SPARTANBURG, S.C. _ When he was breaking into the NFL in 2007, Carolina Panthers center Ryan Kalil had several veterans willing to show him the ropes.
Offensive linemen Jordan Gross, Travelle Wharton and Geoff Hangartner all took an interest in the second-round pick from Southern Cal, as did quarterback Jake Delhomme.
As Kalil enters his 12th and final season, he wants to pay that forward by mentoring and counseling the Panthers' young linemen.
Kalil, 33, has always looked out for young guys _ he literally wrote the book on it ("The Rookie Handbook," published in 2016). But with Kalil nearing the end of his NFL journey, his encouraging words and pearls of wisdom are taking on more meaning to those who are benefiting from them.
Tyler Larsen, who has been Kalil's backup the past two seasons, says he's soaking up as much as he can from the five-time Pro Bowler.
"He's the best center in the league, he really is," Larsen said. "Every little question I have, without a doubt I'm going to go to Ryan and try to figure out what the best thing to do is.
"I'm just trying to set my game up and try to get at least somewhat where Ryan is, which I have a long way to go. I'm one of the most lucky guys in the NFL right now, to play underneath someone like that."
Kalil pulled Larsen aside during Thursday's practice at Wofford to explain something following a 9-on-9 drill. That's been commonplace throughout Kalil's career, as coaches and teammates attest.
"That's just something I try to give back to the younger guys, even if they're not asking me, the guys that I think have a shot at having some longevity in this league," Kalil said recently. "I try to impart some of that wisdom to them and just pay it forward that way."
