn't really care what players did because at the end of the day, they chose the fate of their job with the decisions they made on and off the field. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I think we lack accountability amongst other problems. Whatever the case,this ship will be righted and I hope its sooner than later.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

nicely put but they do try to get rid of the wrong attitudes and rule breakers as in galette, hope this move saves this team, we are young and making to many mistakes. that's the reason we are 4-6. I believe this nucleus will get better and better, just think the panthers got kuelkey lb just before us. the guy is special. we got to stick together.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

I'm not just talking about players like Galette and that type of drama, I'm also including players staying out late and coming into meetings or getting on the bus/plane late. If a player stays out late,but still does all the things he needs to do as a professional and shows up on game day, its all good. But,if a playeris out late causing problems,showing up late, not performing at 100%,then that's a problem. I know players are gonna have bad games or not be in a zone,playing 100% all the time,but if its because of of field shenanigans, they should be benched for as long as it takes...I don't care who it is.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Like Max McGee who scored the first two touchdowns in Super Bowl history! Got plastered the night before Super Bowl I because he knew he wouldn't play and had to borrow a helmet when he was put in. As he said after the game. “When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time.”

That's why we need Johnnie Football!!! He can walk from the Quarter to the dome and play then walk back!! Bring back the old Raiders of the 60's and 70's. "Just win Baby!!" We need Junior back and get Hardy from the Cowboys. Our new motto: "We don't want players with character, we wan't Characters who can Play"

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

IDK, I kinda' like that kind of player but that was then and this is now. It mighta' worked back then, but today's professional athletes have a different mindset, are too self-centered and only worried about "gettin' mine", IMO. Different era, :neutral:.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Yeah Carolina hasn't made it the SB yet. Seen a lot of big gunslingers get knocked off on the way to the Saloon.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

That was great!

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Good Read.

As an outsider / visitor to NO / before & after Katrina, I resented these words, "...embraced our role as celebrities of a small market.."

He forgot history. He forgot what that building represented, the loss of life, dignity and hope. He forgot as 80,000 filled in with renewed hope focused on not what was lost but what lifted their soul; 80,000 lost their life earlier that morning in Haiti.

My numbers may be wrong; I will never forget making that observation between the death toll in Haiti and attendance at the playoff game.

For a brief moment in time, Harper was part of something larger than a team that won a Superbowl.

Yes, a good read but selfish.


Perhaps, he missed that the team was greater than a roster.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

like yesterdays game a mistake here and there cost this young team a huge win that could carry this team into next year.i saw fight in these here saints man, theres still a bad apple in this group that needs to be thrown out on his asse.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

I agree the Panthers knew they were in a fight no easy victory for them.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

Yep, makes me want to go back and look at their schedule a little more closely to see exactly who they played, #shrug.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

His grey hair and years of experience make up for the 1/2 second of speed delay... and always has.
Our defensive coaching/player evaluation makes Forrest Gump look smart.

http://www.neworleanssaints.com/asse...er_roman_1.jpg

https://aspeakinghuman.files.wordpre...57-399-265.jpg

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

He wasn't slow. He always had pretty decent speed for a SS. He's faster than Kenny Vaccaro.

Re: Roman Harper: Why We’re Undefeated
 

I don't like your team. But you have a very good team.