CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It was the Monday after a recent loss, and Carolina Panthers guard Robert Hunt was holding court with a group of players gathered around his locker.
All were laughing as the 6-foot-6, 323-pound player -- who signed a five-year, $100-million contract during the offseason to help protect second-year quarterback Bryce Young -- told another story.
It had nothing to do with football.
It had everything to do with life.
Rookie center Andrew Raym, who has the locker next to Hunt, couldn't get enough.
"Robert is probably the greatest personality we have in here,'' Raym said. "He's nothing but love, nothing but happiness all the time. People love talking to him. He's always got a smile on his face, always has something funny to say.
"It's always about us and hanging out with the crew.''
Hunt has dramatically impacted the Carolina line, as general manager Dan Morgan hoped when he made him the third-highest paid guard in the league. Young has been sacked only 24 times this season, way down from his NFL-high 62 as a rookie.
Hunt also has been a stabilizing force off the field, helping young players, such as Raym, and veterans, such as left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, improve and deal with the struggles that come from a 4-12 season.
He's probably the only legitimate Pro Bowl candidate the Panthers have outside of running back Chuba Hubbard.
"He loves the game,'' said do-it-all lineman Brady Christensen. "You can tell by the way he plays, that energy and excitement. And we feed off of him. He's one of the best guards in the NFL.''
That being said, the Panthers' O-line is far from a finished product. They have the worst pass block win rate in the NFL, sustaining blocks for 2.5 seconds only 51% of the time.
Ekwonu ranks 58th out of 67 qualified tackles in pass block win rate. Hunt, as dominant as he's been in the run game, ranks 44th out of 64 guards in that category, coming off a 2023 season with the Miami Dolphins when he had the lowest pressure rate (1.3 %) among all guards and gave up only five pressures.
So, there could be more upgrades in the offseason, particularly at left tackle where Ekwonu also ranks 38th in run block win rate on a team that has the NFL's seventh-leading rusher in Hubbard (1,195 yards).
But the overall line has improved, as shown with Sunday's 243 yards rushing. Hunt's presence has made a difference.
"His energy,'' offensive coordinator Brad Idzik said. "It's infectious. The plays you see, like [at Las] Vegas where he's celebrating downfield ... in Germany he's celebrating when Chuba is breaking free, that's infectious.
"You feel that in practice every day. He's just loose and playing confident. ... And your personality comes through on tape.''
Young sums up Hunt like most of his teammates.
"He represents somebody we want to be as an offense,'' he said. "And he's super cool to be around, funny to talk to.''
Young even feels Hunt's influence in the huddle.
"You can definitely see the non-verbal, the intensity he has, coming back saying little things like, 'Let's finish this,''' Young said. "We all feel that energy, that intensity. We all play off that.''
As energetic as Hunt is on the field, he is laid back when off it. Less than 24 hours after a loss or a win, he's the same jovial guy telling stories.
"I'm a good storyteller,'' Hunt said with a smile. "I make you interested, reel you up, and then I give you the punchline. It may not be a good one, but I get you excited for it.''
But it's Hunt's work ethic that gets teammates most excited.
"Being a dawg, being hungry in the run game, just working no matter what, they all embody that on the line, and Rob is a big piece of that,'' Hubbard said.
Ekwonu says Hunt brings levity to the group and keeps the line loose in tight situations.
"That's a little less obvious on the field, but it's definitely cherished in the locker room,'' he said. "He definitely keeps it light, and that's always good. But he flips that switch when he's on the field. It's fun to watch.''
Miami had interest in keeping Hunt, who figured he would return, until the team made an offer he felt wasn't respectful of his talent and accomplishments. So he entered free agency, and the Panthers moved fast to sign him to fill a huge need after the Panthers' guard-center combination gave up 35 sacks last season.
Hunt, 28, has no regrets. He embraces being the veteran others turn to for advice -- and listen to his stories. He sees a bright future with Young coming into his own, but he keeps the proper perspective on the present.
"When I came here, I called one of my good friends that I look up to as a mentor,'' Hunt said. "He's like, 'Just be you.' And that's what I've always done. If people gravitate to me, they do. If somebody thinks I'm some kind of different cat, they can think that.
"But I'm gonna be me 'til the day I die.''