I remember the exact moment that I knew the Carolina Panthers were ripe for a book. It was a dreamlike moment, vivid and strange – a few seconds after a Panthers playoff game entered its sixth quarter. I was in St. Louis for the Carolina/St. Louis divisional playoff game on Jan.10, 2004. The game was tied at 23-all. I had covered more than 100 Panther games for The Charlotte Observer in my sportswriting career, following every move the team made since its very first game in 1995. Already, no matter how this one turned out, I knew it was the most extraordinary Panthers game I had ever seen. The crowd in St. Louis was louder than a Bruce Springsteen concert. Despite their screamed wishes, the underdog Panthers had surged ahead, 23-12, only to see the Rams come back with 11 straight points in the fourth quarter. Both teams had seemingly moved into position to win the game in the first overtime, only to miss field goals. With the game still tied, the Panthers faced third-and-14 from their own 31 as the second overtime began and Carolina’s destiny peeked around the corner. In the past 17 years, no NFL game had gone on as long as this one. This was the 15th round of a heavyweight fight, and the Panthers were on the ropes. They were literally wearing down. Quarterback Jake Delhomme had gotten sacked on three of the past five pass plays. Linebacker Dan Morgan’s body was throbbing with cramps on the sideline. The St. Louis home crowd was hoarse but catching a second wind. It appeared that the Rams were about to get the ball back after a Panthers punt. The Panthers ran a play called "X Clown," in which wide receiver Steve Smith pretends to run toward the sideline and then tries to split the safeties by cutting inside. Smith had messed the play up at least 10 times during practice that week. But this time, he ran it perfectly. The offensive line gave Delhomme time to throw. Smith faked out St. Louis safety Jason Sehorn so badly that Sehorn would never touch Smith on the play. Delhomme fired the most famous pass of his life. Smith grabbed it at the 50. "I braced myself for the big hit, but it never came," Smith said. "And when I took off, I knew I was gone." Smith ran into the end zone, both arms outstretched, looking straight up at the domed ceiling. Smith’s famous pose, he would say later in an interview for this book, wasn’t all about self-glorification. "When I did that," Smith said, "it was to say, ‘Wow! Look at us!’ Not look at me -- look at us. What do you think about us now?" The stadium went stone silent – except for a small band of Panthers who mobbed Smith and a few hundred Carolina fans exulting in one end zone. It was at that moment I thought to myself: This is amazing. It has to be time for a Panthers book. You’re holding in your hands what resulted. "Tales from the Carolina Panthers" chronicles the memorable characters and the behind-the-scenes stories of the 2003 Panthers team, which eventually won the NFC title and sped to the Super Bowl before losing a thriller to New England. Whether you like to read in small sips or big gulps, you should be set. Each of the 14 chapters in this book is divided into numerous smaller stories ranging in length from 50-500 words. Each story has its own sub-heading to make it easy to identify the beginning and end of the tale. "So if you’re the sort of person who likes to use the "random" button on your CD player, just pick up this book and haphazardly thumb through it. You’re going to find a good story anywhere, even if you only have two minutes to spare. If you prefer a more linear approach, just start at the beginning and keep going. I promise not to lose you along the way. Chapters 1-9 detail the enchanted season of 2003, when Carolina picked up the nickname "The Cardiac Cats" because of the Panthers’ knack for winning in the final minute. If you’re a fan of Jake Delhomme or Steve Smith or John Fox, you’re in luck. You will find a separate chapter on each of those men here, full of things you never knew about them. Delhomme, Smith and Coach Fox all granted exclusive interviews to me for this book. Those chapters are largely based on those interviews – although their friends and teammates have a lot to say about them too, and those stories are also included. But this book isn’t just the story of the Panthers’ 2003 season. You will also find tales of the most entertaining moments of the Panthers’ first eight seasons in Chapters 10-12. And the 14th and final chapter, called "Weird Stuff," is one of my favorites. It contains stories about extreme Panther fans, about the crab claw that once gave Jordan Gross an accidental tongue piercing at dinner and about many other things that were too offbeat to make their way into one of the other chapters. Many of those pre-2003 Panther seasons can be summed up by one of the all-time best Panther quotes. It was uttered by distraught head coach George Seifert, shortly after Carolina had managed to blow a 24-6 lead against Buffalo and lose, 25-24, in 2001. "The problem here is that we haven’t solved the problem," Seifert said. "And it’s been an ongoing problem." Exactly. But even the Panthers’ problems produced fine (and sometimes painful) storytelling moments. And there were two sensational years among those first eight seasons that absolutely deserved and received their own chapter. The 1995 squad, Carolina’s first-ever team, is explored in Chapter 10. The 1996 team, which went 13-5 and went all the way to the NFC Championship game, is documented in Chapter 11. That 1996 Carolina team holds a special place in many Panther fans’ hearts. I remember it fondly as well. That team’s success led to my first book, co-written with my Charlotte Observer colleague Charles Chandler and called "Year of the Cat." I have long joked with people since that I could have written many Panther sequels since then, all of them entitled "Year of the Dog." But finally, the 2003 Panthers team emerged and ensured Carolina would be taken seriously again. I also owe a special debt to Sam Mills. From the moment Mills joined the Panthers in 1995, taking a chance on a team that had never played a game, the linebacker added a dose of class to the Panthers. There was no more fitting choice than Mills as the first player to be honored with a statue outside the team’s stadium and membership in the Panthers Hall of Honor. Mills was a joy to write about and to interview as a player – self-deprecating, insightful and a man who played like he was grateful for every Sunday God gave him. I have long considered him a friend. Like so many fans in the Carolinas and men in the NFL, I grieved when the Panthers announced in August 2003 that Mills had colon cancer. At that time, doctors were privately bracing Mills for the possibility that he would die before New Year’s Day 2004. But Mills fought his way into 2004, still holding onto his job as the Panthers’ linebackers coach and making it to the Super Bowl for the first time ever. Mills was kind enough to spend a couple of hours with me in March 2004, describing his battle against cancer and his notable playing career. That interview forms the foundation of Chapter 13 – "Forever Sam Mills." Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank Panthers fans for caring enough to read about this team so religiously for the past decade. Without you I wouldn’t have my regular job as a sports columnist for The Charlotte Observer -- and this book would never exist. I hope you enjoy the stories told here. Thanks for reading.