Jaycee Horn, cornerback for the Carolina Panthers, spoke about his relationship with his father, former NFL wide receiver Joe Horn, after making a notable one-handed interception during Sunday’s game. Despite the play being recognized by the NFL as one of the top three plays of opening weekend, Jaycee said his father did not comment on the highlight.
“My dad don’t give me many props,” Jaycee said Thursday when discussing their post-game conversation in Jacksonville. “I talked to my dad after the game and he just talked about how we need to be better on defense and he ain’t say nothing about the interception.
“So then, later, like two days ago, I sent him a picture of the interception. He didn’t even respond to it,” Horn added.
Joe Horn played 12 years in the NFL with teams including the Saints, Falcons, and Chiefs. He set records with New Orleans that still stand and is a member of the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame. As a four-time Pro Bowler, he encourages high standards from his son.
Jaycee described how practicing with stitches in his left hand during training camp led him to work exclusively with his right hand. “It definitely helped me, all the reps I was getting in individual drills at that time,” he said. “I could only use my right hand, and when I went up in the game, it was stretching my right hand naturally, so I think it helped.”
He acknowledged that while his father prefers more physical plays—”he likes physical tackles”—the lessons learned from Joe Horn continue to influence him. “I’m glad to have him in my corner, guiding me since I was a kid, and everything he’s been telling me since I was a kid worked out for me, so I’m just going to keep listening to him and going behind him,” Jaycee said.
Following Sunday’s loss, Panthers head coach Dave Canales observed an increased intensity at practice led by Jaycee Horn. Canales described Wednesday’s session as “a little testy” but expressed support for that energy level among players.
Horn explained his mindset after defeat: “I think when you lose a game, obviously, guys are going to come in next week, you know, we want to go harder because obviously what we did leading up to Week 1 wasn’t enough, so we’ve got to up the tone a little bit.”
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame recently announced Joe Horn as its newest inductee. Reflecting on this recognition and his father’s career longevity, Jaycee commented: “His legacy, it’s crazy,” adding that following such footsteps motivates him as he continues his own professional journey.
“A win, that’s when he’ll be happy, when we start winning games,” Jaycee concluded regarding what matters most to his father now. “So that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
