Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2003 season. The Patriots defeated the Panthers by a score of 32–29. The game was played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, on February 1, 2004. At the time, this was the most watched Super Bowl ever with 89.8 million viewers.
Jake Christopher Delhomme is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Delhomme played college football at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana, before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent after the 1997 NFL Draft. Delhomme began his professional career as a practice squad player with the Saints in 1997 and 1998 and played in the NFL Europe for two years in between NFL seasons. Returning to the Saints, Delhomme played his first NFL games in 1999. Delhomme played as the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback from 2003 to 2009. Delhomme held many of Carolina's quarterback records until Cam Newton broke most of them. Delhomme led the team to Super Bowl XXXVIII in his first season with Carolina. After his departure from Carolina, Delhomme also played for the Cleveland Browns in 2010 and Houston Texans in 2011.
Stevonne Latrall Smith Sr. is an American sportscaster and a former professional football player. Smith was a wide receiver for sixteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Carolina Panthers, also playing for the Baltimore Ravens. He played college football for the Utah Utes, and was selected by the Panthers in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. After retiring from the NFL, Smith became a sports analyst and show host for NFL Network.
Stephen Lamont Davis is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
The National Football League playoffs for the 2005 season began on January 7, 2006. The postseason tournament concluded with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, 21–10, on February 5, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
Rodney Peete is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans, earning first-team All-American honors in 1988. Peete was selected in the sixth round of the 1989 NFL Draft. He played in the NFL for the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and Carolina Panthers
DeAngelo Chondon Williams is an American professional wrestler and former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Memphis Tigers, earning first-team All-American honors in 2005. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He starred in a dual role in Carolina alongside Jonathan Stewart, until Williams' release in the 2014 offseason. He then played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2015 to 2016.
Jamal Robertson is a former American and Canadian football running back and kick returner. He played college football at Ohio Northern and played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL) from 2001 to 2011.
The 2006 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 5th under head coach John Fox, and its 10th season at Bank of America Stadium. The team tried to improve on their 11–5 record and return to the NFC Championship Game like they did in 2005, however they failed to do so and ended up going 8–8, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
Jonathan Creon Stewart is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, earning All-American honors. Stewart was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft with the 13th overall pick. He played 10 seasons with Carolina, making the 2016 Pro Bowl, before spending one season with the New York Giants. Following the 2018 season, Stewart signed a one-day contract with Carolina and retired as a Panther.
Matthew Erickson Moore is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2007, and also played for the Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Miami Dolphins. He played college football at UCLA and Oregon State.
Cameron Jerrell Newton is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL leader in career quarterback rushing touchdowns and second in career quarterback rushing yards. Following a stint with the Florida Gators, Newton played college football for the Auburn Tigers, where he won the Heisman Trophy and 2011 BCS National Championship Game as a junior. He was selected first overall by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL draft.
The 2003 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 9th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second season under head coach John Fox. They improved on their 7–9 record from 2002, and made it to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history.
The 2005 season was the Carolina Panthers' 11th in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach John Fox. It was also the team's ninth season at Bank of America Stadium. They improved on their 7–9 record from 2004, going 11–5, and made it to the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl appearance in 2003. They eventually fell to the Seattle Seahawks 34–14 in the NFC Championship Game.
William Michael Tolbert is an American former football fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Tolbert was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He was also a member of the Carolina Panthers, where he was a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. He signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2017 after being released by the Carolina Panthers.
The 2004 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 39th in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first year under head coach Jim Mora. Under Mora, the team went 11–5, advancing to the playoffs. After easily handling the 8–8 St. Louis Rams in the divisional round, the Falcons advanced to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1998, but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Falcons did not make the postseason again until 2008 and would not appear in the NFC Championship again until 2012.
Christian Jackson McCaffrey, also known by the initials CMC, is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and was selected by the Carolina Panthers eighth overall in the 2017 NFL draft. As a sophomore in 2015, McCaffrey was named AP College Football Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He holds the NCAA record for most all-purpose yards in a season, with 3,864.
Curtis Samuel is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship and earning All-American honors in 2016. Samuel was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft and played four seasons with them before joining Washington in 2021.
Rhamondre Stevenson is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma, where he was a bowl game MVP, and was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
