It may have taken a bit too long, but Carolina Panthers icon Sam Mills is finally getting his due among the game’s greats, and the love won’t be limited to Canton, Ohio.
On Saturday, the organization announced it’ll host a “Keep Pounding Game” this season in honor of the legendary linebacker. The dedication will come in Week 4, when the Panthers host the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium on Oct. 2.
The family and a number of former teammates of Mills, who died in 2005, will be on hand for the event, as will representatives from the Hall. Additionally, his long-awaited bust will be unveiled at halftime.
Mills, of course, was finally selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame back on Feb. 10, in his 20th and final year of eligibility as part of the modern-era pool. He will be enshrined on Aug. 6 alongside Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Richard Seymour, Bryant Young, Cliff Branch, Art McNally and Dick Vermeil.
On a side note, the Panthers have won six straight games against the Cardinals. So there’s a decent chance this special afternoon could end on a special note.
