History of the Carolina Panthers
In a memorable moment during the expansion announcement conference, Richardson spoke directly into a camera feed going to the Carolinas to thank the 40,000 people who had purchased the PSLs and allowing the stadium to be built without a burden to the taxpayers.
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: free agency.
The Panthers made excellent use of the tool, picking up wide receiver Don Beebe, linebacker Sam Mills, and placekicker John Kasay.
Following an 0–5 start to the season, the Panthers won their first game against the New York Jets 26–15 on October 15, 1995, after linebacker Sam Mills returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown.
The team's second year proved even better than the first; following a 5–4 start, the players found a groove and rattled off a seven-game winning streak to end the season with a record of 12–4.
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.
Following the successful season, the Panthers were represented at the Pro Bowl by eight players, including Kerry Collins, John Kasay, Sam Mills, and Michael Bates among others.
[3] The Panthers picked up several talented players in the 1997 NFL draft, including safety Mike Minter, tight end Kris Mangum, and also signed running back Fred Lane as an undrafted free agent.
Following an impressive second season, the Panthers fully expected to return to the playoffs in 1997, but a 2–4 start quickly began to cloud the minds of Carolina fans.
Tragedy struck the team when former running back Fred Lane, who had been a member of the Panthers for three seasons, was shot and killed by his wife during a domestic dispute in 2000 after signing with the Indianapolis Colts.
Weinke had won the Heisman Trophy and led Florida State to a national championship in college but was unable to duplicate that level of success in the NFL.
Although his final season was the worst in team history, Seifert did help select several outstanding players in the 2001 NFL draft including linebacker Dan Morgan, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and wide receiver Steve Smith, each of whom earned Pro Bowl berths and All-Pro awards while playing for the Panthers.
After Seifert was fired following the disastrous 2001 season, the Panthers hired New York Giants defensive coordinator John Fox as the team's third head coach.
Meanwhile, safety Mike Minter anchored the secondary, while Witherspoon (affectionately called "Spoon" by fans and teammates) and Mark Fields led the linebacker corps.
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.
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas 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.
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.
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.
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 a combination of 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde and rookie Matt Moore for the remainder of the season.
The Panthers picked up several talented players in the 2008 NFL draft, including running back Jonathan Stewart, and offensive tackle Jeff Otah.
The Panthers lost several key players during the 2010 off-season from previous seasons, including QB Jake Delhomme, defensive end Julius Peppers, wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, and cornerback Dante Wesley.
Following another seven-game losing streak, in which Moore was eventually placed on injured reserve, Clausen lead the Panthers to their second win, a 19–12 victory over the Cardinals.
This move was controversial, as Newton's ability to play in the NFL was widely doubted by many experts, but it also showed a clear sign that the Panthers were dissatisfied with Jimmy Clausen.
[7] After a strong start with wins against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions, the Panthers suffered a dismal 1–8–1 record over the next 10 games, falling to 3–8–1 with an embarrassing loss against the Minnesota Vikings, including having two punts blocked.
Despite having a losing record, the Panthers captured their second straight NFC South division title and, for the first time in franchise history, playoff berths in back-to-back years.
After jumping out to a 31–0 halftime lead, the Seahawks stormed back with 24 unanswered points to make it 31–24, however the Panthers would recover the ensuing onside kick, ending Seattle's quest for a possible third consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
The 2017 regular season had ups and downs, including a week 4 win over defending Super Bowl champion New England and trading WR Kelvin Benjamin to the Bills on Halloween.
Running back Christian McCaffrey, however, was a lone bright spot, as he broke several records and became only the third player in NFL history with both 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in a season.
During the offseason, the Panthers with parted two key members of Super Bowl 50: former 2015 MVP Cam Newton was released and signed with the New England Patriots and linebacker Luke Kuechly retired immediately after the 2019 season.
They also picked up wide receiver Adam Thielen, running back Miles Sanders, cornerback Von Bell and others in free agency.
