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This whole year has really been a blur. Basically, from January until April, you're busy the whole time. I was involved in so many different things, you lose track sometimes. You're out and about nonstop, talking with so many teams, scouts, coaches and media people. And today, there are more than 1,000 draft analysts all saying that you're going to be drafted in a different spot. I tried not to get caught up in all of that, but you can't help but look once in a while to see where people predict you're going to go. Now that I've been through it, my advice to future draftees is to ignore all the noise. Nobody can predict what will happen, so there's really no point in trying.

All that said, I'm thrilled with where I ended up going in the draft. It's been an exciting few months, and the more I learn about the team in Carolina and the more people I meet, it's clear that this was just the perfect place for me to go. It's going to help me so much having Keary Colbert and (fellow rookie) Dwayne Jarrett, a couple of old teammates from USC, with me. Having played with Keary in college, I know all about him, and I know that he'll be there for me when I need him, since we already respect and trust one another. As far as the rest of the Panthers go, I've spent a little time with the team so far, and my fellow offensive linemen have been great. Veterans like Mike Wahle, Jordan Gross, Justin Hartwig and Jeremy Bridges, they've just been really helpful. So I'm looking forward to working with all of them and getting to know them better.

I was raised in Southern California and went to school at USC, so I've never really been far from home. That's going to be tough for my mom, I think, because I'm starting my new life so far away. I still don't know a whole lot about the Carolina area, but I'm looking forward to learning about it. I found a place to live a few minutes from the stadium, so I'm right in the middle of it all. And unlike college where I had a bunch of roommates, this time I'm only going to have one, my fiancée Natalie. Natalie was a Song Girl at USC, and she was the first girl I met there.

In college, I was always known for doing things big. So when it came time to propose to Natalie, I had to do it up. I planned the whole thing for months. Basically, I had this calendar in my apartment for the draft that listed all the dates and where I was going. For March 29, my birthday, I marked it as a Sports Illustrated photo shoot. So the whole day of my birthday, she was bummed because I was out and about. I was getting everything set up, but she didn't know that. I told her the shoot was at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and that she should come down there with me and then afterwards we could grab dinner. So we drove to the Coliseum, and they let me drive down onto the field. We get on the field, and I had a full photo shoot set up at the 50-yard line. I told her the photographer was running late, but since she had bought me a camera for my birthday, I suggested we break it in while we wait. She went along with it, and when we got to the middle of the field, I had all of the lights in the stadium cut out. At first, she was really freaked out. Then I had the video board light up, and it opened with "Happy Birthday, Ryan." I played it off as though I had no idea what was going on. But it was a photo show with a bunch of pictures, pretty cool stuff. Eventually, I had the slide pop up asking her to marry me, and she turned around and I was down on one knee behind her. She freaked out, tackled me and eventually said yes. I had to do it in style, and it worked.

Though I haven't been around the team too much, all of the guys in Carolina have been hazing me about my relationship with Will Ferrell. As everybody knows, Will is a huge USC fan, but he's a great guy and he's really knowledgeable about sports. I did this funny commercial with Will for the NFL Network before the draft, where we were basically training together. So it's become a running joke with my new teammates that Will and I are like best friends. They ask the most ridiculous questions. For instance: "When you and Will go to the ice cream shop, do you pick out the flavors or does he do it for you?" It's funny, but also annoying. I think I'll get it all year long.

If that's the worst thing that happens, I won't complain. I'm just looking forward to my rookie season. It's going to be an adjustment learning the playbook and the offense, and I know I'm going to make mistakes. I'm just hoping I can learn quickly and not make too many of them, because that will determine my playing time. And like any competitor, I want to play, contribute and help the team win any way I can. So I'm excited, I'm nervous; I'm just full of emotion. I can't wait to get out there. It's been so bad lately that I haven't been able to sleep. I'm sure once I get to camp and start working hard, I'll sleep well. I'm looking forward to this season and can't wait to get started.