There are 51 days until the first game of the 2025 season for the Carolina Panthers. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the only player to have ever worn the No. 51 jersey — linebacker Sam Mills.
The impact Mills has had on the Panthers organization has been undeniable and indelible. As a player, he was one of the first leaders the franchise had both on and off the field. He is the only player to have started every game for the team’s first three seasons, from when he signed with the expansion team as a free
agent in 1995 until his retirement in 1997. What’s more incredible is that he did that from the ages of 36 to 38 as a linebacker.
After his retirement, he was the first player inducted into the team’s Hall of Honor and hired as a coach. He remained with team, through multiple head coaches, as a linebackers coach until he retired.
A cancer diagnosis led to his early retirement and, ultimately, his death in 2005 at the age of 45. It also shaped the speech and the ethos that has defined the Carolina Panthers for twenty years now. Read this incredible history from the team’s website for more on Mills and the now iconic Keep Pounding speech.
Mills’ jersey remains the only jersey the Carolina Panthers have officially retired.
What is your favorite Keep Pounding memory or experience, Panthers fans? Scroll on down to the comments and share your thoughts with us!
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