WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Change can be tough, emotional, and unexpected. Just ask Gregory Good Jr.
"I'm getting all of his joy and love," said Good, "It's amazing."
This Carolina Panthers season, he's carrying on his father's tradition - donning the wig and the persona of Catman.
"It's emotional," he said, "I think about him every day but it's so heavy on my heart when I'm dressed. People say I look just like him."
In July, Good's father - Greg Good Sr. - passed away. This, after years as a Pathers icon and superfan - attending every home game in Charlotte.
"I try to stay humble, try to be humble. My dad is the icon. I'm just trying to fill his shoes the best I can," he said.
Many parts of taking up the torch weren't so hard since he's always rooted for the team.
But, he said, it was tough to watch the latest loss to the Washington Redskins last Sunday. Days later, the team fired Head Coach Ron Rivera.
Good says he doesn't think this is too much a surprise but calls the move bittersweet.
"He had his up and downs as a coach, but he won two coaches of the year, took us to a Super Bowl, which was an amazing season," he said, "Won our division three years in a row. He was just a great coach, a great leader a great man. He just lacked the consistency.
"Change is good. I just hope that the new head coach knows what he’s getting into. It’s a difficult task."
It's the end of an era, but Catman Jr. says, the only thing to do now: keep pounding.
