Behind the curtain with Carolina Panthers stats guy Will Bryan

Q&A with Carolina Panthers staff member Will Bryan – Part 1

DC: A colleague of yours gave you the nickname “Carolina Panthers Stat Guy”. Can you explain where that came from?

WB: I first started with the Panthers in the PR department with responsibility for the weekly stats releases and postgame media notes. That constituted a lot of research and the ability to find narratives within the numbers. Somewhere along the way, we decided to take the notes to Twitter and I rebranded my handle as Panthers Stats Guy.

DC: I can imagine that there is some rhythm and consistency to the job, but at the same time, no two days are the same. How do you approach your role during the season from week to week? What differences exist in the offseason?

WB: In-season and out-of-season are certainly different. From the winter through to July, we focus on big plans for things like free agency, the NFL Draft, and training camp. And we work on pitching content series and digital elements for sponsorships.

Once the season begins, each day kind of takes on its own schedule. The practice and interview schedule dictates what we post and when and you kind of put it on repeat for 18 weeks. We’re always trying to break through that with interesting content pieces as narratives emerge, but that rhythm has a strong pull.

DC: Speaking of the offseason, the time commitment may not be as demanding, but the NFL has truly become a business that fills the calendar. Thirty years ago, the NFL Draft, minicamps, free agency, and more were events that only occupied time on the days they occurred. Today, there is analysis leading up to an event and then an evaluation of what transpired afterward. Everything is televised, on a podcast or blog, and dissected by sports pundits. How important is it that you and your team provide up-to-date and accurate information to Panthers’ fans?

WB: As I said, we treat each element of the offseason as a big tent pole with its own look and feel. And that goes from Senior Bowl/Pro Bowl through free agency, draft, and the schedule release.

We try to hit each note for each tent pole, whether it’s written analysis, fun social videos, behind-the-scenes photos, or the breaking news. We don’t always get to be first on something like a new signing, but we try to provide as many different ways to feel connected to the storyline as possible.