Deadline day finds the Panthers in first place

——————————————————

I grew up on liver sausage (Chicago), transitioned to pate (Memphis), and evolved to livermush (and grits) in Charlotte. I understand Walter Payton grew up on livermush and grits. If it’s good enough for Sweetness, I recommend all Panthers add that to their diet.

Getting to my point: Do the Panthers provide meals on practice days? Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Snacks? Tea time? And is there someone who chooses foods and provides nutritional guidance? Is it mandatory, enforced, or voluntary? (Can’t imagine MAKING Derrick Brown do something he doesn’t want to.) Or do players have their own nutritionist and/or just do their own thing?
Thanks to you and all livermush fans. — Wally, Charlotte

Yeah, they feed players roughly five times a day, it just feels like 12. If you’re fueling the high-performance machines of NFL bodies, you do it intentionally. As I was writing this answer, a man was coming into the stadium rolling crates and crates full of locally-sourced produce, one of the many ways director of culinary Tracie Hartman tries to keep it good, and good for them at multiple levels in the food community.

Hartman and her staff do an incredible job of feeding these guys in the team cafeteria. (We don’t have a lot of pictures in there, because that’s their space, and that’s her below with 2025 Make-A-Wish kid Jase Garland.) In the morning, there’s always a line of hot foods, plus fruit, whatever they need, and guys are free to custom order. Lunch is a huge meal, and they’re well-stocked with nutritious and delicious options, in NFL-player-sized portions. “They have seared tuna now?” former running back Jonathan Stewart said recently when he reviewed the line. But they also have chili dog day occasionally (offensive line coach Joe Gilbert, huge fan), and specialty items every day. You have to keep guys interested in eating well, and Hartman and her staff do an amazing job. (Also, if you don’t want guys leaving here and eating junk, making them not want junk because the food here is better is one way to do it.) This is one of the best restaurants in town, and they work with players to individualize menus. If a guy comes here who has specific needs or allergies, they work with players to make sure everyone is taken care of.

From sous chef Chris Wylie to Derriek Jackson, Jackie Chand, Tae Pierce, Andres Torres, Tim Houston, Carolina McKie, and Lupe Veramendi and beyond, there is a small army running a full-bore kitchen every day, feeding three full meals plus snacks. They also make custom smoothies for post-practice recovery, working with director of performance nutrition Kate Callaway and performance nutrition assistant Tim Rabas on that part of it (Callaway also goes through about 250 bananas a week in the weight room and before and during practice, not counting what’s in the kitchen). Callaway and Rabas also work with players on individual nutrition plans, supporting their efforts for meals away from here. This is food, and also science.

But there’s always food around, as you might imagine. When the kitchen thought they had a weekend off after the Green Bay game, a coaching change and subsequent meetings led them to reopen it to feed staff working over the weekend. And because it’s a restaurant, it can be a high-stress operation. But they also take care of the people, because ultimately it’s a customer service business. And it’s happening at a high level, as the people who have worked for other teams or eaten here previously can attest.

So thanks for giving me a chance to shine a little light on Hartman and her staff. They do amazing work. Even if I haven’t heard any evidence of livermush at breakfast. We’ll work on it.