Here at Cat Scratch Reader we have counted down the final 100 days leading up to the Carolina Panthers season opener by for at least the past ten years. We’ve always done this by highlighting the current player on the roster whose jersey number matches the day on the countdown. This year, we decided to change that up a bit by countdown our own list of the Top 100 Panthers of all time. This does not correspond to jersey number, does not need to be somebody who wore a jersey, and will in no way be controversial.
#98. Rod Smart
Rod Smart joined the Panthers after bouncing virtually all forms of professional football in the early 2000s. After failing to latch on with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent, he signed on with the Las Vegas Outlaws of the XFL, where he became as much a superstar as a player could be playing in the XFL. After the XFL’s lone season, he played one game in the CFL before getting picked up by the Eagles. After the Eagles waived him, he finally found a home with the Carolina Panthers.
Smart was affectionately known as “He Hate Me,” which was the name he wore on the back of his jersey in the XFL. While listed as a running back, Smart was almost exclusively a special teamer. He led the team in special team tackles in his first season in Carolina, then added kickoff return duties in his second season. He tallied nearly 1,000 kick return yards and 100 yard return touchdown in 2003 while continuing his stellar play on the coverage unit.
While his time with the Panthers was short lived, and his snaps on offense were limited, Smart was still one of the more iconic characters in the Panthers’ lore of the early 2000s. His XFL past, nickname, and overall vibes made him as much a fan favorite as a special teams player could be, to the point where he was a legend of the game honoree back in 2024.
