It was all worth it for Wesley Walls

[Sir Purr]

He slowed a little his final three years in Carolina, but remained a red-zone factor throughout; his 44 touchdowns in seven seasons with the Panthers remains a franchise record for tight ends. Greg Olsen has 37 in eight seasons with Carolina.


While quarterback Cam Newton has been a constant for Olsen, Walls did it with a mish-mash of quarterbacks – predominantly Kerry Collins his first two years, Steve Beuerlein the next three and Chris Weinke and Rodney Peete the final two.


Walls laments missing out on Jake Delhomme, headed to the Hall of Honor with him. Delhomme joined the Panthers right after Walls left, signing with Carolina in the spring leading up to the Super Bowl season of 2003.


“I finally I get to see my name next to Jake Delhomme,” Walls said. “I remember begging Coach (John) Fox when he fired me – I kid him about it all the time – ‘Can you not let me play one more year? We’re going to be good.’ But it was best for the team. Not best for me, but best for the team because I would have been crying about not getting the ball.


“A lot of people thought I was a selfish football player, but I always thought, ‘Hey, if I catch 10 passes, that’s going to give us a better chance to win.’”


Walls lives in Charlotte to this day.


“The '96 season was a special, special year for the Panthers and for me, too. That was a breakout year for me. We were 8-0 here that year. We sent a message to the league that we were for real,” Walls said. “And when I got here, this city felt like home to me. I’m not just talking about the players; I’m talking about the community as well and the fans. I felt so comfortable here. I never owned a home before I got here, but I set down roots.


“When you set down roots, it grows on you.”