Hello Niner fans! Week 2 of the 2016 season is upon us, and the San Francisco 49ers are off to Charlotte, NC to play the Carolina Panthers. The teams have been meeting for over 20 years since the Panthers came into the league as an expansion team in 1995. My first memory begins with the September 22, 1996 game between the Niners and the Panthers. Steve Young was the 49ers’ quarterback but he out with an injury, so Elvis Grbac got the start. Wide receiver Terrell Owens was a rookie, while Steve Beurlein was starting at quarterback for Carolina, and their first round draft pick was Michigan great Tim Biakabutuka.
Since then, the teams have created many memories and more than a few fun facts between them. In this addition of 5 Fun Facts About the 49ers vs. Panthers matchup, get to know a little more about how these teams have intertwined over the years, including:
- A job Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton once shared
- A familiar face for Panthers’ running back Jonathan Stewart on the 49ers’ sideline
- How that September 22 game turned out and why a certain song haunts me because of it
- The 1996 Carolina coaching staff and how it relates to the 49ers
- A fun memory for all the Faithful fans out there.
Sunday has the potential to be a rough one my Faithful friends, so hopefully these fun facts will get you through the game.
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Go Niners!