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Panthers' Wharton taking ribbing
Teammates want to know why he didn't score on fumble recovery against Packers
AP Photo
Travelle Wharton of the Panthers (70) blocks Charlie Peprah of the Packers.
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Published: December 5, 2008
CHARLOTTE - Travelle Wharton usually lives in obscurity as the Carolina Panthers' starting left guard, but this week has been different.
Wharton has been the object of some good-natured ribbing from his teammates, particularly those on the offensive line.
He made one of the biggest plays of the Panthers' 35-31 victory at Green Bay last week -- one of the biggest plays of the season, for that matter -- recovering a fumble near the goal line at the end of a 43-yard run by Jonathan Stewart.
He didn't scoop the fumble up and score, though, and that's what has brought on the jokes.
"That's going to happen," Wharton said as the Panthers continued preparations for their showdown against Tampa Bay on Monday night. "I knew it, especially the offensive line. They're going to have their jokes. But it's a good thing."
Coach John Fox has been praising Wharton in the time since, not ribbing him. Wharton opened the hole that Stewart ran through on the 43-yard run before sprinting downfield to recover the fumble, and he also threw key blocks on touchdown runs by Jake Delhomme and DeAngelo Williams. Wharton was also part of a line that sprung the backs for 130 yards rushing, and protected Delhomme well.
"I thought that was probably one of his better games since we've had him," Fox said. "I thought the hustle play he made on the fumble recovery was huge, but that wasn't the only thing he did. He hustled and blocked very well all day, both in the pass and in the run game."
Wharton, a five-year veteran who moved to left guard after starting at left tackle last season, has shrugged off the praise the same way he shrugged off the barbs.
"I just went out there and played football," he said. "We challenge each other every game on the offensive line to just go out there and compete and have fun. That's all I was doing -- my job. Having fun and playing football."
Wharton said he sensed that the offensive line was finally hitting its stride after dealing with various adversity much of the season. The win at Green Bay marked the first time all season that the original projected starting lineup -- Wharton, Jordan Gross, Ryan Kalil, Keydrick Vincent and Jeff Otah -- have started and played together two weeks in a row.
In those two games, the Panthers have combined to score 63 points -- 35 at Green Bay, 28 the previous week at Atlanta.
"You have to build on it," Wharton said. "We have to try to get better every time we step out there, and that will be real important for us this week. I think it's getting better at the right time. But at the same time, we have to come out here and eliminate the mistakes."
The Panthers didn't eliminate the mistakes in a 27-3 loss at Tampa in October, and that remains on Wharton's mind. The Panthers rushed for 40 yards on 20 carries that day. They were missing Kalil and Otah with ankle injuries, but still Wharton felt that the Panthers were simply outmuscled by the Bucs' defensive front.
"We have to correct what we've done wrong and I think we've done a good job since the last game in correcting that," Wharton said. "Just come off the ball and play and don't think about nothing else. Everybody has to win their own individual battle. You have to come out and do your job and let it flow from there."
That's what he was doing at Green Bay on the play that resulted in barbs from his teammates.
The Panthers led 7-3 early in the second quarter, facing third and one from the Green Bay 46. Stewart burst through a hole on the left side, then seemed to have clear sailing to the end zone. But Stewart cramped up and started slowing down, and cornerback Charles Woodson caught him and then stripped the ball loose.
Had Wharton not been hustling, and had he not been heads-up, the Packers would have recovered and it would have cost the Panthers seven points. They won by four.
"I got bombarded by a bunch of tacklers and I was just holding on," Wharton said. "Fortunately, I was able to hold onto it and we were able to score on that drive. The main thing is we won. That's the important thing."
■ John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com.
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