The Carolina Panthers got taller on Wednesday.
The team announced a signing at about 3:30 p.m. ET of a 6-foot-7 rookie.
That’d certainly help if Carolina was trying to work the ball into the low post, but of course this is the NFL — it doesn’t hurt to be a big fella on the gridiron, either.
Panthers Sign Rookie
The Panthers have reached an agreement with Da’Metrius Weatherspoon, they announced in an official post on their team website.
This is what the Panthers wrote in the news:
The Panthers added some more offensive line depth, and filled their final available spot on the practice squad.
The team signed offensive tackle Da’Metrius Weatherspoon to the practice squad on Wednesday.
Weatherspoon was originally signed by the Bills as an undrafted rookie from Syracuse. He also played at Howard during his college years.
The 6-foot-7, 320-pounder has also spent time on the Patriots practice squad.
Weatherspoon was with the Bills for the entirety of the preseason before they parted ways with him ahead of cutdown day. He then spent a bit of time with the Patriots.
The big fella still hasn’t appeared in an NFL regular season game, and that’s not a given with the Panthers, either. He’ll start on the practice squad.
What To Know About Da’Metrius Weatherspoon
Weatherspoon is listed at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, and he’s originally from Clairton, Pennsylvania.
He played both defensive and offensive tackle in high school, and he was also a basketball player and a track & field athlete.
He played his first three college seasons for Howard — although he didn’t appear in a game in either of his first two years on campus at the storied HBCU.
He was an HBCU All-American as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, leading to his transfer to Syracuse, where he started 22 games in two seasons — 10 at left tackle, 11 at right tackle and one at left guard.
The versatility can likely be a strength for Weatherspoon in the NFL.
His Howard athletics page also lists some fun facts that are entertaining enough to share here:
Chose Howard because it felt like home away from home…Hobbies include drawing and fishing…Admires his mom and uncles because they helped him to understand that you can’t please everybody…Favorite food is Chinese food…Three people to invite for dinner are his mom, Uncle Daryl, and Aunt Debbie…Favorite professional sports team is the Steelers…Favorite musical artist is Eminem…Reality show to be a part of is Stranger Things.
Weatherspoon will try to bring that personality, versatility and size to the Panthers in the hopes that he can stick around in the NFL.
Panthers Sign 6-Foot-7 Rookie