SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Richie Brockel is listed as a tight end and fullback, but he prefers to be called a tight end because he gets to do more there. He's jokingly volunteered to play defense, and he doesn't care what spot.

If there's one player who symbolizes what Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera wants his team to be like when it breaks training camp today, Brockel might be it.

Smart. Fiery. Versatile. Unselfish.

The fourth-year player out of Boise State apparently is good at doing taxes, too, spending part of his offseason working for an accounting firm.

But more than anything there is a toughness about Brockel that is contagious. You could see it during one-on-one drills with the linebackers on Monday as he handled Thomas Davis and anybody else who tried to get to the quarterback -- in this case played by Rivera.

Brockel does it because it's fun, not because he gets headlines.

Have you ever seen his name in a headline before today?

No. That's because he doesn't seek headlines, although he likes carrying and catching the ball occasionally.

"Richie is a jack-of-all-trades," Rivera said. "He does things we need. He does the dirty work. There's a toughness about Richie too that I like that helps transfer over to his teammates."

The one-on-one drill with the linebackers is the best place to see Brockel's true personality come through. He fights for every square inch of turf like it's the 15th round of a heavyweight fight, whether he's going against a Pro Bowler like Luke Kuechly or a rookie trying to make a name for himself.

"That's one of my favorite drills," Brockel says. "It's one-on-one competition. There's nothing more fun than that."

Told running back Kenjon Barner didn't look like he was having much fun, getting run over almost every time, Brockel understood. Again, that's why he likes the drill.

"Well, you can get exposed because it is one-on-one, and that's what makes it so fun," he said. "You're really getting after it with one guy and there's a clear winner and loser."

Brockel likes to win. He does the little things it takes to win.

He leaves the big things, such as catching touchdown passes and running for third downs, to the starts.

In three seasons, he has rushed four times for 13 yards and caught four passes for 25 yards. He had only one of each last season. That likely won't change this season with Mike Tolbert getting most of the runs at fullback and a plethora of receiving tight ends in Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson and Brandon Williams.

Depending on the knee sprain of Mike McNeill, Carolina could carry five tight ends if you count Brockel.

But you could count Brockel almost anywhere. Beyond tight end and fullback he plays on most of the special teams.

"I try to lead by example and do the right thing," Brockel said. "That's been something that's just fallen in place for me."

That's why Brockel will make the 53-man roster. That's why Rivera would love to have 53 players like Brockel.

"The thing about guys like him," Rivera said, "you get enough good, tough physical football players and it spreads to the other players.''