The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The team is headquartered in Bank of America Stadium in Uptown Charlotte; which also serves as the team's home field. The Panthers are supported throughout the Carolinas; although the team has played its home games in Charlotte since 1996, it played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, during its first season in 1995.
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and the highest professional level of American football in the world. Each NFL season begins annually with a three-week preseason in August, followed by the 18-week regular season, which runs from early September to early January, with each team playing 17 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference, including four division winners and three wild card teams, advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament, which culminates in the Super Bowl, played in early February between the winners of the AFC and NFC championship games.
Monday Night Football is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that primarily air on Monday nights. It originally ran on ABC from 1970 to 2005, before moving exclusively to sister network ESPN in 2006. While ESPN remains the primary channel for the games, MNF returned to ABC for select simulcasts with ESPN in 2020, and two years later, it began featuring select exclusive ABC telecasts. In addition, ESPN2 has featured alternate telecasts of selected games since 2020 as the Manningcast, while ESPN+ has streamed MNF simulcasts in the United States since 2021.
Kristopher Blork Jenkins is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins. He was selected by the Panthers in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. A two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection, Jenkins played seven seasons for the Panthers before being traded to the Jets in 2008.
Jeffrey Michael Fisher is an American professional football coach and former cornerback and return specialist. He served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 22 seasons, primarily with the Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans franchise. Fisher coached the Oilers / Titans from 1994 to 2010 and the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams from 2012 to 2016. He is currently the commissioner of Arena Football One after serving as interim commissioner of the previous incarnation of the Arena Football League.
Kerry Rhodes is an American actor and former football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL draft, and most recently played for the Arizona Cardinals in 2012. Rhodes was named to All-Pro teams by three publications after the 2006 NFL season. He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals.
Nnamdi Asomugha is an American actor, producer and former professional football cornerback. He played college football for the California Golden Bears, and was selected in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. For some years, he was considered one of the best shutdown corners in the NFL. In his 11-year career, he was voted All-Pro four times, including two times to the first-team. Asomugha was selected as a member of Fox Sports's NFL All-Decade Team 2000-2009 and USA Today's NFL All-Decade Team 2000s, and is considered one of the greatest Raiders of all time.
John W. Parry is an American former football official who worked in the National Football League (NFL) from 2000 through the 2018 season. He wore uniform number 132 and was the referee for two Super Bowls. From 2019 through the 2023 season, Parry was the rules analyst for NFL telecasts on ABC and ESPN including Monday Night Football and postseason games.
Malcolm Jenkins is an American former professional football player who was a safety for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning consensus All-American honors, and winning the Jim Thorpe Award as a senior. He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft and played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2014 to 2019.
Mike Jenkins is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Florida Bulls, earning All-American honors. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft. He also played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Arizona Cardinals.
The NFL International Series is a series of American football games during the National Football League (NFL) regular season that are played outside the United States. Since 2024, the series has three sub-series: the NFL London Games in the United Kingdom, which have been in place since 2007; the NFL Germany Games in multiple cities, the NFL Brazil Game in São Paulo, and the future NFL Madrid Game in Spain.
Vontae Ottis Davis was an American professional football player who played as a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and was selected by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He made two Pro Bowls in his career.
Janoris Jermain Jenkins, nicknamed "Jackrabbit", is an American professional football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football for the North Alabama Lions and Florida Gators and was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. Jenkins had his most success as a member of the New York Giants, who he played 4 seasons with and made a Pro Bowl, and also had stints with the New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers.
Jonathan Dupree Baldwin is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh. Baldwin also played for the San Francisco 49ers.
Alfred Alonzo "A. J." Jenkins Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys.
Jordan Montae Jenkins is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Georgia, and was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft.
Rayshawn Sharodd Jenkins is an American professional football safety for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Miami (FL). He was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft.
The International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) is a program run by the National Football League (NFL) to increase the number of players from outside the United States or Canada in the NFL. The program was formed as part of the NFL's strategy to grow globally as it provides athletes with the opportunity to play in the league. Its aim is to increase the pool of talent and ultimately drive global fan growth.
Caleb Sequan Williams is an American professional football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following one season of college football with the Oklahoma Sooners, he played for the USC Trojans and won the 2022 Heisman Trophy after setting single-season school records in passing yards and touchdowns. Williams was selected first overall by the Bears in the 2024 NFL draft.
