Since being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2017 draft, Taylor Moton has been one of the only stable and dependable forces on the Panthers’ offensive line. Keeping him in Carolina was a priority for the franchise and they did just that – inking him to a 4-year, $72 million deal just minutes before the July 15th deadline. Signing a deal worth life-changing money adds stability and relief, but it also comes with expectations.
Some players won’t admit that there’s additional pressure that comes with being one of the highest paid at your position. Not Taylor. The five year veteran is not only embracing the pressure, but using it to make him a better player.
“I read a quote somewhere that said pressure is a privilege,” Moton said. “I took that to heart and had to step back to really understand that quote and realize I’m in a blessed situation. There’s a difference between pressure and stress. Stress is when you go out there and you’re not prepared – you haven’t done everything you can to prepare in that moment. When you have pressure, you’ve done everything and put in all the work up to the event at hand and at that point it’s just a matter of going out there and performing and doing what you’ve been doing, because you have that confidence knowing that no one can beat you if you’re at your best. But you have the humbleness to know that if you’re not on your game anyone can beat you.”
They say pressure can bust pipes or create diamonds. Moton is preparing for it to be the latter.