Established: 1995
Home Field: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Owner(s): Jerry Richardson
General Manager: Marty Hurney
Head Coach: John Fox

The Carolina Panthers formed in 1995 as an expansion team in the NFL. They are based in Charlotte, North Carolina and represent both North and South Carolina. In fact, the team’s panther logo is designed to reflect the combined borders of these two states. They currently play in the NFC South.

The Panthers kicked off their inaugural season with a memorable start, becoming the first team since the Minnesota Vikings in 1961 to win their first game in the NFL. They beat out fellow expansion team the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1995 Hall of Fame Game 20-14. Later in the season, they stunned crowds by winning four consecutive games, including the defeat of defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. It marked the first time that an expansion team had beaten the reigning champions in NFL history.

They continued putting up impressive performances over the following two seasons, but then things took a turn for the worst. The winning streaks ended and the players were gaining more media attention for getting into trouble off the field. The team was in a slump, and it would take a mini overhaul to get them out of it, including a new head coach. The team hired George Seifert, which seemed to work as they improved over the next two seasons. However, the 2001 season was a disaster. The Carolina Panthers lost 15 straight games.

Finally, in 2002, the Panthers hired their third and present coach John Fox. It proved that the third time’s a charm as the team immediately started bringing in wins. Just a year after Fox took over, the team became Conference Champions, making it to the Super Bowl for the first time in the franchise’s history. Unfortunately, they lost to the New England Patriots. Since, they have continued with some success, making the playoffs three times.

Championships

League Championships
None

Conference Championships
NFC: 2003

Division Championships
NFC West: 1996
NFC South: 2003, 2008

Panthers Trivia

• The Panther’s first head coach was Dom Capers who later became the head coach of the Houston Texans.
• In their second season, the Panthers came within one game of going to the Super Bowl.
• The first Carolina Panther to make it to the Hall of Fame was Reggie White.