Paul Janus - Team History

Team History

Further information: History of the Carolina Panthers

On December 15, 1987, Jerry Richardson announced his bid for an NFL expansion franchise in the Carolinas. Richardson, a former NFL player who had co-founded the Hardee's chain of restaurants and served as president and CEO of TW Services, had thought of the idea to pursue an NFL franchise after George Shinn successfully earned an NBA expansion team in Charlotte, the Charlotte Hornets. Richardson founded Richardson Sports, a partnership consisting of himself and his family; a number of businessmen from North and South Carolina were also recruited by Richardson to be limited partners in the group. Richardson looked at four potential locations in the Carolinas for a stadium, ultimately choosing Uptown Charlotte. To help demonstrate demand for professional football in the Carolinas, Richardson Sports held a preseason game in the Carolinas each year from 1989 to 1991. The first two games were held in Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina and Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, respectively, while the third and final game was held at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. In 1991, the group formally filed an application for the open expansion bid, and on October 23, 1993, the 28 NFL owners unanimously awarded the Carolinas the 29th NFL franchise.

The Panthers began play in 1995. They were one of two expansion teams accepted into the league that year, the other being the Jacksonville Jaguars. Led by head coach Dom Capers, the team finished the season with a 7–9 record, the best from a first-year expansion team in league history. They performed even better in their second season, finishing with a 12-4 regular season record in 1996 and winning the NFC West division. The Panthers beat the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round before losing the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. The Panthers managed only a 7–9 finish in 1997 and slipped to 4–12 in 1998, leading to the firing of Capers as the team's head coach. The Panthers hired former San Francisco 49ers coach George Seifert to replace Capers, and Seifert led the team to an 8–8 record in 1999, his first season. However, the Panthers finished 7–9 in 2000 and fell to 1–15 in 2001, winning their first game but losing their last 15. The Panthers fired Seifert after the season.

The team hired New York Giants defensive coordinator John Fox to replace Capers, and Fox led the team to a 7–9 finish in 2002. The Panthers defense was the second-best in the NFL in terms of yards conceded, but the team was hindered by an offense that ranked as the second-worst in the league in terms of yards gained. The Panthers improved to 11-5 in the 2003 regular season, winning the NFC South and making it to Super Bowl XXXVIII before losing to the New England Patriots 32–29 in what was immediately hailed by sportswriter Peter King as the "Greatest Super Bowl of all time". The Panthers finished 7–9 in 2004, a season where the team lost 14 players for the season due to injury. Although the team started 1–7, they rebounded to win six of their last seven games. The team missed the playoffs, however, after losing their last game of the regular season to New Orleans. Had they won the game, the Panthers would have made the playoffs. The Panthers improved to another 11–5 finish in 2005, finishing second in the division behind Tampa Bay but clinching a playoff berth. The Panthers went on the road to face the New York Giants, beating them 23–0 for the NFL's first playoff shutout against a home team since 1980. They then beat Chicago 29–21 on the road the following week, but lost key players Julius Peppers, a defensive end, and DeShaun Foster, a running back, due to injury. The Panthers were defeated 34–14 in the NFC Championship Game, held in Seattle, by the Seattle Seahawks, ending the Panthers' season. The Panthers went into the 2006 season as favorites to win the NFC South, but finished with a disappointing 8–8 record. The team finished the 2007 season with a 7–9 record after losing quarterback Jake Delhomme early in the season due to an elbow injury. In 2008, the Panthers recorded a 12–4 regular season record, winning the NFC South and securing a first-round bye. However, the Panthers were eliminated in the divisional round of the playoffs, losing 33–13 to the Arizona Cardinals after Delhomme turned the ball over six times. Delhomme's struggles carried over into the 2009 season, where he threw 18 interceptions through 11 games before breaking a finger in his throwing hand. The Panthers were at a 4–7 record before Delhomme's season-ending injury and his backup, Matt Moore, led the team to a 4–1 finish to the season for an 8–8 overall record.

In 2010, sans Delhomme, the Panthers recorded the worst record in the league that season (2–14) and had the worst offense in the NFL during the season. John Fox's contract expired after the season ended, and the Panthers did not retain him or his staff. The Panthers hired Ron Rivera to replace Fox as head coach and drafted Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Panthers opened the 2011 season 2–6, but finished the season with a 6–10 record, and Newton was awarded the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award after setting the NFL record for rushing touchdowns from a quarterback (14) and becoming the first NFL quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards and rush for over 500 yards in a single season. In 2012 the Panthers again opened the season poorly, losing five out of their first six games. Longtime general manager Marty Hurney was fired due to this poor opening. The team slid to a 2–8 record before winning five of their last six games, resulting in a 7-9 record. This strong finish saved Rivera's job.