CHARLOTTE — Years ago, during a time known as the 90's, Muhsin "Moose" Muhammad II bought a JUGS machine. It required a decent bit of his first NFL paycheck, and he spent a long time with Panthers equipment manager Don Toner to decide on the best one, but the NFL rookie was determined to gather any edge he could.

"It was my first purchase when I was drafted here back in '96," Muhammad shared recently. "I still own that same JUGS machine. It was the first thing I bought."

Five years into Muhammad's NFL career, Muhsin "Moose" Muhammad III was born. Once he was old enough to catch a football, he stepped in front of that same JUGS machine and the equipment that helped his dad become a first-team All-Pro, two-time Pro Bowler, NFL receiving yards leader (2004), NFL receiving touchdowns leader (2004), the NFL receptions co-leader (2000), and a member of the Carolina Panthers Hall of Honor, began to raise his son as well.

"From the time he was, five or six years old, we've throwing those footballs and signing up for flag football and getting involved. I mean, throughout the whole process, and even as he got to that sort of middle school age, his buddies would come by and shoot JUGS on the JUGS machine," Muhammad II said.

"The same Jugs machine I grew up in front of…he grew up in front of that. And he still uses it, uses it almost every day."

More than anything, though, he had access to one of the best in a generation and picked his dad's brain often.

"Oh man, all the tidbits of playing ball," Muhammad III said Friday of what he's learned from his dad over the years. "You know, looking the ball to the top, you know, just the little things, but overall just being a good teammate, doing the things that I need to do to get to where I'm trying to go."

The work, innate athleticism, and inside knowledge led Muhammad III from Myers Park to Texas A&M, where, over four years, he had 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns with the Aggies. And on Friday, Muhammad III took to the field for the Carolina Panthers rookie minicamp as an undrafted free agent.

"I mean just for the moment to come back full circle, you know, my dad played here 14 years in the league, and to go off to college at A&M, come back and be able to play in my hometown where I grew up is special," Muhammad III said after his first minicamp practice.

Beyond playing with the same team that drafted his dad, Muhammad III also returns to a place that hosted much of his childhood. As a kid, he'd often come running through the locker room while visiting dad. He served as a ball boy for Cam Newton at training camp as a pre-teen, then during high school, worked as an assistant equipment manager on game days.

"He's not a stranger to that building, and I think it's going to be surreal for him to be able to walk out that tunnel and be able to play on that field," the elder Muhammad mused.

Still, there is some pressure that naturally comes when putting on a Panthers jersey that says Muhammad on the back and walking out of that tunnel. The younger receiver is fully aware of that and welcomes it.

"Pressure for me is a privilege," preached Muhammad III. "This is what I was taught in college, so, you know, it either busts pipes or makes diamonds. So, you know, just having fun with my teammates, just taking it one step at a time. That's how I keep composed and, like I said, just continue playing the game I love."

His dad knows well the pressure of being in the NFL and making it through the league. He's also been a part of his son's career at every step, coaching him through middle school and in 7-on-7, along with Drake Maye, Sam Hartman, and other Charlotte products. As such, he'll try to come out to Saturday's rookie minicamp practice both as a former player there for support and wisdom and as a dad, two sides of a man that aren't merging into one but merely coexisting.

"I'm open and available if they want my opinion, but I don't plan on overstepping what my role is, and that is as a supporter of the organization, as a former player, as a legend of the game, and somebody who has a vested interest in making sure that this program is successful. I mean, that's just my role," explained Muhammad II.

"So, if they ask me for something, I'm available and I have been that way since I retired and, and nothing about that is going to change. I mean, having a son on the team, I'm definitely praying for his success, and I know that it's a competitive landscape, but I do have trust that the organization will make the best decisions for the program so the team is the best it can be and the organization is the best it can be. I have no doubts in that."

In the meantime, Muhammad III will continue to make his way with the Panthers, fighting for a spot on what has become a deep receiving corps. And whenever he needs a reprieve, he'll make the short trip home, where the JUGS machine will be waiting.