STUFF THE BUS WITH THE CAROLINA PANTHERS!

Don't forget your homework...school supplies! The Carolina Panthers and Harris Teeter will hold their annual "Stuff the Bus" school supply collection before the team's game versus the Washington Redskins on Saturday, August 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium. Fans are encouraged to donate items that are in high demand to help equip underserved children for the new school year.

You are invited to share a memorable evening of gourmet food, fine wine and great entertainment at the inaugural Carolina Panthers Taste of the NFL!

You are invited to share a memorable evening of gourmet food, fine wine and great entertainment at the inaugural Carolina Panthers Taste of the NFL, presented by Harris Teeter, Kraft Foods and Frei Brothers Winery. The event will take place on Tuesday, November 11 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium.

Panthers fans and food connoisseurs will savor delicacies from top chefs, representing 15-20 of the best restaurants in North and South Carolina. Current and former Panthers players will be on hand to mingle with those in attendance. From 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., there will be a private VIP reception in Suite 87, where guests will enjoy an upgraded beverage selection, choose their restaurants before others arrive and take a tour of Bank of America Stadium.

The cost of the event is $150 per ticket or $250 per VIP ticket. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, which serves hungry children and families in the Charlotte region.

Those wishing to attend should complete the registration form and return it with a check made payable to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. If you cannot download the registration form, please send your registration fee along with your name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address to: Taste of the NFL, 800 South Mint Street, Charlotte, NC, 28202. Upon receipt of registration and payment, participants will be mailed a confirmation letter and ticket(s).

The Taste of the NFL was born in 1992 at Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis as 28 of the finest chefs from around the country, one from each NFL city, served up their specialties alongside an alumni player from each of the NFL teams. Since then, the event has continued at each Super Bowl location and grown to several NFL cities. The mission of the Taste of the NFL is to address the needs of the hungry and homeless by raising awareness and money through special events and programs.

Julius Peppers is BACK!!!

Published Thursday, August 14, 2008
by Mike Cranston, The Associated Press

Julius Peppers broke out of his slumber and was dominant again. DeAngelo Williams made a case to start by darting through giant holes opened by the new, mammoth offensive line.

Jake Delhomme had no setbacks from his elbow surgery. Steve Smith made another spectacular catch – and kept his hands off his teammates.

The impressive showing by Carolina's first team in the Panthers' 23-20 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts in Saturday's preseason opener gave reason for optimism –and wariness.

“It was just nice to have both sides of the ball operating efficiently to start the game,'' left tackle Jordan Gross said.

But the Panthers have done this before. They are 17-8 in exhibitions under coach John Fox and have won six straight preseason openers. The offense has scored on its first possession three straight years.

It didn't translate to the regular season the last two years, with the 8-8 and 7-9 records putting plenty of pressure on Fox and the Panthers to produce this year.

Still, the early signs against a makeshift Colts team missing Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders were clearly encouraging.

Peppers, who lacked energy, speed and strength last season, was all over the field and embarrassed Colts left tackle Tony Ugoh in his first start since moving to right defensive end. Peppers recorded a sack, a forced fumble and a hurry that led Jim Sorgi to throw an interception on the first two series.

Williams turned both turnovers into touchdowns runs for a 14-0 lead barely three minutes into the game.

“He's all the way back,'' linebacker Thomas Davis said of Peppers. “You can say something was wrong with him, but he hasn't missed a beat this year.''

Delhomme has looked fully recovered from ligament-replacement surgery in practice, but threw only one pass in his preseason debut, an incompletion.

Instead, the Panthers turned to Williams on both of their short drives after the turnovers. Williams carried nine times for 55 yards and two TDs.

“He ran great. He broke tackles,'' Delhomme said. “I think this year we will be able to see for certain what DeAngelo Williams can do.''

He took the early lead over rookie Jonathan Stewart in the competition for the starting job. Stewart spent the game in street clothes, another troubling sign as the first-round pick takes a long time to recover from offseason toe surgery.

“The doctors here know what they're doing,'' Stewart said. “I just put my trust in them.''

Williams and Stewart are expected to get plenty of carries behind a line that features a different player at all five positions. Their debut was impressive as the Panthers try to return to a consistent running game missing since their Super Bowl season in 2003.

“I think we made great moves in the offseason,'' center Ryan Kalil said. “Coach Fox and (GM) Marty Hurney did a great job of bringing in guys who are big. We talked about beefing up the offensive line.''

A balanced offense could bring more opportunities for the Panthers top playmaker, the volatile Smith. Just over a week after Smith broke cornerback Ken Lucas' nose in practice and was suspended for the first two regular-season games, Smith made an impressive leaping catch for a 19-yard gain before his abbreviated night ended.

Even Dwayne Jarrett, who had a difficult rookie season and was mocked by Smith late last year, had three catches for 43 yards. Twice he held onto passes from backup Matt Moore after being hit hard.

“The offensive line did a great job in protection. The quarterback went through his progressions and I was wide open,'' Jarrett said. “I just made the play. It felt great, but we're still trying to get better.''

The teamwork angle was being worked by many players after the marathon game ended late Saturday night with John Kasay's 46-yard field goal with 3:53 left in overtime.

But there's reason to be cautious in the praise. Five defensive starters missed the game, with the secondary especially hard hit with injuries in training cap. Lucas still needs to return from surgery on his nose, and the offensive must prove it can be consistent.

Last year, the Panthers went on an 81-yard touchdown drive in their first preseason game against the Super Bowl champion New York Giants. They looked awful the next week in Philadelphia, a sign of things to come. On Thursday, the Panthers visit the Eagles.

“Last year we went up to Philly and we laid an egg. We were awful,'' Delhomme said. “So we have to go back to work.''

Father’s Cancer Scare Spurs K. Lucas Into Action

Sometime this summer, before the Carolina Panthers open training camp on July 26, Ken Lucas is going to put on a fashion show.

And no, it’s not just because the eighth-year cornerback fancies himself one of the best dressed men in the Panthers’ locker room.

Lucas’ Ken Folks Foundation is hosting a fashion show to bring awareness to causes close to his heart: homelessness and lung cancer.

“Homelessness is a big issue right now with the struggles in the economy,” said the politically astute Lucas, who has 22 career interceptions.

“And lung cancer …”

He pauses before a deep sigh.

“My father had lung cancer, but he overcame it,” Lucas continued. “That was kind of tough for me when he was going through it. I’ve never had to face any adversity like that. It made me realize how much I care for my father. It kept me from taking life for granted. That’s why, today, I want to do whatever I can to raise awareness.”

Five years ago, Lucas never could have imagined that lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men, ultimately would make a positive difference his life.

When his father, Clyde, was diagnosed with the disease, Lucas was in his second NFL season as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Life appeared perfect for the second-round draft pick out of the University of Mississippi. Off the field, he had money and celebrity. On it, he was a big-play defensive back who everyone respected.

But he felt something had been missing from his life for quite some time.

“It’s sad to say, but up until that point, I really didn’t know if I truly cared about my dad,” Lucas said. “But I feel like (the cancer diagnosis) was a way to bring us together.

“When my mom (Deborah) called and told me, the first thing I asked her was, ‘Is my dad going to die?’ Even though things were not always peaches and cream growing up, I never really knew that I truly loved him until she called and told me he had lung cancer. That was when things got better between my dad and me.”

And as his father’s health improved, Lucas’ star continued to rise. After a stellar 2004 campaign in which he intercepted a then-career-high six passes, Lucas signed with the Panthers as an unrestricted free agent. He immediately made an impact with his new team, matching his personal best interception total and becoming an emotional leader.

In 2007, Lucas started all 16 games, registering 62 solo tackles (his second-highest total to date) and a career-high two fumble recoveries. He also returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

But he believes he can be much better this season.

“Whatever I can do to make this team better, I want to do it,” Lucas said emphatically.

As has always been the case with the Cleveland, Miss., native, however, his earnestness will go far beyond the boundaries of the football field.

“The way I was raised, even though I was an only child, I had a giving spirit,” Lucas said. “My folks instilled in me to always give. I was better off than a lot of people in my neighborhood, so whenever [clothes] got too small for me, instead of throwing them away, we always gave them away.

“Even now, (relatives) ask my mother and father for things, and my parents call me and say, ‘Is it all right if we do this for so-and-so?’ I’m like, ‘It’s cool.’ That’s what it’s really all about. When you bless somebody else, you continue to get blessings. But you can’t do it for just that reason; you should give because it’s in your heart to do so.”

That’s why Lucas will host a fashion show this summer in the South. That’s why he’ll continue to donate money to various other charitable causes. And that’s why he was able to view his father’s cancer diagnosis five years ago as a gift and a reminder that, despite all he’d done with his life, he needed to find a way to do more.

“Since then, I try to do whatever I can to fulfill my life while I have the opportunity,” he said. “I think a lot of us do not use that power while we have the opportunity, but I wanted to take advantage of using my name to help people while I can.”

-Story written by: C. Jemal Horton, Red Line Editorial