Marty Hurney - Meet The Journalist Who Drafted 8 Panthers Pro Bowlers

If the Panthers win it all this season, he won't receive a Super Bowl ring. But he played a major role in assembling the team with the best regular season record in 2015, acquiring eight of the 10 Pro Bowlers on the roster, including likely MVP Cam Newton, and hiring Ron Rivera, the likely Coach of the Year.

Reached by phone, former Panthers general manager Marty Hurney declined to comment on his role in constructing the 15-1 Panthers, modestly saying all credit should go to current Carolina GM Dave Gettleman.

"That's the kind of guy Marty is," said former general manager Bobby Beathard, who guided the Redskins to three Super Bowls.

A journalist by trade, Hurney worked for the Montgomery Journal in Silver Spring, Md. In 1978 he moved to The Washington Star. After covering the Redskins for The Washington Times, the former college football player at Catholic University in Washington D.C. began the unusual career jump from sports writer to NFL general manager. That path was more common in the early 20th century but is nearly unheard of in modern-day sports.

Hurney, though, impressed Beathard as a reporter. While other writers focused on churning out copy to meet deadline, he had an intellectual curiosity and took time to delve into deeper topics. He became particularly intrigued with scouting and the draft, how they picked players and -- especially -- the financial ramifications of those moves.

"He was always more interested than everyone else," Beathard said. "His interest went beyond getting the story, and we became pretty good friends."

Hurney started working for the Redskins’ public relations department, and then in 1990, Beathard brought him to San Diego where Hurney negotiated player contracts and served as a capologist.

Attribution: Jeff Fedotin, thepostgame.com

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