Q&A: Carolina Panthers RB Brandon Wegher

Ten questions about life off the field with Carolina Panthers RB Brandon Wegher:

Q. There’s this thing the running backs always say. “Shout me out!” during interviews. It’s usually Cameron Artis-Payne. Do you ever shout him out?

A. No. I haven’t been interviewed in how long?

Q. Did you miss it?

A. Not really.

Q. You were featuring in the NFL Network series “Undrafted.” What’d you think of it?

A. It turned out great. I can’t think of anything better the show could have done. They did a phenomenal job of putting my story out there – the true story – and really just showing a different side of me that most people don’t see.

Q. Why do you think it took so long for that to come out? (Editor’s note: Wegher had three school changes, multiple arrests and had a three-year football hiatus.)

A. I was a small college and I wasn’t on a national level. And once I started getting to the national level – once the show heard I had a shot at getting into the NFL – they wanted to take it to another level.

Q. I think I saw you wearing a Chicago Blackhawks sweater a few weeks ago. Are you a big fan?

A. Yeah, you could say that. Couple years ago I became a big fan. They won the Stanley Cup last year so I’ve got to keep going.

Q. Sounds like you’re a bandwagon fan.

A. No, not at all. They’re the closest team to where I’m from. You got the Minnesota Wild and the Blackhawks.

Q. So it’s no coincidence that you become a Blackhawks fan when they win three of the past six Stanley Cups and then you join the Panthers just before they go 14-1? Sounds like a bandwagon to me.

A. Well and when I went to college my freshman year at Iowa we lost only one or two games. I’ve been blessed my whole life to be on winning teams.

Q. Does winning find you or do you find it?

A. A little bit of both.

Q. What are you going to do for the bye week?

A. You know we haven’t been given our schedule yet. My family is coming down next Saturday, so I’m going to stay here no matter what and spend as much time as I can with my family.

Q. Where do you have your touchdown footballs from the preseason?

A. They’re back at home. My son’s got them in a case with all my gloves. I give most of my gloves to him. I’d love to give them to fans, but when I don’t come home with a pair of gloves my son gets on me. He’s got a whole box full of gloves and Panthers gear. Maybe 50. It goes back to my college years. I don’t know why but he just wants my gloves. They don’t come close to fitting him. He just wants them.

This story was originally published January 1, 2016 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Q&A: Carolina Panthers RB Brandon Wegher."