For Brown, all the comforts of home

(PHOTO: ANDREW MASON / PANTHERS.COM)

CHARLOTTE -- One-hundred ninety-five miles separate Charlotte from Stantonsburg, N.C. There are nearly 1,000 people in Charlotte -- population 716,874 -- for every resident of Stantonsburg -- population 754.

Everette Brown's old hometown might still be a few turns away, but by being in the Queen City and stepping onto the Panthers' home field, he felt as comfortable as he would strolling through his living room.

"This is home. Home sweet home," he said as he looked around the stadium. "I feel right at home."

Brown's eyes weren't wide at the sights that greeted him Sunday. If anything, he was at ease, smiling through his press conference, his walk through the stadium and first steps into the locker room that will become his professional home.

When he looked around the spacious locker room, he beamed, happy and content in the final confirmation that his destination was well worth the anguish of a wait as public as it was unexpected.

"Never did I think it would quite happen that way," he said. "When I got that phone call (Saturday), San Francisco was on TV, but to hear Coach (John) Fox's voice -- it was the best day ever. My family is all Carolina Panthers fans. For me to put on the uniform and be in a great situation here in Carolina was the best thing that could have happened."

He even got a few words with the team's owner and founder, Jerry Richardson.

"He just explained the trade that took place, and how he really wanted me to come in and be a part of the organization,? Brown said. "I was just as excited about it. He told me that when I came in for minicamp, be sure and stop by; he really wanted to have a sit-down conversation and just go over the whole program, where we're headed and what it's going to take to get there."

Brown already knows more progress will be asked of him after a 2008 campaign in which he doubled his football-study efforts, providing the momentum that allowed him to increase his sack total from 6.5 a year earlier to a conference-leading 13.5.

"The thing that really elevated my game was off the field, in the film room," Brown said. "Just my ability to be a student of the game, study the film, study my opponents and really understand the game of football made me a step faster, a step quicker to the ball, because during that week of preparation, I was able to get into the film room and study my opponents and study the team to get an advantage."

There's still progress for him to make, Fox believes.

"I think he's still growing as a football player," Fox said. "He's shown ability and a knack for the pass rush. It's a skill set; it's not just size; it's not just speed. It's a combination. He exhibited that very well this past year. We're looking forward to working with him."

And Brown is looking forward to working with Fox and defensive coordinator Ron Meeks, who helped guide a pair of pupils in Brown's mold to Pro Bowl seasons in Indianapolis: Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney.

"It's encouraging. That's one of the things I look at when I look at teams; I look at coaches and I see what kind of style they want, what's their philosophy, what kind of players they want to bring in," Brown said. "Indianapolis -- those guys really knew how to get after the passer. They weren't the biggest of players, but one thing about them -- when you turn on the film, they were 100 miles per hour until the echo of the whistle. That's the way we played at Florida State."

Just another reason why Brown could find the Panthers' den as comfortable as his own.

MORE FROM THE DRAFT:

• Video: Hurney and Fox
• Day 2: As it happened
• Photos: Everette Brown
• Panthers.com TV: Brown's visit
• Day 1: Panthers deal up a draft
• Video: Hurney's Day One wrap
• Day 1: As it happened