Cardiac Cats Make Super Bowl! Carolina Panthers Season In Review

“We’re going to the Super Bowl!  We’re going to the Super Bowl!  The Carolina Panthers are going to the Super Bowl!”  With those famous words, the Cardiac Cats made their first Super Bowl appearance in the history of the franchise.  This was the best thing that happened to the Carolinas since October 26, 1993 when the Panthers were unanimously selected as the 29th NFL franchise.  Owner and founder of the Panthers, Jerry Richardson, who is a god in the Carolinas, promised a Super Bowl birth within a decade of the opening of the Panthers.  Nine years later, he also looks like a prophet.  Coach John Fox has led the Panthers from a 1-15 season just two years ago to an appearance in the most important event in sports.  “2003 NFC Champs, it has a nice ring to it.”  Right ya are coach, right ya are.  Fox and the die-hard Panthers have restored pride to everyone from the Carolinas that had lost or never had it.  More importantly though, the 2004 Carolina Panthers have taught everyone in South Carolina what winning in a professional sport feels like.  They taught us to be fans.  They taught us how to cheer, how to celebrate, how to lose with dignity, and how good it feels to have an incurable sickness, referred to by many as Cat Scratch Fever.  

Led by “Cool Hand Jake” and the super-human running back skills of Stephen Davis, the Panthers had little star power, but a huge amount of team spirit, dedication, and loyalty.  John Fox brought out the best in each and every player, both on and off the field.  Hollywood would have trouble writing a better tearjerker script then the ’03-04 Carolina Panthers provided.

From the offensive line, to the ground game, to the front four on the other side of the ball, Carolina was an all-around team.  They finally found a solid quarterback in Jake Delhomme, after suffering through Chris Weinke, Rodney Peete, and a handful of others.  “He’s got a lot of magic”, says Coach Fox.  Delhomme had an 80.5 passer rating for the year, better than Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, and Kurt Warner.  Jake had targets that included Steve Smith, who tallied seven touchdown catches last year, and Musin Muhammad, two of the better receivers in the NFL.  He also had an incredible running game, led by former Redskin Stephen Davis and followed up nicely by DeShaun Foster.  Do not dare forget the big guys who cleared the room for Delhomme, Davis, and Foster, though.  Carolina’s offensive line was finally complete upon the draft acquistion of Jordan Gross, paving the way for breakout seasons by many Panthers.

On the defensive side of the ball, Carolina had arguably the best front four in the game.  Led by Mike Rucker, Julius Peppers, Brenston Buckner, and Kris Jenkins, Carolina’s first line of defense allowed the Panthers to have a `four man blitz’, opening up more options on defense and better help for their sometimes-inconsistent defensive backs.  Rucker had 12 sacks, good for fourth in the NFL, and the second-year Peppers had six.  Carolina’s linebackers and backs also contributed greatly, and were a major factor in the Panther’s success, especially Mike Minter and the rest of the safeties.  Minter was an all-around excellent player.  He could do it all.  Whether it was rush the QB, cover a receiver, make the interception, or do anything else that was needed of him, he was there.  

Last but definitely not least was Carolina’s special teams.  Led by the accurate and powerful right legs of John Kasay and punter Todd Sauerbrun, kick returner Rod Smart, aka He Hate Me, and Steve Smith, the Panthers often won the crucial battle of field position.  In the many close games they played, field position was extremely important.  Kasay could kick it long (two 53 yard field goals), was very accurate (40-48, started season 20-20 in field goals), and could kick under pressure (went 5-5 in field goals and scored 17 points in NFC Wild Card Game).

Yes, the Panthers had a good team, but that alone doesn’t get you to a Super Bowl.  According to coach Fox, “Championship teams win close games.  Mentally, you have to be able to win those tough, ugly games.”  That’s the next factor to the Panthers’ success, mental toughness.  In a period of less than a month, Carolina was twice hit with terrible news.  Linebacker Mark Fields, who led the team in tackles just a year ago, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease during training camp.  To cut deeper into the wound, the Panthers learned that linebackers coach Sam Mills was battling cancer in the small intestine.  His statue welcomes you to newly built Bank of America Stadium, positioned near the front gate.  These two tragedies gave the Panthers more reason to fight, and fight they did.  Carolina won nine straight games, including a perfect preseason, to start the year.

The success of nearly every Super Bowl team is dependent on at least a pinch of luck.  For the Carolina Panthers, that luck was plentiful and came from their division rivals.  For the Atlanta Falcons, Michael Vick suffered an unfortunate broken leg in the preseason, and when he came back, Atlanta was too far-gone to be saved.  The defending champion and division favorite Tampa Bay Buccaneers were nothing like the year before, and Carolina was able to defeat them both times the two met.  

A key reason the fans rallied behind the Panthers like they did was because of how well the team related with them during the season.  Players and coaches alike were always open to autographs and conversations, and were extremely easy to rally behind.  Each and every game fans from all over constantly came and filled the 73,258 seats in Bank of America Stadium which resides in downtown Charlotte.  Supporting the players and the team was a crucial aspect to the success of the Panthers, according to many of the players.  It must have been reassuring knowing that you’re not only playing for yourself, but for millions of fans around the country.  They live and die with the team.  This sense of brotherhood among the players, management, and fans gave everyone in the states of North and South Carolina a new reason to say “GO CATS!”

It’s not like Panthers’ fans had to inconvenience themselves to watch a game. They were in fact treated like gold at games.  Ericsson Stadium is a massive structure made with 100,000 cubic yards of concrete, 5,000 tons of reinforcing steel, and 852 miles of electrical wire, among other things.  There are 95 total restrooms, 412 concession points, and 73,258 seats that include 2,270 suites.  Designed by HOK Sports Facilities Group, the stadium definitely raised the bar for all stadiums to follow, and gave the Panthers and their fans an amazing place to relax and cheer Carolina to victory.

The success of the Panthers was even more amazing considering the fact that Carolina had only one player from its 1996 season still on the roster, kicker John Kasay.  Everyone else selected in the expansion draft and beyond was either traded away, lost in free agency, or retired.  The full makeover of the Carolina Panthers since ’96 has brought about great results, making the team’s front office look like geniuses.

The future of the Panthers also looks very bright.  Wideout Steve Smith and kicker John Kasay are just a few of the many players that signed extensions with the team, and will join many signees to try to fill some of the few holes that the Panthers possess.  Carolina and Jerry Richardson have not been ones to trade away talent, and this gives everyone a reason to believe that their football team will be one of the elite in the NFL for years to come.

All of these crucial factors came together as one, giving the people of the Carolinas a new sense of pride and excitement about their football team.  The 2004 Panthers made a believer out of every one of us, and their unforgettable season will be remembered and treasured no matter how many championships `them Cardiac Cats’ win.