NFL Team History- Carolina Panthers

The quest for a professional football team in the Carolina region began in 1987. However, the endeavor did not become a reality until October 26th, 1993, when the National Football League awarded the Carolina franchise to Jerry Richardson, owner and founder of the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers became the NFL's 29th franchise in what was the first league expansion since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks were added to the NFL in 1976. Joining the Panthers in the expansion were the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The NFL placed the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Western Division as they became divisional foes to the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers.

The Panthers search for a head coach ended when they selected the former assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dom Capers.

The NFL expansion draft was held on February 15th, 1995. The expansion draft allowed both the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars to select available players from each current team in the NFL. The Panthers first expansion draft selection was Rod Smith, a cornerback from the New England Patriots. Free agents John Kasay, a place kicker, and Mike Fox, a defensive end, signed with the Panthers shortly after the expansion draft.

The Carolina Panthers were award the fifth overall draft pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. The Panthers selected quarterback Kerry Collins out of Penn State.

The Panthers announced that they would spend their inaugural season playing their home games at Clemson Memorial Stadium in South Carolina, or until their home facility in Charlotte, North Carolina completed construction.

On July 29th, 1995, the Panthers were matched-up against the Jacksonville Jaguars as they would compete in the pre-season Hall Of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The Panthers became the first expansion team to win their first game by defeating the Jaguars 20-14.

The Panthers would stumble against the Atlanta Falcons 23-20 in overtime in their first ever NFL regular season game, which set the stage for a five-game losing streak. They finally tasted the fruits of victory on October 15th, 1995 when they toppled the New York Jets 26-15. The victory was the start of a four-game winning streak, which became an all-time record for an expansion franchise.

With seven wins and nine losses, the Panthers ended their introductory season with the most wins ever by an expansion franchise.

Ericcson Stadium finally opened its front doors on September 1st, 1996 as the Panthers hosted, and defeated the Atlanta Falcons 29-6. The Carolina Panthers would become the 'surprise team' of the 1996 NFL season as they concluded the regular season with an astounding record of 12 wins and 4 losses, thanks to a season-ending seven-game winning streak. The remarkable record lifted the Panthers to the NFC Western Division Title in only their second year existence.

After a first-week bye, the Panthers hosted the defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys in their first ever post-season bout. The Cowboys had been the dominant team of the decade, so Panthers fans knew that their Cinderella season could come to an end. Nevertheless, the Panthers rose to the occasion and handed the Dallas Cowboys a 26-17 defeat. The Panthers advanced to the NFC Championship Game to face the robust lineup of the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, the Panthers would not advance to the Super Bowl as they would lose to the Packers at the frigid Lambeau Field.

The Panthers proved to be a one-season wonder as they would fail to appear in the playoffs in each the following six seasons. In fact, in 2001, the Panthers appeared to have hit rock bottom after they finished the season with only 1 win as opposed to 15 losses. This brought about several changes for the Carolina Panthers as former New York Giants defensive coordinator was hired to be the head coach of the fledgling franchise.

Furthermore, the Carolina Panthers were transferred to the NFC South Division as a result of the NFL realignment. Joining the Panthers in the NFC South was the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Panthers improved by six games in 2002. In 2003, they posted a record of 11 wins and five losses, noteworthy indeed. This would earn the Panthers the NFC South Division title, and their second ever post-season berth. The Panthers eliminated the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams en route to their second NFC Championship Game. Although the Panthers were considered the underdogs as they faced the Philadelphia Eagles, they would convincingly dominate the Eagles offense by winning 14-3.

Finally, in their ninth season of existence, the Panthers earned the golden opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. However, they were to face the NFL's top team, the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Even though the Patriots owned the best record in the NFL, the Panthers nearly pulled of a colossal upset. Nevertheless, the Patriots survived the Panthers and won by a score of 32-29. This game has been regarded as one of the best Super Bowls to date

Two years later, the Panthers appeared in their third NFC Championship game against the Seattle Seahawks, only to lose 34-14.