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Panthers: A home-grown ‘Carolina Kid’, Elijah Hood can really play

By Glenn Shorkey

CHAPEL HILL, NC - NOVEMBER 25: Jack Tocho #29 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack tackles Elijah Hood #34 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at Kenan Stadium on November 25, 2016 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - NOVEMBER 25: Jack Tocho #29 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack tackles Elijah Hood #34 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at Kenan Stadium on November 25, 2016 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Hood hopes to bring his scholastic success to the Carolina Panthers…

There was a time in recent Charlotte football history when a stud scholastic running back scored 48 touchdowns as a junior and an astonishing 53 touchdowns and gained 3,640 as a senior . He then went to UNC and threw a 1,463 yd.-17 TD sophomore year on the ACC. For Elijah Hood— a crushing fullback then, but in 2018 a young man with few opportunities to shine last season on the Raiders bomb squad and now a free agent looking for a job with the Carolina Panthers— coming home just might be in the right place.

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For Carolina Panthers fans who remember Brad Hoover, from 2000-2009 the 6’, 245 lb. Western Carolina product got the rock for precious yardage  in the clutch because Brad *moved* people.  He also was a willing and very effective blocker for both tailbacks and in QB protection. As a receiver he picked up 1,046 yards on 145 catches, and although Hood *never caught a pass* at Charlotte Catholic, he showed some aptitude for it at UNC. Before ‘Luuuuuke!’ it was ‘Hoooo(ver)!’ but you want a thumper, it could be Hooood! right?

While C.J. Anderson and Christian McCaffrey will certainly be expected to handle the vast majority of carries this season– and several of the running backs have run-catch backgrounds– an obvious clunk in the 2017 Panthers offense was 3rd down conversions. How many first downs they’ll rack up this year should be exciting, but sometimes you *gotta get two yards*, and while he was the proverbial ‘man among boys’ while averaging 10.9 yds/carry in high school, Hood’s ability to get two yards (and almost always fall forward) are check marks on any list of skills. There haven’t been rave reviews about his speed or elusiveness, but he is old school about being a hammer and everyone else looking like a nail.

As much as everyone appreciates a feel good ‘local boy makes good’ story, we’ve learned that football is a business. As community- minded as the Carolina Panthers organization is known to be, nobody should expect they’ll just gift someone with a roster spot. Competition is going to be fierce when training camp in Spartanburg, SC begins July 26th.  Hood’s hero as a kid was Panther safety Mike Minter? Cool. On this play, make sure THAT safety knows he’s not getting closer to a QB than YOU.

It’s obviously a very new/different year in the organization. For one of many young men looking for advancement in a very specific career, there’s at least a chance to show how well he can hit certain nails.

Next: Offense looks to be vertical threat in 2018

That’s not about Elijah Hood working on any Charlotte construction sites either.

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