How Bryce Young echoed Kobe Bryant at his youth football camp

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 2:15 PM ET

For a whole generation athletes, Kobe Bryant represented the highest standard to aspire to - even if he was playing a different sport than the one they've chosen. That's why more than one NFL player is named after him and why countless football stars will cite Kobe as their inspiration growing up.

It sounds like Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young can be counted as one of them. With minicamp looming on Tuesday, Young has spent his weekend working with his youth camp, where he's prioritized mental health awareness as well as football skills.

Young has made sure every kid feels welcome, taking his cues from a youth-basketball camp Bryant ran back in the day when he made sure to shake every hand.

When #Panthers QB Bryce Young was a kid, he went to a Kobe Bryant basketball camp.

He said he was too nervous to ask Kobe questions, but Bryant made sure shake every kids’ hand and take a picture with him.

Young following suit: pic.twitter.com/li42ZrVjMq
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) June 7, 2025

The anecdote about Young being too nervous to ask Kobe a question is touching - and a sign of a critical part of his makeup that should help him reach his full potential. While confidence is essential for any athlete, Bryant could have told you that a certain humility is also necessary - because the second you begin to believe your own hype you're toast - or Jay Cutler.

Young doesn't quite have Cutler's level of arm talent but he does have plenty of his own, which he put to great use in his breakout second half of the 2024 season. If he stays humble and continues building his confidence the sky should be the limit for what he can accomplish in the NFL.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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