There are only 51 days remaining until the Carolina Panthers begin the 2018 season by welcoming the Dallas Cowboys to Bank of America Stadium. That means that I get to spend the next 600-ish words talking about my favorite human being to ever wear a Panthers uniform—Sam Mills.Most of the articles in this countdown series are a mundane exercise to pass the time. I’m sure most of you have figured that out by now. We give a quick rundown of height Womens C.J. Anderson Jersey , weight, age, experience, blah blah blah about each player and then spend a few moments saying nice things about them. It’s filler content to make up for the lack of real news, honestly—I think all of us can safely admit that. But this number is different. This one means something. Almost everyone reading this has either been through or knows someone who has been through the dreaded C-word. I don’t believe I’m unique in this regard, but I do believe that watching someone close to me wither away from the terribleness of cancer has changed my perspective on life and what’s truly important. I’ve learned that a lot of trivial things simply do not matter in the grand scheme of it all, and yes—while I know this is a football site—football is trivial in and of itself. It’s just a game that people play for fun, and it only takes on meaning in how it helps build relationships—whether that is with fellow fans, teammates, or with family that you already know and love.Sure, Sam Mills was a football player. A damn fine one, in fact. But he was so much more than that. He was a family man, a brother, a teammate. He was an inspiration to many of us. He was a member of the Carolina Panthers from 1995-2004 as a player and coach, and in those nine years he completely changed the culture of the organization and fan base. To honor his legacy, the Panthers inducted Mills into their Hall of Honor in 1998, erected a statue of him outside Bank of America Stadium, and retired his number during halftime of a preseason game in 2005. He is currently the only player to receive both honors from the organization.Mills was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2003, and continued to coach the Panthers while receiving treatment for the disease. But sadly, after an arduous two-year battle with cancer Womens Da'Norris Searcy Jersey , Mills passed away on April 18, 2005.While he played 12 seasons in the NFL and was named to the NFL All-Pro team three times (1991, 1992, 1996), Mills is most known for his ‘Keep Pounding’ speech—a motivational message he gave to the team the night before their Wild Card playoff game against the Cowboys on January 3, 2004. The Panthers would go on to win that game 29-10, and would follow that victory with two more (including the infamous ‘X-Clown’ win over the Rams) to give the team their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. The tradition of remembering Sam Mills continues today. The Panthers started the Keep Pounding Fund in 2003, where donations can be made to further cancer research. Before every home game, the Panthers honor his legacy by banging the Keep Pounding drum. In 2012, when Nike took over the manufacturing of NFL uniforms, they included a special memento of Mills’ legacy—the Panthers currently have the words ‘Keep Pounding’ embroidered on the inner collar of their jerseys as a reminder of the impact Mills had on the franchise both on and off the field.So yeah, there are only 51 days left until the Panthers kick off the 2018 season. But today, let’s think beyond that. Let’s think about ways we can help others. Let’s think about ways we can do something for the greater good. Let’s overlook the struggles we may be going through and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s make a difference in the world.Let’s keep pounding.Information from Wikipedia contributed to this storyPanthers 2018 season opener countdown: 7 days to go Ed. note - I pre-wrote this countdown piece on Friday morning, so there’s a chance that Kyle Allen is not on the roster when this is published. -BSWe are 7 days away from the beginning of the Carolina Panthers 2018 season. That means today we take a closer look at quarterback Kyle Allen.Kyle Allen, QuarterbackBioHeight: 6’3”Weight: 210 lbsAge: 22College: HoustonNFL Experience: RookieKyle Allen signed as an undrafted free agent with the Panthers in May. He came into training camp as the No. 4 “camp body” quarterback, but played pretty well in limited action in the preseason. Since he’s a rookie undrafted free agent, here’s a look at his college career courtesy of the Panthers’ website:It’s extremely unlikely that Allen will make the 53-man roster as it appears to be a battle between Garrett Gilbert and Taylor Heinicke for the backup quarterback job, but Allen could find himself on the practice squad if he clears waivers. He played well enough in the final preseason game against the Steelers to get at least a practice squad spot somewhere, even if it’s not in Carolina.