Joe Person has spent a long time covering the Carolina Panthers, and before that he spent a long time covering South Carolina football.

Person has vast experience dealing with powerful personalities including Cam Newton, Steve Spurrier and Lou Holtz.

Person shares what it was like to break out of his comfort zone by moving from college football to the NFL, how he goes about doing his job amid a changing media landscape that includes competition with the team he covers, and what he learned from the late Rick Bonnell who recently passed away unexpectedly.

Person had some unforgettable experiences covering Spurrier, including regular 7 AM phone calls from the Gamecocks coach when he didn't like something Person wrote for The State newspaper.

Person was present at Death Valley for the infamous 2004 brawl between the Gamecocks and Tigers in Holtz's final college game.