CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thursday marked 30 years since the league announced it added two new expansion teams. One of them was the Carolina Panthers.
WFMY News 2 looked back at the last three decades to see all the moments that now define the franchise.
Early Years
The Panthers' first action came against the team it joined the league with. Carolina took on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1995 Hall of Fame game. The franchise started out as a winner, taking the preseason showdown 20-14.
The team's first-ever draft pick led them to the playoffs a year later. Kerry Collins made the Pro Bowl in 1996, guiding the Panthers to the NFC Championship game.
The promise of the franchise quickly dimmed. The team went several years without making the playoffs. That led to several coaching changes.
Cardiac Cats
The team surged surged back to the top in 2003. Stars like Jake Delhomme, Julius Peppers and Steve Smith propelled the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance.
Along the way, the team picked up a new moniker - "The Cardiac Cats." The Panthers made it a habit to win in dramatic fashion in the closing moments.
This era of Panthers football also generated the "Keep Pounding" rally cry. Former linebacker and current coach Sam Mills urged the team to keep going, as he battled cancer.
The 2003 season ended with a heartbreaking loss to the New England Patriots. The core of players kept them competitive for years to come. Eventually, that also faded, and the team opted for a new direction.
Cam Newton
In 2021, the Panthers drafted a new quarterback to pair with its new head coach - Riverboat Ron Rivera.
Cam Newton often played superhero with Greg Olsen. Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis added some thump on their side of the ball. The superstar eventually lost his glimmer. After a rough showing in the Super Bowl, Newton kept dealing with injuries before the team let him go.
Team Sold
Team founder Jerry Richardson sold the team after a scandal. Owner David Tepper then bought the team for $2.27 billion.
The Present
After 3 failed years with Matt Rhule as the head coach, the Panthers fired him and decided to start from scratch. The Panthers traded players and picks to draft a franchise quarterback.
One of the tough decisions was to part ways with star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Panthers drafted quarterback Bryce Young with the #1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The team started a fresh season with fresh faces but is struggling to get off the ground. The hope of the franchise sits on Bryce Young's shoulders. The team is focused on making the next 30 years better than the first.