Robert Nkemdiche seems like a fascinating guy.
The former Ole Miss defensive tackle and soon-to-be NFL draft pick was the subject of an ESPN the Magazine profile, and the eccentric Nkemdiche revealed, among other things, that he wants to use his rookie contract to get a pet panther.
Insane, right?
“No, it’s not,” Nkemdiche told ESPN’s Seth Wickersham. “They’re like cats.”
And what about visitors who don’t want to hang out with a panther?
“If someone comes over and is scared, I’ll put the panther away.”
Fair enough. Nkemdiche is portrayed as a free spirit, very eccentric, a self-avowed Pink Floyd fan who calls everything “majestic,” a guy who is writing a science fiction book about a meeting of the “thoughts of the human mind and the conscious.” One NFL team’s scouting report reads “He thinks he’s a philosopher,” and it is not meant as a compliment. Nkemdiche is also portrayed, however, as an exceptionally gifted athlete with remarkable football IQ.
Once a potential top five pick, Nkemdiche will likely go lower in the draft now due to character issues that include what teams perceive is the bad influence of his brother Denzel, a set of poor interviews at the Combine, and this bizarre incident back in December. Nkemdiche is a top talent, but it remains to be seen how much off-field questions impact him…like his desire to get a panther.
