But that’s not what I was there to do. I talked to him about his recent trip to Africa with the YMCA. Did you even know there were YMCA’s in Africa? Well there are! Charlotte’s YMCA has sister Ys in Senegal and The Gambia. Think about that next time you’re on the treadmill!

I’ve written before about Mike Minter and the Ruckus House and what a great person I think he is, so now I’m bummed he’s leaving the Panthers. But you can tell when you talk to him, he has many goals beyond the field.

In our interview he talked a lot about the Africa trip, something he called life-changing. He said he expected to see lions and tigers, (I would’ve too. I’ve only been to Canada. I need to get out more. Maybe the next time a Panther goes to Africa my boss will let me go too…hint hint…)

He said he was surprised at how the cities looked like Miami or New York. That day in his office, I could see how much the trip impacted him. It impacted me just hearing him talk about it: things like the orphanages where kids can be dropped on the doorstep from ages 0-9 months.

In the video, you can see dozens of beautiful babies left by their mothers. Other people who went on the trip said the orphanage was one of the cleanest places they visited. That’s proof of how well they are taken care of once they get to the orphanage.

We also talked at length about Goree Island, the port where 26 million slaves were split from their families and sent to Brazil, Cuba and the Americas. Heavy stuff. It was heavy for me just talking to him about it. Mike told me how he could see his relatives on that island and the profound connection he felt to the area.

One woman who went on the trip told me about a particular moment on the tour. A guide was talking about how when the slaves were taken from Africa, the white people took their best and strongest. He told them that when you look at America, you see they got our best people. Look at their athletes, look at American Football -- those are our best people, he said. The woman said Mike looked at the group and said “That’s me.” A brief story which I no doubt paraphrased poorly, but even more telling of the connection Mike talked about.

Mike said he plans to take his Ruckus House franchise into West Africa, in addition to the programs the Y is bringing. He also talked about how he’s open to the idea of adopting a kid after seeing all those babies at the orphanage. Mike Minter, meet Angelina Jolie! You heard it here first people. Maybe that’s my scoop. Maybe he gave me that without me even realizing it. Thanks Mike!