CHARLOTTE, N. C. — Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero recently showed his players a photograph of end Tershawn “Turk” Wharton wearing a green No. 1 jersey returning a fumble 53 yards for a touchdown at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
“Everybody was, ‘Who is that?’ ” Wharton recalled with a chuckle. “A few walked up to me and said, ‘What school was that?’ ”
Evero used the picture because he is trying to turn a defense that ranked last in the NFL last season into something special — and Wharton is a great example. He went undrafted in 2020 after playing at an obscure Division II school then went on to win multiple Super Bowls as a key contributor with the Kansas City Chiefs.
His rags-to-riches story is important not only for undrafted players trying to make the roster, it’s important for the message Evero wants to share with his entire group.
“Just letting them know that anything is possible, but it takes time and it takes hard work,” Wharton told ESPN.
In a perfect world, Wharton would have remained in Kansas City, where he won two Super Bowls and went to four. But the Chiefs reportedly couldn’t match Carolina’s offer of a three-year, $45.05 million contract that included $30.25 million guaranteed with the possibility of another $9 million in incentives.
So after putting up a career-high 8.5 sacks for the NFL’s fourth-ranked defense in 2024, Wharton went to the league’s worst defense, which tallied an NFL-low 36 sacks.
Evero couldn’t be happier.
“When you first meet him, he’s got a presence about him,” Evero said. “He’s got an aura about him. You watch him in the classroom, he’s a notetaker. He’s into it all the time in the weight room, on the field.
“And we know that he’s coming from a place that has a really great culture, and that played a really good defense, especially on the D-line.”
It’s that winning culture Evero is trying to build. It’s a culture coach Dave Canales is trying to establish throughout an organization that has endured seven straight losing seasons.
Wharton already sees signs that can happen. He even sees some things in Carolina quarterback Bryce Young (despite a 6-22 career record) that he saw in Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, the three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL MVP.
“They both have a little vibe,” Wharton said. “It’s not too uppity. They’re cool guys. They’re relaxed. Some people walk into the locker room and don’t feel they can talk to the quarterbacks. When Bryce is around, he talks to everybody. Patrick did the same thing. He wasn’t standoffish. Everybody could talk to him.”
Panthers coach Dave Canales loves the enthusiasm of the defense after the interception to end practice. pic.twitter.com/c9P8H8ssit
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) June 3, 2025
Wharton is here because the Panthers were outbid in free agency by the New England Patriots for former Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Milton Williams. Carolina brought him in because of the influence he can have on younger players and for a run defense that last year was the third worst in NFL history, allowing 3,057 yards.
“It’s just a mentality, man,” said Wharton, who played for a defense last season that ranked eighth against the run. “Don’t let a man dominate you with his game. That’s what we’re coming to do. Everybody in that room and on that defense knows it’s going to stop.”
Like the outside linebackers, where position coach AC Carter paired a veteran with a young player in meeting rooms, the defensive line is doing the same thing. Wharton has taken fifth-round defensive tackle Cam Jackson under his wing.
He shows him everything from how to “come in each morning” to the work ethic it took him to persevere as an undrafted rookie and again after suffering a torn ACL in his third season.
“I understand,” Wharton said. “Just showing these young guys how to transition. Being able to show them the way, on and off the field, on how to do things and establish that culture of winning.”
Wharton’s past constantly drives him. He was one of 46 Division II players who were on an NFL roster last season. He is the third one on the Panthers’ roster now, joining wide receiver Adam Thielen (Minnesota State) and David Moore (East Central).
Wharton had an even tougher road than them, since he had to make the Chiefs’ roster during COVID-19 when there weren’t preseason games and offseason workouts as a proving ground. After the ACL injury in 2022, Wharton had to prove himself again.
“My story is a little different,” said Wharton, nicknamed “Turk” early in his football career because people said it looked like he had turkey legs.
According to the school website, Wharton is the only player from Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly known as the Missouri School of Mines and Missouri Tech) to make an NFL roster in the modern era (since 1970).
He wears that badge with honor.
“Of course, we all dream of having our name called in the draft,” Wharton said. “It’s not like you failed or anything, but yeah, you definitely want to go prove yourself.”
Wharton has already proved to be a player Evero is counting on to help Pro Bowl end Derrick Brown, who is coming off a season-ending knee injury, and A’Shawn Robinson anchor the rebuilt defensive front.
Having Brown back will make the defense better. But having more pieces around him — such as free agent acquisitions Wharton, nose tackle Bobby Brown III, edge rusher Pat Jones II and safety Tre’Von Moehrig — will make Evero’s job easier.
“This guy has a purpose in everything that he does,” Evero said of Wharton. “And it’s really, really impressive to watch. … So it’s great to add guys like that who can bring that experience, that mentality and that work ethic.”
