SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Panthers safety Roman Harper has been touted as a voice of reason among his fellow defensive teammates. According to Harper himself, he is one of the few people on the team that enigmatic cornerback Josh Norman actually listens to.
But before he left for San Francisco, his skills were put to the test in a significant way -- by his wife.
Harper placed the couple's Charlotte-area condo on Air Bnb, a crowdsourced room sharing website which allows users to rent rooms or entire homes without the hassle of booking a hotel. The listed price is $5,000 which will be donated to Harper's foundation.
Harper describes the condo as a Panther's Dream Den in his ad:* This year, for one night only, I'm putting my place up on Airbnb while I head to San Francisco to play the Denver Broncos at Super Bowl 50. In celebration and for those fans who are not able to attend the big game, my family and I are offering the chance for a lucky guest to spend the night! For those who book, we will donate all proceeds to Harper's Hope 41 Foundation (501c3) that helps enable us to prepare today's youth for tomorrow's challenges, and Airbnb will match the proceeds.*
On Sunday, February 7, a super fan and their super guest will be able to feel right at home in my living room while I play in this year's main event. Kick back on my sofa while watching Super Bowl 50 on our 70 inch TV. Upon arrival, feel free to check out our outdoor junior Olympic pool with an expansive deck and deluxe courtyard, or our 4,000 s.f. spa-inspired health club with yoga room and complimentary fitness classes. As evening approaches, prepare your football finest and take advantage of the kitchen -- it's where I (and my mom) spend most of the time preparing for big games!
Though the site has taken off in recent years, it has not come without a set of horror stories, including tenants who simply refused to leave the property and a group of more than 100 people who trashed a house in Canada.
"My wife is extremely nervous," Harper said Wednesday. "She's like oh, I've got all these things, and I was just like baby, just go to sleep, alright?
Mrs. Harper simply put her trust in Roman.
It's not an unusual occurrence in Carolina these days, either. If Harper is not consoling his wife, he's doing so for a horde of teammates looking to him for advice. Flecked with gray hair, Harper has been in the league for a decade now. He is one of the few Panthers with Super Bowl experience, and he is the only player with Super Bowl experience against Peyton Manning.
His advice varies from the cosmetic -- bring an empty suitcase with you because players get a lot of free stuff at the Super Bowl -- to the prophetic. He talked to the defense about forcing Manning to essentially "play left handed," or make him do all the mechanics, movements and throws that cause Manning the slightest bit of discomfort.
"Just throughout the year, just kind of breeding confidence to them," Harper said. "Just understanding we can handle this. This is just another opportunity for us to go out there and show what we've been able to do all year long. That we're built for this, we're prepared for it. Trusting in our coaches and our preparation leading up to it. If we do that and do the right things off the field, we'll be just fine. Enjoy it for what it is. Take advantage of every opportunity. But at the end of the day, focus on what we need to do and that's win the game."
If he can convince his wife to host complete and total strangers, the Super Bowl will be no problem.
