The early years: Photos tell the story of Carolina Panthers training camp memories

The Panthers will hold their first 2023 summer training camp practice on Wednesday at the team’s home away from home at Wofford College.

The 28-year tradition of NFL players trekking to Spartanburg, S.C. has its foundation in the earliest days of the franchise. The college, when building a new football stadium in the 1980s, began modifications to serve a professional team once founding owner Jerry Richardson announced he’d seek a franchise, the Observer reported in 1995. Richardson was a trustee and alum of Wofford, a private college.

Frank Reich as a quarterback

Panthers Head Coach Frank Reich as a player in 1995 signed to join the Panthers in the expansion team’s inaugural season. He was the team’s starting quarterback for several games and holds the honor of having thrown the Carolina Panthers’ first-ever franchise touchdown pass.

Carolina Panthers’ training camp at Wofford

The first was held in 1995. In the early years, players established several traditions, including greeting fans from all over the Carolinas who flock to the practice field.

This story was originally published July 25, 2023 at 12:26 PM.

Anna Douglas

The Charlotte Observer

704-358-5078

Anna Douglas is The Charlotte Observer’s deputy managing editor and previously worked as an investigative reporter and news editor in the newsroom. Prior to joining the Observer, she worked as a local news reporter for The (Rock Hill) Herald and as a congressional correspondent in Washington, D.C., for McClatchy. Anna is a past recipient of the South Carolina Press Association’s Journalist of the Year award and the Charlotte Society of Professional Journalists’ Outstanding Journalism Award. She’s a South Carolina native, a graduate of Winthrop University, and a past fellow of the Dori Maynard Diversity Leadership Program, sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists. Anna has lived in Charlotte since May 2017.