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John Fox wasted no time challenging the Carolina Panthers to turn their pitiful franchise around.
The Panthers were coming off a 1-15 season in 2001 when Fox, in his first head coaching job, told them exactly what he expected.
``He basically
came in and said, 'I don't know how tough you guys are,''' safety Mike Minter
said. ``He didn't pull any punches on that, and it's hard when a man has his
toughness questioned. But he laid it all out there and told us whoever survived
training camp would be around to turn this team into a winner.''
Just two seasons later, Fox's master plan of using tough talk, a physical defense
and a run-first offense is in full swing. His demand for excellence jolted the
floundering franchise, lifting the Panthers into Sunday's NFC championship game
at Philadelphia -- one victory from their first Super Bowl. Tickets
``The game gets bigger on the outside, but we just try to stay the same on the inside,'' Fox said. ``Our preparation, our focus -- not be distracted. I think all those are the important factors.''
And it's not as though the hard-nosed Fox is working with a fresh batch of players: About half his roster was part of the group that lost its last 15 games in 2001.
While the Panthers might have known little about Fox before hiring him, plenty around the league figured he would be a natural success as a head coach after five seasons as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator.
``I didn't know when he would get it turned around, but I did know that he would do it,'' said Giants quarterback Kerry Collins, who led Carolina to its only other NFC title game appearance in 1996. ``I knew it would just be a matter of time once Foxy got the job.''
He set the tone in his first training camp.
Fox's predecessor, George Seifert, was laid-back and had few close relationships with players. Fox is a screamer and a sideline pacer who wants to get to know every member of the team.
Under Seifert, the Panthers rarely worked out in full pads. Fox prefers contact drills.
``The biggest surprise was his bluntness. A lot of coaches sugarcoat stuff, but Foxy just said it like it was without pulling any punches,'' defensive tackle Brentson Buckner said. ``If you weren't doing a good job, he told you and told you how you had to do it the next time -- or else.''
The changes paid off immediately: The Panthers opened the 2002 season 3-0. There were still some tweaks to be made, though, and Carolina slipped into an eight-game losing streak.
But the Panthers of old would have packed it in from there. With Fox's leadership, they rallied to a 7-9 finish.
Fox and general manager Marty Hurney went to work in the offseason, bringing in a powerful running back to carry the offensive load in Stephen Davis and gambling on a no-name quarterback to add a little fire in Jake Delhomme.
Both players worked out wonderfully for the Panthers, as have all of Fox's draft picks.
Although selecting defensive end Julius Peppers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft seemed like a no-brainer, the pick was questioned by those who thought Peppers didn't fit Carolina's immediate needs. And taking offensive lineman Jordan Gross in the first round in 2003 didn't exactly make a huge splash, but Fox went with his instinct. Peppers and Gross have been anchors for the lines.
As is his style, Fox plays down the significance of his personnel decisions.
``We're trying to locate the best human talent available, just like the other 31 teams in the National Football League,'' he said. ``It's kind of our lifeblood, it's a lot of hard work, and we've been fortunate.''