Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507170092
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: SPARTANBURG, S. C. LENGTH: Medium
That was the number that caught everyone's attention as the Carolina Panthers began their first training camp Saturday.
It wasn't those twin numerals on rookie linebacker Willie Brookins' jersey, either.
It was the temperature.
Who had the best day? Probably the Right Guard. Less than two hours of running, and Camp Capers already was a sweatshop.
The Panthers begin two-a-days this morning at Wofford College, following the afternoon of physical tests. Each player, unless excused for medical reasons, had to run a 40-yard dash in a prescribed time 14 times.
Offensive tackle Harry Boatswain finished his first 40, walked back to the starting line, and turned to a Charlotte, N.C., TV videographer.
``You guys got that on film,'' Boatswain said. ``Now, just replay it 14 times.''
Perhaps the heat had gotten to Boatswain, or he was hallucinating. It's understandable either way. The fifth-year pro went from Super Bowl champion San Francisco to a new franchise in the expansion draft.
Actually, it was a very good introductory day for the Panthers. They not only came to terms with top draft pick Kerry Collins, but coach Dom Capers found an overwhelming number of his players in shape.
``It's good to see that guys have learned it's a tremendous mistake to come to camp and try to play yourself into shape,'' Capers said.
With Collins expected to practice today, Carolina begins workouts with no holdouts. The Panthers have their first date two weeks from Saturday in Canton, Ohio, against fellow expansionist Jacksonville in the Hall of Fame game.
It's likely to be the only trip to Canton for most of the Panthers. They may have some familiar names, primarily because they signed an NFL-high 17 unrestricted free agents, but most of them are here because other clubs weren't as interested.
With two new teams, there will be 106 more jobs in the NFL this season, and as expansion teams, Carolina and Jacksonville get to bring 10 more players to camp - 90 - than the established 28 clubs.
That situation figures to make this camp among the most competitive in the league. Already, three players were cut before Saturday's time trials. They didn't even reach one of the three practice fields that makes the Wofford facilities better, by comparison, than those used for three decades by the Washington Redskins in Carlisle, Pa.
About half of these first-day campers won't make the Panthers' home debut against St. Louis at Clemson on Sept. 3. Even more won't be around a year later, when Carolina moves into its impressive stadium that has mushroomed next to I-77 in Charlotte.
There also is a sense of history at this camp. ``Every time we do something it's a first,'' said Capers, the former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator who developed a Steel Curtain comeback before becoming a boss.
There also is a certain feel of belonging here for this club. This is where it began for the Panthers, and not just with Camp Capers 71 miles from their hometown.
Their genesis actually came 34 years ago in this city of 44,000. That's when Wofford alumnus and receiver Jerry Richardson walked out of the Baltimore Colts' training camp.
He took his $4,674 check from the Colts' 1959 NFL championship team in Baltimore, came home and opened a hamburger joint. It was the first Hardee's. The big sandwich was a Hardee Huskee, at 45 cents.
He bolted the Colts because he couldn't get a $250 raise, to $10,000 in 1961. Instead of catching passes from Johnny Unitas, he was flipping 20-cent cheeseburgers.
That was hundreds of millions of dollars ago. Today, his NFL team has its first practice less than two miles from that burger joint, on fields that have been groomed just down a hill from the new $6 million Jerome J. Richardson Physical Activities Center on the campus of 1,100 students.
In downtown Spartanburg, they threw a seven-hour party and pep rally for the Panthers on Saturday. There were fireworks, speeches, autographs - and not a Redskins or Falcons cap in sight.
It was a great day for the Panthers to meet their electric fans.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB