Fullback Mike Tolbert finished working out Tuesday morning at Bank of America Stadium and was kicking back with a protein shake.
That it was not a Budweiser tall boy or a vanilla shake might surprise some Carolina Panthers fans who’ve snickered at Tolbert’s beer-league body and wondered how he has lasted nine NFL seasons and gone to three Pro Bowls, including last month’s game in Orlando.
But Tolbert’s paunch and big backside belie an athlete who at his best would bounce off tacklers on his way to the end zone, where an impromptu “Dancing with the Stars” episode would break out.