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The Carolina Panthers made a unique decision on their guest speaker for their Friday afternoon team meeting at training camp. As they look to build a championship-winning culture, the team brought in South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley to inspire them.
Staley, 55, is easily the most proven winner in the area, leading South Carolina to three national titles and nine SEC championships in her 17 years with the program. Despite having no football knowledge to offer the team, her “swag” inspired Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn, whose girlfriend, Brea Beal, played for Staley from 2019 to 2023.
“I've heard my girlfriend talk about it, just the standard she talked about that [Dawn Staley] held them to,” Horn said, via Panthers.com. “It's contagious, and I feel like that's why they're so dominant as a program… [Staley has] some swag to her, for sure.”
The Panthers have struggled for most of the last decade, going the last seven years without a playoff appearance. However, after going 5-12 in 2024, they ended the year on a high note and have high expectations for the 2025 season.
A veteran coach like Staley is a positive influence on Panthers coach Dave Canales more than any player in the room. Canales is preparing for his second year with the team after decades as a renowned quarterbacks coach and a brief one-year stint as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator.
Jaycee Horn's connection to Dawn Staley, South Carolina
While an athlete like Horn has never played for Staley, he has already been affected by her winning culture. Tracing back to his college football career, Horn was already influenced by Staley through his relationship with Beal.
Beal landed in Columbia as a consensus five-star recruit after being named the Illinois Miss Basketball three consecutive years. She started 137 of her 138 career games with the Gamecocks and was a significant part of their 2022 National Championship team.
Horn also attended South Carolina, where he met Beal. The Pro Bowler spent three years with the Gamecocks before entering the 2021 NFL Draft, where the Panthers took him eighth overall.
