When football fans argue over the elite tight ends in the game, names like Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce always come up, but Greg Olsen's name should also be included.
While the Panthers didn't have the greatest season after making it to the Super Bowl a year ago, Olsen enjoyed his third straight 1,000 yard season, becoming the first tight end in NFL history to accomplish the feat.
The 31-year-old is Cam Newton's security blanket and arguably the focal point of Carolina's offence, but as incredible as he is on the field, his resume off the field is equally as impressive.
Along with Eli Manning and Larry Fitzgerald, Olsen is a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award due to his incredible contributions through his foundation, in particular Receptions for Research and the HEARTest Yard.
Ahead of Super Bowl 51, we had the opportunity to speak with Olsen about making history, the big game in Houston, his video gaming skills, and more while also discussing his partnership with Old Spice on their 'Hardest Working Collection.'
Luca Celebre: First and foremost, if one of these deodorants from the Old Spice 'Hardest Working Collection' were to best describe you, which one do you think it would be, "Steel Courage", "Lasting Legend", "Tough Timber", "Stronger Swagger", or "Pure Sport Plus"?
Greg Olsen: I'm gonna go with swagger.
LC: Nice, any reason why?
GO: I'm from Miami, that was always our catchphrase, they said Miami invented swagger.
LC: The collection is called the 'Hardest Working Collection' as you know, who's the hardest working teammate you've ever been around?
GO: Matt Forte was a guy I played with in Chicago, he know plays for the Jets, and he was a tireless worker. His offseason routine and program and everything was incredible. He really approached it with the right mentality and every single day and he was a guy I always had a lot of respect for with his work ethic and the way he handles himself.
LC: What's your partnership with Old Spice been like for you and what about the products do you enjoy so much?
GO: I think they're a fun brand, they're a great brand to be associated with. They're a brand I remember my dad using, as a kid, and now growing up and seeing them as a fun brand. Their commercials, obviously everybody knows, they're pretty good and interesting and just a great product to be associated with and I've always enjoyed working with them over the past couple of years.
LC: You just got back from the Pro Bowl, how did the experience at this year's Pro Bowl, it being in Orlando and the NFL adding the Skills Competition, differ from your past Pro Bowl experience?
GO: I really enjoyed it, I think the NFL really did a nice job with the whole experience down in Orlando. From the setup with Disney and Universal and the accommodations for the families and kids, I just think it was home run. It was really enjoyable for our whole family and we had a big group down there and we really just had a great time. I think it was a vert successful week.
LC: Super Bowl week is in full swing, do you remember the weirdest question you were asked during the week or at media day specifically?
GO: You get a lot of weird ones from all over the map. You've got TV shows and which 'Game of Thrones' character would you want to be and the questions come from all angles and walks of life and all parts of the world and you kinda gotta be ready because they can catch you off guard pretty fast.
LC: You faced the Falcons twice this season, for fans that didn't watch them play as much, what makes them such a dangerous team?
GO: I just think they're very balanced. Of course, offensively, they had the best offence in the league, scored a lot of points. What they can do in the passing game, what they can do with their two backs in the running game, and then offensively they just continued to get better and continued to get better. They got some young players that have really come into their own and have really done a great job shoring all that up. They're a pretty well balanced team and I think they're in a pretty good position.
LC: Obviously a tough season for you guys as a team, but as an individual, you became the first tight end in history with three straight 1,000 yard seasons, what does an accomplishment like that mean to you?
GO: It meant a lot. I think it's kinda everything that I've always tried to pride myself on. It's everything I've always tried to build my career on. It's consistency, durability, being very productive and I think that stat encompasses those factors, so it's something that I was proud to accomplish, and I'm gonna try to go for four this year.
LC: In your opinion since entering the league, how has the tight end position changed in your eyes?
GO: I think it's become more and more of a focal point of a lot of these offences. I think teams are realizing across the league that if you can find a guy that can play that position and wear all those different hats, they can really put defences in tough positions and really give you an advantage. I think it's a position that everybody is constantly trying to find the guy and the teams that have him have really done a nice job utilizing their skill sets to their advantage.
LC: A lot of people have their own opinions about your quarterback Cam Newton, what do you think is one thing about Cam that maybe fans don't truly appreciate or don't look at when forming an opinion about him?
GO: I just think the guy competes as good as anybody I've ever been around. He wants to win, he's willing to do whatever it takes to win the game and put his team in the best position to have success and he's the ultimate competitor in everything that he does. I think he's just a guy that's been like that since he's come into the league and I think what he's been able to accomplish on the field is almost unprecedented.
LC: I saw on social media that you've done some stuff with Madden and I've read through articles that you guys play FIFA in the locker room, how would you rate your video gaming skills?
GO: My video gaming is okay, I wouldn't say I'm great. I play a little bit with my kids. My five-year old is getting a little old enough now that he can start kind of playing on the controller and holding his own at Madden and those games. I'm not great, I don't play a lot, I don't play as much as I did when I was younger, but I'm okay, I'm average.
LC: You're one of the finalists for the Walter Payton Man of the Year, what's the most rewarding part about giving back to you and all of the work you do in the community and with your foundations, Receptions for Research and the HEARTest Yard Fund?
GO: It just gives us great satisfaction. It's something that we're very prideful about. It hits very close to home, especially our project and program the HEARTest Yard that we run back in Charlotte with Levine Children's Hospital. It's something that we spend a great deal of time on, it's something that means a lot to us and we just really enjoy interacting with those families and seeing the impact on their life.
LC: Can you go BarDown?
GO: I don't know, my hockey skills aren't real great, so I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that, I might get lucky, but probably not on purpose (laughs).
