Disappointed with his rookie season, Jonathan Mingo wanted to do and be better. He knew he had to put the work in and he also knew that he had an iconic resource to learn from. To pull from. To grow.
Panthers all-time leading receiver Steve Smith was that guy. He was the plug that Mingo needed for a breakthrough second season.
When Mingo reached out to Smith during the offseason, little did he know that ‘Agent, 89’ was waiting.
“He was like ‘I was just waiting for your call. All you had to do was call me and we could get to work’ ” Mingo recalled.
Putting in the work is exactly what they did. Their workouts were as early as 7 am on weekends and with Smith’s former trainer. With all the training that the duo had done, the emphasis of these sessions was maintenance.
“He said sometimes when you work out, you don’t have to be lifting weights all the time. He talked about recovery and keeping your body in shape,” Mingo said.
As a small receiver, Smith played 15 years in the NFL. Maintenance and recovery were a testament to his longevity. Smith passing on that emphasis will be key in Mingo’s career.
Smith and Mingo also worked on techniques and routes. What Smith lacked in physical attributes, he more than made up for it with skill. What Smith poured into Mingo during the offseason is paying huge dividends in training camp.
Mingo’s been open regardless of coverage. He’s getting to his spots consistently and has just been on a tear with the type of catches he’s made.
And just to think, all it took was one phone call.
Click here to check out his full interview.
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