[July 05, 2011] Carolina Panthers rookie set a high bar for himself Tweet Jul 04, 2011 (The Charlotte Observer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- BRADENTON, Fla. Terrell McClain had a chance to talk with Cam Newton only briefly last week at the NFL Players Association's rookie symposium. It seemed every time McClain sat down next to Newton, his new Panthers' teammate was being pulled in a different direction. The two days in Bradenton gave McClain a glimpse of the on- and off-field expectations that will be heaped on Newton as the No. 1 overall pick. But McClain wants the bar set high for the 65th pick, as well. "He's got a lot of pressure on him. He's got a chip on his shoulder," McClain said of Newton. "I'm going to have a chip on my shoulder. We're going to come in and try to help the team as much as we can. ... I think we can deliver." McClain, a defensive tackle from South Florida, was the Panthers' first pick of the third round. He was the first of two defensive tackles taken in the third round by the Panthers, who drafted Stanford's Sione Fua 97th overall as they sought to make over their interior line. Nick Hayden and Derek Landri, the Panthers' starters at defensive tackle at the end of last season, combined for three sacks and eight quarterback pressures in 2010. Landri is a free agent who is not considered a priority for the Panthers, while Hayden projects more as a backup. Opportunity knocks for McClain. "They said I'm going to have a good chance to (break in) the rotation. But whatever happens, happens," McClain said. "I'm going to go out there and play the hardest, like I've been doing at South Florida." McClain, 6-foot-2 and 291 pounds, was a first-team, All-Big East selection in 2010 after tallying 24 tackles, three sacks and five pressures. Panthers coach Ron Rivera called McClain and Fua "space-eaters" whom he hopes can keep blockers off the linebackers. But Rivera believes McClain has upside as a pass-rusher. Rivera said McClain has a "bigger, quicker body" than the 6-1, 310-pound Fua, and is an athletic and explosive player. Rivera said McClain needs to play lower and defeat blockers before going after the ball-carrier. "His tendency is to throw his eyes to try to see where the ball's going," Rivera said after drafting McClain. "He'll get himself in a little bit of bad position, where you'd like to see him, 'Hey, just take that guy, press him off, then go get the ball.' Once he gets to that point, I think he can be a very effective guy for us and do some really good things." McClain, who grew up in a military family that settled in Pensacola, Fla., has been working out at South Florida while he finished his communications degree. Because of his coursework and financial concerns, McClain did not attend the workouts organized by Panthers offensive linemen Travelle Wharton and Jordan Gross in Charlotte last month. "Not just (because of) school purposes but financial-wise, I didn't want to put too much pressure on me going up there for the amount of time they were up there," McClain said. "I did wish I would have went. But I already had it planned. I wanted to get my degree. I got that out of the way. So now I'm just hoping for the best." One of the veterans sent McClain a portion of the defensive playbook. He said the Panthers' 4-3 scheme is similar to South Florida's, which should ease his transition. "I'm going to try to come in, get my foot in the door and try to earn respect from the veteran players. Try to learn the playbook as fast as I can," McClain said. "I feel OK," he added. "But I always want to get better at what I do. So I'm not going to say I'm there yet. But if I keep working hard, and if the opportunity comes to me, I'm going to take it and run with it." To see more of The Charlotte Observer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.charlotteobserver.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]