Super Bowl 2016: Carolina Panthers Coach Ron Rivera Second Latino Coach to Reach NFL's Prestigious Contest

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Under head coach Ron Rivera, the Carolina Panthers have shown that they are one the best teams in the National Football League (NFL).

According to ESPN, one of the biggest reasons for the success of the team is the mentality Rivera instills in his team which is a message to just be yourself.

This mentality comes from years of hard work and discipline as both a player and a coach.

As stated on the Carolina Panthers home page, Rivera was the first player of Mexican and Puerto Rica descent to play in the NFL when he was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1984.

During his time with the Bears, he learned from one of the best coaches in NFL history, Mike Ditka. Under Ditka's tutelage, Rivera learned difficult lessons which he used during his coaching career.

One of the biggest lessons he learned was that it's not about getting there or being a part of it, it's about focusing on winning.

This lesson proved to be vital to his success as the Panthers have made the playoffs in the last three seasons.

This year has been exceptional as the team now faces the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, making Rivera only the second Hispanic coach to take his team to the final stage. According to NBC, he joins Tom Flores who took the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories in the 1980s.

When asked about his plans for the team, the Super Bowl Coach Rivera states that they aren't going to do anything different from what they have been doing all year. The head coach claims that there are too many times where teams start to have doubts and that is when they lose.

It seems that what the team has been doing is working as the Panthers were 15-1 during the regular season. The team has had home field advantage during the playoffs and was able to defeat long-time rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, in the divisional game and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game.

Carolina posted one of the best defenses in the NFL this season and the top rated offenses in the league. The team has been led by the resurgence of quarterback Cam Newton who has rebounded from an injury-plagued 2014 season.

Who do you think will win Super Bowl 50? Can Rivera lead his team to victory? Let us know in the comments below.