The Carolina Panthers
are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, representing North Carolina and South Carolina in the National Football League. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion teams in 1995. In their 14 years of existence, the Panthers have compiled a record of 115–119, and appeared in Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Texas.
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Franchise history
Origins: 1987–1994
In 1987, shortly after it was decided that Charlotte would receive an expansion
National Basketball Association franchise (the Charlotte Hornets, now known as the
New Orleans Hornets), former
Baltimore Colts player
Jerry Richardson met with a group of potential backers to discuss the possibility of bringing an NFL expansion team to the Carolina region. Richardson Sports decided upon a spot in the uptown section of Charlotte to build a privately financed stadium seating more than 70,000 fans.
Richardson's announcement created a buzz in the region, as politicians, businessmen, and citizens all joined together to show the NFL that a team could be supported in the area.
United States Senators Jesse Helms of
North Carolina and
Ernest Hollings of
South Carolina put aside their partisan differences to lobby NFL owners to support the expansion. Meanwhile, North Carolina Governor
James G. Martin and South Carolina Governor
Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. created a committee of citizens from North and South Carolina to help the cause. Preseason games were held in the region in 1989, 1990, and 1991; all of the games were sold out as part of the fans' efforts to show their support.
In 1992, the NFL released the list of five areas open to a potential NFL team:
Baltimore,
Maryland;
St. Louis, Missouri;
Memphis, Tennessee;
Jacksonville, Florida; and the Carolinas, represented by
Charlotte. After the vote was delayed because of a dispute between the players and the league, the race began again in 1993. In June of that year, Richardson Sports announced that they would finance the stadium through the sale of
Permanent Seat Licenses, club seats, and luxury boxes. In a stunning show of fan support, all seats were sold out by the end of the first day.
The feasibility of the team was no longer a question, but it was still up to the league to decide where the team would go. On October 26, 1993, the league announced that the owners had unanimously voted for the Carolinas to receive the 29th franchise, the first new NFL team since 1976 (Jacksonville was named the 30th team a month later). Fans all over the region celebrated with fireworks. In a memorable moment during the expansion announcement conference, Richardson spoke directly into the camera to thank the 40,000 people who had purchased the PSLs and allowing the stadium to be built without a burden to the taxpayers.
Even though St. Louis and Baltimore lost out on their expansion bids, they eventually acquired new teams: the
Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995. And as the result of the 1996
Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, the
Baltimore Ravens were established by the league as technically a new expansion team. Memphis also temporarily received a team when the
Houston Oilers relocated in 1997 to Tennessee, intending to play the 1997 and 1998 seasons in
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium while what is now called
LP Field in Nashville was being constructed.
Capers era: 1995–1998
The Panthers signed
Dom Capers, former defensive coordinator for the
Pittsburgh Steelers, as their inaugural head coach. During the
1995 NFL Expansion Draft,
Rod Smith was the first player selected by the Panthers.
Greg Kragen,
Jack Trudeau, and
Mark Carrier were among the other players selected.
Bill Goldberg was picked up off the roster of the
Atlanta Falcons, but made Panther history by being the first player cut by the Panthers; Goldberg would later go on to much greater fame as a
professional wrestler for
WCW and
WWE. During the
1995 NFL Draft, the Panthers made their first significant addition (in terms of long-term contributions to the team) by drafting
Penn State quarterback Kerry Collins. Upon entering the NFL in 1995, the Panthers and
Jacksonville Jaguars set about building their respective squads with a luxury not afforded to previous expansion teams, i.e. the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and
Seattle Seahawks:
free agency. The Panthers made excellent use of the tool, picking up
wide receiver Don Beebe,
linebacker Sam Mills, and
placekicker John Kasay. s of }} 2008
[], Kasay is the only remaining "Original Panther" from the inaugural season. Defensive tackle
Jeff Zgonina, another inaugural Panther still in the league, was on the
Houston Texans' roster at the start of the 2007 season.
The Panthers became only the second expansion team (besides the
Minnesota Vikings in 1961) to win their first game, winning the annual
Hall of Fame Game against the fellow expansion
Jacksonville Jaguars 20–14 on July 29, 1995 (a game known as the "Battle of the Big Cats," due to the similar nicknames of the franchises). The home games that first season were played at
Clemson University, as the stadium was still under construction. This made the Panthers the only sports team in one of the
Big Four leagues ever based out of South Carolina, even if only for one year. The Panthers first regular season game was against the
Atlanta Falcons in the
Georgia Dome. The Panthers scored on their first three possessions to take a 13–0 lead before the Falcons rallied to win 23–20. The Panthers first home game (in Clemson) was a 31–10 loss to the
St. Louis Rams. The Panthers won their first game against the
New York Jets 26–15 on October 15, 1995, after Sam Mills returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown. Later that year, the Panthers stunned the league by not only winning four consecutive games (an expansion team record), but defeating the defending
Super Bowl champion
San Francisco 49ers, 13–7, the first time an expansion team had beaten the reigning champs. The Panthers finished their season 7–9, more than doubling the previous record of a first year expansion team (and far surpassing the 0–14 record of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their inaugural season).
In the
1996 draft, the Panthers used their first pick on
running back Tim Biakabutuka, and their second pick on wide receiver
Muhsin Muhammad. During the off-season, they also picked up quarterback
Steve Beuerlein,
tight end Wesley Walls, and linebacker
Kevin Greene. The second year proved even better than the first, as the players found a groove and rattled off a seven-game winning streak to end the season and took the top spot in the NFC West. They beat the
Dallas Cowboys 26–17 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion
Green Bay Packers 30–13 in the
NFC Championship. Their fellow second-year expansion team, the
Jacksonville Jaguars, played in the
AFC Championship against the
New England Patriots but lost 20–6; the NFL nearly had an all-expansion Super Bowl. Panthers fans took it in stride, however, as the team had made massive improvement from the year before, and the team was represented at the
Pro Bowl by eight players, including Collins, Kasay, Greene, Mills, Walls,
Michael Bates,
Eric Davis, and
Lamar Lathon.
The Panthers fully expected to return to the NFC title game in 1997, but a 2–4 start quickly began to cloud the minds of Carolina fans. Meanwhile, the Panthers became known as much for their problems off the field as they did on. Wide receiver
Rae Carruth, taken with their first pick of the
1997 Draft, was arrested in 1999 for conspiring to murder his pregnant girlfriend. He was later convicted, and is serving his sentence in
Raleigh, North Carolina. Star quarterback Kerry Collins was dealing with alcoholism, and was accused of making racial comments about teammates (notably Muhsin Muhammad). Collins was later released following the 1998 season. Former running back
Fred Lane was shot and killed by his wife during a domestic dispute in 2000, after signing with the Indianapolis Colts.
Seifert era: 1999–2001
After
Dom Capers was let go following a 4–12 season in 1998, the Panthers hired
George Seifert as the team's second head coach. Seifert had won two Super Bowls as the head coach of the
San Francisco 49ers and had a reputation for winning with talented and experienced teams. His first season, 1999, the Panthers finished with an 8–8 record and missed out on a wildcard playoff berth through a complicated tiebreaker based on total points scored. His second season saw the Panthers finish 7–9.
Seifert's third and final season, 2001, was a disaster. The team released veteran quarterback Steve Beuerlein in the off-season and handed the reins to
Jeff Lewis, an untested but promising quarterback obtained from the
Denver Broncos. Lewis was released after several poor performances during the preseason that left the Panthers with rookie quarterback
Chris Weinke under center. Weinke had won the
Heisman Trophy leading
Florida State to a national championship in college but was unable to duplicate that level of success in the NFL. The Panthers won their opening game against the
Minnesota Vikings but then lost 15 straight games. This set a record for single-season losing streaks which held until the
Detroit Lions' 0–16 winless campaign of 2008. The multi-season record is held by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost their first 26 games.
[1]
Seifert was fired the day after the 2001 season ended and the team then set out to find its third head coach. Although his final season was the worst in team history, George Seifert did help select several outstanding players in the
2001 NFL Draft including
Dan Morgan,
Kris Jenkins and
Steve Smith who have earned several Pro Bowl berths and All-Pro awards while playing for the Panthers. Smith is considered one of the most electrifying and explosive wide receivers in the game today.
Fox era: 2002–present
After being turned down by
Steve Spurrier and
Tony Dungy for the head coach job, the Panthers hired
New York Giants defensive coordinator
John Fox as the team's third head coach. Fox was known for defensive discipline and it would be needed to improve a team that had finished in the bottom of the defensive rankings the previous year.
2002
Fox looked to the
2002 NFL Draft to begin revamping the franchise, starting with the second overall pick;
Julius Peppers. Peppers was a dominating defensive end at the
University of North Carolina and he was a solid fit for Fox's defensive plan. The Panthers also picked up linebacker
Will Witherspoon and running back
DeShaun Foster in the draft. Peppers combined with fellow defensive end
Mike Rucker and
defensive tackles
Brentson Buckner and
Kris Jenkins to form what many football experts called the best defensive line in the game. Meanwhile,
Mike Minter anchored the secondary, while Witherspoon (affectionately called "Spoon" by fans & teammates) and
Mark Fields led the linebacker corps. Fox's defense-first philosophy worked well as the Panthers improved to 7–9 and posted the second-best overall defense in the league including allowing a league-low 3.69 yards per rushing attempt.
2003: The Super Bowl Season
The 2003 season began with the Panthers drafting several young prospects, including
Ricky Manning, Jr. out of
UCLA at
cornerback, and
Jordan Gross at
offensive tackle. In addition, quarterback
Jake Delhomme, running back
Stephen Davis, and wide receiver
Ricky Proehl were signed in the off-season, making additions to an offense that needed to complement a top-ranked defense. The team was not without tragedy, however, as it was revealed that former linebacker and coach Sam Mills was diagnosed with
intestinal cancer; additionally, linebacker Mark Fields was diagnosed with
Hodgkin's Disease. The team used their struggle as inspiration, and started the season 5–0. Jake Delhomme replaced
Rodney Peete at quarterback by halftime of the season opener, then led the Panthers to a fourth quarter comeback, thus winning the starting job. Delhomme eventually led the team to an 11–5 record, the NFC South Division title and a playoff berth.
In the playoffs, they easily defeated the
Cowboys 29–10 in a home wild-card game before facing the
St. Louis Rams in the divisional playoff game in the
Edward Jones Dome. Carolina had an 11-point lead in the last 3 minutes of play, but a touchdown from
Marshall Faulk, a successful
two point conversion, and an
onside kick that led to a
field goal tied the game and sent it to
overtime. Both
John Kasay and
Jeff Wilkins missed potential game-winning kicks in the first overtime, and Carolina had the ball at the start of the second overtime. In the first play of the 2nd OT, however, Jake Delhomme hit Steve Smith with a 69-yard touchdown pass to win the game, 29–23, and send the Panthers into the NFC Championship game against the
Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles, led by
Donovan McNabb, were in the NFC title match for the 3rd year in a row, but had lost the previous two years. The Panthers made it three in a row for Philadelphia, as they shut down the Eagles offense and, with a 14–3 victory, headed to their first Super Bowl against the
New England Patriots.
At
Super Bowl XXXVIII, neither team was able to put up points in the first quarter, and the game remained scoreless until near the end of the first half. However, 24 points were scored in the last 5 minutes of the first half, and the score going into halftime was 14–10 New England. The third quarter was also scoreless and it wasn't until late in the game that things heated up once again. The teams traded leads numerous times in the highest-scoring fourth quarter in Super Bowl history, including setting a record when Jake Delhomme hit
Muhsin Muhammad for an 85-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter. That pass made the score 22–21, Carolina and went down in the record books as the longest offensive play in Super Bowl history. After New England responded with a touchdown of their own and a 2-point conversion to make it 29–22, Carolina would storm right back to tie the game with a touchdown pass to
Ricky Proehl with 1:08 left in regulation, opening the possibility to the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. However, John Kasay's kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Patriots the ball on their own 40-yard line.
Adam Vinatieri, who had won
Super Bowl XXXVI two years earlier on a last-second field goal, repeated his heroics, connecting on a 41-yarder with four seconds left, even though he had already missed two field goals in the game. This gave the Patriots their second Super Bowl win in three years. The multiple close games, won either in overtime or with a slim margin, gave way to a new nickname for the Panthers: the
"Cardiac Cats."
2004
The experts all picked the Panthers to repeat their 2003 season success in 2004. Having selected cornerback
Chris Gamble and wide receiver
Keary Colbert with their top two picks in the
2004 draft, and not having lost any core players from their Super Bowl run, the team looked ready for their 10th Anniversary season. In addition, Mark Fields, who had missed the previous season with Hodgkin's disease, returned and was ready to go. But the team suffered major injuries early on, as Steve Smith broke his leg in the season opener against Green Bay, Stephen Davis suffered a knee injury before the second game of the season, and Kris Jenkins had shoulder problems that benched him for the season, the Panthers had problems early on. In fact, the Panthers had 14 players on injured reserve, including their top
four
running backs, more than any other team. This led to a 1–7 start, and people began wondering if they would repeat the 1–15 season of 2001. However, backup fullback
Nick Goings stepped up to the challenge with five 100-yd rushing games, Keary Colbert played better than most rookies thrown into the #2 receiver spot, and the defense held together despite the injuries to help the team win 6 of their last 8 games, and the Panthers barely missed the playoffs after losing a close game on a 60 yard field goal attempt that just fell short as time expired to
New Orleans, finishing 7–9.
Among the other things the Panthers did in 2004 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the franchise, they named a 10th Anniversary All-Time Team (
listed below). With the exception of tight end Wesley Walls, every offensive starter was on the team during their Super Bowl run of 2003. The only defensive players to make the anniversary team that played in the Super Bowl were the front four (
Peppers,
Rucker,
Jenkins and
Buckner), linebacker
Dan Morgan, and safety
Mike Minter. Pro Bowl punter
Todd Sauerbrun made the squad as well. Naturally, kicker
John Kasay made the team, since he has been the team's kicker since its inception.
2005
Despite a home-opening loss to the New Orleans Saints to start off the 2005 season, 23–20 on an inspirational field goal by
John Carney, and heightened by national feelings of sympathy for the homeless New Orleans Saints displaced by
Hurricane Katrina, the Panthers got revenge against the two-time defending champion
New England Patriots for the loss in Super Bowl XXXVIII winning the rematch by a final score of 27–17. Despite going on the road and losing a close game to the
Miami Dolphins 27–24, the Panthers managed to get a six-game winning streak going. First, they won at home on
Monday Night Football
against the
Green Bay Packers 32–29. Then, they squeaked out victories in their next two games, on the road against the
Arizona Cardinals (24–20) and the
Detroit Lions (21–20). Coming off of their Week 7 Bye, the Panthers won their home game against the
Minnesota Vikings 38–13. During that game,
Steve Smith, who had already emerged as one of the league's best wide receivers, had a real breakthrough. He caught 11 passes for 201 yards and 1 touchdown, with his longest reception of the game being 69 yards.
Jake Delhomme also enjoyed one of his best outings in years, completing 21 of 29 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns, giving Delhomme a nomination for FedEx Air Player of The Week. A week later, the Panthers won against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road with a final score of 34–14. Then, they won at home against the hapless New York Jets 30–3.
Their winning streak came to an end at the hands of the
Chicago Bears. The #1 defense held the Panthers to just three points, as they lost 13–3. A week later, they traveled to
Ralph Wilson Stadium to play against the
Buffalo Bills. For the most of the game, they were held in check by the Bills' defense, as they were held to just three field goals. In the fourth quarter, the Panthers rallied and got a 13–9 win, thanks to a three-yard TD pass from
Jake Delhomme to TE
Michael Gaines. Then, they would go home and win against their division rival, the Atlanta Falcons 24–6. Unfortunately, the Bucs would come to town a week later and get revenge with a final of 20–10. Despite winning against the Saints 27–10, they would lose a close game to the
Dallas Cowboys 24–20 after a controversial running into the kicker call.
After losing to the Cowboys in the season's penultimate game, the Panthers needed a victory to secure a spot in the
playoffs. They responded with a dominating
New Years Day performance at the
Georgia Dome, a 44–11 victory over the Falcons, making the score the largest margin of victory in franchise history. This was the first time since 1997 that the Panthers were able to beat the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. With that victory, the Panthers secured themselves the NFC's #5 seed.
The Panthers began their post-season play on Sunday January 8, 2006 at
Giants Stadium against the New York Giants. After both sides failed to score in the first quarter, the trifecta of
Jake Delhomme,
DeShaun Foster, and Steve Smith showed dominance as they shut out the Giants 23–0. Carolina's coach, John Fox, used to be the defensive coordinator for the Giants when they went to the Super Bowl earlier in the decade. New York was the nation's number one television market, and the shutout in the playoffs was significant.
Their next opponent was the Chicago Bears, home to the nation's third largest television market, who started off the week by reminding the Panthers about their regular season victory over them. The Panthers responded with a victory, beating the Bears at
Soldier Field with a final score of 29–21. Unaffected by the major media hype of the Bears' defense, the Panthers led throughout, starting with an incredible touchdown reception by Steve Smith on the second play from scrimmage. Steve Smith had 12 catches for 212 yards with 2 touchdowns in Chicago. With that victory, the Panthers advanced to the
NFC Championship Game for the third time in the franchise's 11-year history. However, during the Chicago game Deshaun Foster suffered a crushing ankle injury that would keep him indefinitely sidelined. Also, star defensive end Julius Peppers re-injured an ailing shoulder. The next weekend they played against the
Seattle Seahawks for the NFC Championship, but injuries and playing on the road for the fourth straight week caught up with the Panthers and they came up short, losing 34–14.
2006
Coming off a playoff season and with new acquisition
Keyshawn Johnson, the Panthers sold out
Bank of America Stadium fifteen minutes after tickets went on sale.
[2] An early injury to Steve Smith led to a two-game losing streak, but his return coincided with a four game winning run. However, Jake Delhomme was injured soon after and lost for three games. The team finished 8–8 and missed the playoffs. Following the season, offensive coordinator
Dan Henning was fired and Johnson retired and became an NFL analyst for
ESPN after being released after the team drafted
Dwayne Jarrett in the second round of the
2007 NFL Draft.
2007
The Panthers began the 2007 season as playoff contenders, and won their opener against the
St. Louis Rams for the first time since 2003. However, the next week at home against the
Houston Texans the Panthers jumped ahead 14–0 but lost 34–21, unable to fend off a relentless passing attack by the Texans. In week three against the
Atlanta Falcons, Jake Delhomme had won the game, but was lost for the season with an injured elbow, which resulted in
Tommy John Surgery. After a close loss to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 4, the Panthers got back on the winning track behind the passing arm of former
Houston Texans standout QB
David Carr, who drew from the playbook of his 2006 defeat of the
Indianapolis Colts by engineering two 4th-quarter drives; the first for a TD, and the last to set up the game winning field goal by
John Kasay to defeat the
New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the unpopular Carr suffered the first major injury of his career, badly injuring his back against the Saints. After returning to the game in the second half to get the win, Carr would play sparingly for the rest of the year, forcing the Panthers to rely on 44-year old
Vinny Testaverde and rookie
Matt Moore for the remainder of the season. The Panthers finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs again.
2008
With the help of a much improved rushing offense, the Panthers rebounded in the 2008 season, going 8–0 at home, and finishing the season with a 12–4 record. After defeating the
New Orleans Saints 33–31 in the last game of the regular season, the Panthers claimed the
NFC South title and a first round bye in the playoffs. However, on January 10 the Panthers' season came to a disappointing end, as they lost to the
Arizona Cardinals 33–13 at Bank of America Stadium in the Divisional Playoffs.
Logos and uniforms
The Panthers logo consists of the head of a black snarling
panther outlined in blue. It is shaped to resemble the combined borders of North and South Carolina.
[3] The helmets are silver, and in 2003, they changed the helmet color slightly to a more metallic shade.
[4] The team normally wears silver pants with their black jerseys, and white pants with their white jerseys. Both the black and the white jerseys have blue stripes over the shoulders. The team introduced an alternate jersey in 2002 that is blue with black shoulder stripes. Carolina debuted the alternate light blue jersey for one game at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. The alternate jersey has been worn twice a season beginning in 2003. The Panthers have worn the light blue jersey a few times on the road when the home team has chosen to wear white due to the heat. The light blue uniforms are more comfortable in the heat than black. Carolina prefers to not wear black and instead wear blue when playing in places like Tampa Bay or at other teams who wear white at home when the temperature is too hot or not mild enough. With the league rules permitting teams to wear their third jersey twice in the regular season and once in the preseason, the Panthers reserve the use of their alternate light blue jersey for a home game when there is one or two games that they don't wear them on the road.
Like many other NFL teams located in
temperate climates, the Panthers traditionally wear their white jerseys at home during the first half of the season — forcing opponents to wear their dark ones under the warm
autumns in Charlotte. In the preseason, the Panthers wear their white uniforms at home. When it gets to the second half of the season the Panthers will start to wear their colored jerseys for home games as temperatures will be more mild. There has been one game in the regular season where Carolina went out of the routine of wearing their colored uniforms for home games in the second half of the season. The Panthers wore white at home after the first half of the season against the Dallas Cowboys on December 24, 2005, in order to do what they did on other occasions (see below).
The team's uniforms prompted a 2003 lawsuit by the
Oakland Raiders, who claimed that the NFL and the Panthers had infringed upon key
trademark elements of the Raiders' brand, specifically the silver and black colors. In the same suit, the Raiders challenged the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1997 uniform design, including the pirate logo. The Raiders wanted the courts to bar the Buccaneers and Panthers from wearing their uniforms while playing in California. However, since the lawsuit was filed in a state California court, the lawsuit was tossed out because only federal courts have jurisdiction over
intellectual property issues.
[5] The Raiders have yet to appeal the ruling.
The Panthers have played in ten postseason games, wearing the all-white jerseys in all but one. Two of those games were at home against the Dallas Cowboys, making the Cowboys wear their "unlucky" road navy-blue jerseys. The Cowboys are one of three teams who routinely wear their white uniforms at home. The one game where Carolina did not wear white was in their most recent playoff game. The Panthers wore black for the only game, in all of their postseason games, at home against the
Arizona Cardinals.
Season-by-season records
Note:
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties''
Season
| W
| L
| T
| Finish
| Playoff results
|
1995
| 7
| 9
| 0
| 4th NFC West
| –
|
1996
| 12
| 4
| 0
| 1st NFC West
| Won
Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) 26–17 Lost Conference Championship (Packers) 30–13
|
1997
| 7
| 9
| 0
| 2nd NFC West
| –
|
1998
| 4
| 12
| 0
| 4th NFC West
| –
|
1999
| 8
| 8
| 0
| 2nd NFC West
| –
|
2000
| 7
| 9
| 0
| 3rd NFC West
| –
|
2001
| 1
| 15
| 0
| 5th NFC West
| –
|
2002
| 7
| 9
| 0
| 4th NFC South
| –
|
2003
| 11
| 5
| 0
| 1st NFC South
| Won
Wild Card Playoffs (Cowboys) 29–10 Won
Divisional Playoffs (Rams) 29–23 (2OT) Won
Conference Championship (Eagles) 14–3 Lost Super Bowl XXXVIII (Patriots) 32–29
|
2004
| 7
| 9
| 0
| 3rd NFC South
| –
|
2005
| 11
| 5
| 0
| 2nd NFC South
| Won
Wild Card Playoffs (Giants) 23–0 Won
Divisional Playoffs (Bears) 29–21 Lost Conference Championship (Seahawks) 34–14
|
2006
| 8
| 8
| 0
| 2nd NFC South
| –
|
2007
| 7
| 9
| 0
| 2nd NFC South
| –
|
2008
| 12
| 4
| 0
| 1st NFC South
| Lost Divisional Playoffs (Cardinals) 33–13
|
2009
| 0
| 0
| 0
| TBD
|
|
Totals
| 109
| 115
| 0
| (1995–present, regular season)
|
6
| 4
| -
| (1995–present, playoffs)
|
115
| 119
| 0
| (all games, 1995–present, including playoffs)
|
Players of note
Current roster
|
Quarterbacks
- 17 Jake Delhomme
- 12 Josh McCown
- 3 Matt Moore
Running Backs
- 37 Nick Goings RB/FB
- 45 Brad Hoover FB
- 28 Jonathan Stewart
- 34 DeAngelo Williams
Wide Receivers
- 18 D. J. Hackett
- 80 Dwayne Jarrett
- 84 Mark Jones KR/PR
- 81 Kenneth Moore
- 87 Muhsin Muhammad
- 89 Steve Smith
Tight Ends
- 82 Gary Barnidge
- 47 Jeff King
- 88 Dante Rosario
|
| Offensive Linemen
- 65 Mackenzy Bernadeau
G/C
- 73 Jeremy Bridges T/G
- 69 Jordan Gross T
- 63 Geoff Hangartner C/G
- 67 Ryan Kalil C
- 76 Frank Omiyale T
- 79 Jeff Otah
T
- 68 Keydrick Vincent G
- 70 Travelle Wharton G/T
Defensive Linemen
- 96 Tyler Brayton DE
- 91 Gary Gibson DT
- 95 Charles Johnson DE
- 99 Ma'ake Kemoeatu DT
- 92 Damione Lewis DT
- 90 Julius Peppers DE
- 66 Hilee Taylor
DE
- 93 Darwin Walker DT
|
| Linebackers
- 50 James Anderson OLB
- 52 Jon Beason ILB
- 55 Donté Curry OLB
- 58 Thomas Davis OLB
- 53 Na'il Diggs OLB
- 54 Landon Johnson OLB
- 59 Adam Seward ILB
Defensive Backs
- 20 Chris Gamble CB
- 30 Charles Godfrey
FS
- 43 Chris Harris SS
- 21 Ken Lucas CB
- 31 Richard Marshall CB
- 25 Nate Salley S
- 26 Quinton Teal SS
- 23 Dante Wesley CB
- 27 C. J. Wilson CB
Special Teams
- 7 Jason Baker P
- 4 John Kasay K
- 56 Jason Kyle LS
- 5 Rhys Lloyd K
|
| Reserve Lists
- 11 Jason Carter WR (IR)
- 57 Dan Connor
ILB (IR)
- 10 Ryne Robinson WR (IR)
Practice Squad
- 14 Brett Basanez QB
- 24 Decori Birmingham RB
- 64 Casper Brinkley
DE
- 38 Joe Fields
FS
- 78 Nick Hayden
DT
- 15 Kevin McMahan WR
- 77 Jonathan Palmer G/T
- 74 Geoff Schwartz
G/T
- 46 Shaun Smith LB Int'l
Rookies in italics
updated 2008-12-17
•
53 Active, 3 Inactive, 9 PS
? More rosters
|
Hall of Honor
The Panthers Ring of Honor was started in 1997.
- Mike McCormack - Inducted in 1997
- Sam Mills - Inducted in 1998
- PSL Owners - Inducted in 2004
Retired Numbers
- Sam Mills - #51 retired at the beginning of the 2005 NFL season
Pro Football Hall of Famers
10-year anniversary team
Source: , Panthers.com (URL last accessed December 26, 2008)
Offense
- Quarterback - Jake Delhomme
- Running Back - Stephen Davis
- Fullback - Brad Hoover
- Wide Receiver - Muhsin Muhammad
- Wide Receiver - Steve Smith
- Center - Jeff Mitchell
- Tackle - Jordan Gross
- Tackle - Todd Steussie
- Guard - Kevin Donnalley
- Guard - Jeno James
- Tight End - Wesley Walls
Defense
- Defensive End - Julius Peppers
- Defensive End - Mike Rucker
- Defensive Tackle - Brentson Buckner
- Defensive Tackle - Kris Jenkins
- Linebacker - Kevin Greene
- Linebacker - Sam Mills
- Linebacker - Dan Morgan
- Cornerback - Eric Davis
- Cornerback - Tyrone Poole
- Free Safety - Chad Cota
- Strong Safety - Mike Minter
Special Teams
- Placekicker - John Kasay
- Punter - Todd Sauerbrun
- Kick/punt Returner - Michael Bates
Coaches of note
Head coaches
Name
| Years
| Won
| Lost
| Ties
| Winning %
| Playoffs
| Awards
|
Dom Capers
| 1995–1998
| 30
| 34
| 0
| .469
| 1–1
|
|
George Seifert
| 1999–2001
| 16
| 32
| 0
| .333
| –
| –
|
John Fox
| 2002–present
| 68
| 52
| 0
| .571
| 5–3
| –
|
Current staff
|
|
| Front Office
- Owner/Founder - Jerry Richardson
- President - Mark Richardson
- General Manager - Marty Hurney
- Director of Team Administration - Rob Rogers
- Director of Pro Scouting - Mark Koncz
- Director of College Scouting - Don Gregory
Head Coaches
- Head Coach - John Fox
- Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs - Jim Skipper
Offensive Coaches
- Offensive Coordinator - Jeff Davidson
- Quarterbacks/Passing Coordinator - Mike McCoy
- Wide Receivers - Richard Williamson
- Tight Ends/Offensive Quality Control - Geep Chryst
- Offensive Line - Dave Magazu
|
|
|
Defensive Coaches
- Defensive Coordinator - Mike Trgovac
- Defensive Line - Sal Sunseri
- Linebackers - Ken Flajole
- Secondary - Tim Lewis
- Secondary (Safeties) - Mike Gillhamer
- Defensive Quality Control - Sam Mills III
Special Teams Coaches
- Special Teams - Danny Crossman
- Special Teams Assistant/Assistant Strength and Conditioning - Matt House
Strength and Conditioning
- Strength and Conditioning - Jerry Simmons
?
? More NFL staffs
|
Franchise traditions
Fight song
When the Panthers started in 1995, fans would sing the official Carolina Panther Fight Song "Stand and Cheer" (composed by Duane Evans) every time the team would score. As the first season was played at
Clemson University, many fans felt that the song was reminiscent of the collegiate atmosphere those games had.
The fight song only lasted a few years before being officially retired. Officials with the Panthers organization said that they received a large number of fan complaints regarding the fight song. The fight song was revised, although in an abbreviated version, during the first preseason game of 2006. It was used throughout the remainder of the season. Currently, "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond is played and sung by fans after every home victory.
[7]
Growl Towel
Growl Towel
(1996–1997 then called the "Prowl Towel") is the nickname adopted by fans that refers to small, terry-cloth towels that are waved or spun in the air during football games. The towels are similar to the Pittsburgh Steelers'
Terrible Towel, but in Panthers team colors (also white in more recent years).
[8]
Radio and television
The Panthers' flagship radio stations are
WBT in Charlotte and
WBT-FM in
Chester, S.C. The announcing team consists of
Mick Mixon,
Eugene Robinson & Jim Szoke. Most preseason games are locally broadcast by Charlotte's Fox affiliate,
WCCB channel 18.
Notes and references
- Winless Lions
- Panthers.com
- Carolina Panthers (1995-Present)
- Helmets, Helmets, Helmets
- Sports: Bucs free to use pirate logo after Raiders suit is tossed
- NFL Coach of the Year Award
- Panthers.com - Multimedia
- http://shop.panthers.com/officialgrowltowel.aspx Carolina Panthers Official Growl Towl