Tre Boston praises culture change within the Carolina Panthers

Tre Boston has seen a complete turnaround in the culture of the Carolina Panthers since returning last spring.

Carolina Panthers safety Tre Boston has been at the forefront of the protests surrounding social injustice over the last fortnight. The respected figure attended demonstrations alongside teammates and has been more vocal than most about a subject is gaining momentum with every passing day.

This hasn’t always been the case for Boston and the Carolina Panthers. The player claimed in a recent interview with NFL Network insider Ian Rappaport’s podcast “Rap Sheet and Friends” that former team owner Jerry Richardson laid down the law in no uncertain terms when it came to any roster member showing support to the kneeling protests in 2016 that ultimately got quarterback Colin Kaepernick all-but blackballed from the league.

Things appear far different under David Tepper. The billionaire has not only spoken about the importance of the current climate. But has also turned promises into action.

This includes calling individual players to show solidarity with their decision to join protests across the country. And the Panthers also severed ties with CPI Security following insensitive comments surrounding the death of George Floyd that saw universities and the Charlotte Hornets following their lead.

Prior to making his eventual return to the Panthers last spring for a second spell. Boston got assurances that things were far different from a cultural perspective under Tepper.

"“In 2016 I saw a world that even with peaceful protesting that didn’t understand and was not willing to listen. Looking back it was hard times because we were screaming back then about how we need help how we wanted to help the community and show we are one. It’s tough when you hear from the top down “people come to watch football and get away from that stuff”. You get open-end promises, then weeks go by and nothing gets said or brought up. They did what they wanted.“It’s not like that anymore and they (Carolina Panthers) promised me it wasn’t like that anymore when I came back. I had plenty of calls saying they appreciate what I’m doing and want to help and, even Tepper calling to say he appreciated how I was out there with the guys and it is a 180 from what they used to be and when I came back they said the same thing. I needed stability in my job to be who I am and they assured me they believed in the same things and I was allowed to stand up for things I believe in, and that was big.”"

Why the culture change will have a positive impact on the Carolina Panthers

This outline in confidence from Boston in the Carolina Panthers is going to an untold amount of good throughout the roster. Having this sense of freedom to express themselves can be a nice security blanket for them. And there is a big chance this makes a transition onto the field.

The culture shift with the Panthers is going to do their prospects going forward a tremendous amount of good. Given the current situation, any similar orders to that which roster members received in 2016 would not have been well received from the players themselves or the wider NFL community.

There is real potential that the kneeling protest will return. And that the majority of players across the league will participate. Tepper has a different mindset than Richardson in many ways, which should allow individuals to make their own decision that the organization will support to the fullest.

It’s clear that there has been a substantial change in mindset off the field for the Panthers since Tepper bought the franchise. They have some ambitious plans regarding facility development. And equally as important is the owner’s willingness to let each player involve themselves in issues that far transcend the game of football.