Carolina Panthers fans turn out in record numbers for training camp

Panthers president Danny Morrison took a reporter’s notepad Tuesday and drew a chart to illustrate training camp attendance from the past few years.

The lines on his makeshift chart all pointed up.

Coming off their Super Bowl appearance, the Panthers drew a record 135,000 fans to Wofford — an average of more than 9,600 over the 14 practices. That’s nearly double the attendance of 77,000 from last season.

This year’s total included the record 22,000 fans who turned out for the kickoff party on the first night of practice.

“There’s so much excitement, not only in the Carolinas but across the country,” Morrison said.

Morrison, who played basketball at Wofford and was later the school’s athletics director, praised the support the team receives from Wofford and the city of Spartanburg.

“They jump through hoops to make it special for the team and the fans,” he said.

This story was originally published August 16, 2016 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers fans turn out in record numbers for training camp."