The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League. The Carolina Panthers began play in 1995. Back in 1987, shortly after it was decided that Charlotte would receive an expansion National Basketball Association franchise, former Baltimore Colts player Jerry Richardson met with a group of potential backers to discuss the possibility of bringing an NFL expansion team to the Carolina region. Richardson's announcement created a buzz in the region, as politicians, businessmen, and citizens all joined together to show the NFL that a team could be supported in the area. On October 26, 1993, the league announced that the owners had unanimously voted for the Carolinas to receive the 29th franchise, the first new NFL team since 1976. During the 1995 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers made their first significant addition, in terms of long-term contributions to the team, by drafting Penn State quarterback Kerry Collins.  The Carolina Panthers became the first expansion team to win their first game, winning the annual Hall of Fame Game against the fellow expansion Jacksonville Jaguars 20-14 on July 29, 1995. The Carolina Panthers won their first game against the New York Jets 26-15 on October 15, 1995, after Sam Mills returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown. The Carolina Panthers stunned the league by not only winning four consecutive games, an expansion team record, but by defeating the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers, 13-7, the first time an expansion team had beaten the reigning champs. In the 1996 Draft, the Carolina Panthers used their first pick on running back Tim Biakabutuka, and their second pick on wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad.  The Carolina Panthers fully expected to return to the NFC title game in 1997, but a 2-4 start quickly began to cloud the minds of Carolina fans. Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers became known as much for their problems off the field as they did on.  However, in 2001, the offense quickly fell apart, Seifert lost control of his players, and at the end of the season, the Panthers had lost 15 consecutive games - an NFL record for the worst ending to a season ever. New Carolina Panthers head coach, John Fox, looked to the 2002 draft to begin revamping the franchise, and it started with the second overall pick of the draft: Julius Peppers. Fox's defense-first philosophy worked with the Carolina Panthers, as they turned around to a 7-9 record, and posted the second-best overall defense in the league, including allowing a league-minimum 3.69 yards per rushing attempt. The 2003 season started with hope. The Carolina Panthers made it three losses in a row for Philadelphia, as they shut down the Eagles offense and, with a 14-3 victory, headed to their first Super Bowl, against the New England Patriots. Super Bowl XXXVIII may have been remembered more for the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show with Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction", but football fans will agree that the game was one of the best played games in Super Bowl history. The Carolina Panthers eventually lost the Super Bowl but, the multiple close games, won either in overtime or with a slim margin, gave way to a new nickname for the Carolina Panthers, the Cardiac Cats