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Panthers greats dominate Charlotte's sports Mount Rushmore
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- Panthers greats dominate Charlotte's sports Mount Rushmore
The Carolina Panthers have only been around for a little over 30 years, but they have established themselves as the destination for sports in Charlotte.
For evidence, look no further than a new Mount Rushmore-themed list out from Bleacher Report—which picks four sports icons for each major city around the United States. In Charlotte's case, all four of them are Panthers legends—quarterback Cam Newton , wide receiver Steve Smith and defensive end Julius Peppers and linebacker Luke Kuechly .
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Joel Reuter writes:
With an MVP award and Super Bowl appearance in 2015, there's an easy case to be made that Newton is the best quarterback in Panthers history... Smith ranks among the top 15 all-time in receptions (1,031, 14th) and receiving yards (14,731, 8th)... Kuechly played only eight seasons... In that relatively short career, he racked up seven Pro Bowl selections, five first-team All-Pro nods and 2013 Defensive Player of the Year honors... Peppers racked up 97 sacks and five Pro Bowl selections during his initial eight-year run with the Panthers...
In a few weeks' time, Kuechly will be joining Peppers in Canton—as he'll be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 8. Kuechly—even in an abbreviated career—collected a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, a Defensive Player of the Year award, seven Pro Bowl selections and five first-team All-Pro nods.
While their cases aren't as rock-solid, Newton and Smith may have a chance to get in at some point as well. Smith was named a semifinalist for 2026 while Newton is entering his first year of eligibility in 2027.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers greats dominate Charlotte's sports Mount Rushmore
