CHARLOTTE — It was well before 8 a.m. when Hunter Renfrow walked into Bank of America Stadium Monday, ready for a next chapter that seemed a little like one of his first ones.

So much has changed for him since he went to Clemson as a walk-on in 2014, but the sense of gratitude for a chance to play was familiar.

The 29-year-old Renfrow laughed as he scribbled his signature on a blank page for "signing" photos, saying it reminded him of his days at Socastee High School, when he got a chance to play at Clemson. There were pictures to take then, but he didn't have a scholarship paper to sign because they hadn't offered him one.

"I've done this before," he said with a laugh.

Of course, he became a Tigers legend for what he did on the field, including catching a game-winning touchdown with one second left in a national championship game following the 2016 season and winning the Burlsworth Trophy in 2018 (given to the nation's top player who began as a walk-on).

But what he's doing this time, coming back to the field after a year away, is unlike anything he's done.

He didn't play last season, an absence from football that was noticeable for a former Pro Bowler who was still at the age when he could have been at his physical prime.

But he was far from anything resembling his physical prime, often leaving him without the energy to do much at all.

Renfrow said that the challenges he's dealt with stemmed from a diagnosis of the autoimmune condition ulcerative colitis, which had left him with weight loss, fatigue, and high fevers.

"It kicked my butt pretty good," Renfrow said. "Last year, I fluctuated in weight; I went down to 150 pounds. I had like seven straight days of 103-degree fevers. It's tough to play when you're not feeling great."

After spending a year consulting with doctors and getting the condition under control, he's ready to make his comeback.

He said he's "actually a little heavy now," but said that meant being around 187 pounds instead of 185. "I was eating too many Oreos at night; I've got to run a little more," he joked.

But those kind of small differences, the kinds an athlete notices, are the reasons he's sure he wants to do this again after a year away.

"It's just trying to get back, trying to get healthy, trying to do something I love," he said when asked about a year out of the game. " I enjoyed other parts of life. We had our second daughter, so enjoying that and just wanting to make sure if I'm going to come back and give my time and attention to something that I was going to be all in on it."

And coming from where he was — the hyper-competitive former walk-on, who lacked the energy to compete some days — convinced him that giving this another shot was something he very much wanted to do.

"It's a weird feeling. It makes you grateful for the times that you do feel good," Renfrow said. "It makes you grateful for the opportunities that you've had, and when you feel like you've been blessed with some skill to go out there and perform, it makes you not want to waste the opportunity that you have. And that was one of the reasons why I wanted to come back and play.

"I want to try to be a great teammate and try to go out there and compete with some friends. I haven't met a ton of people here yet, but I imagine there's unbelievable people and an unbelievable group of guys here that I'm excited to compete with."

Renfrow said that in January, he felt confident that he felt well enough to be sure this was the path he wanted to pursue. So he continued to work out, continued to push himself so that he'd feel comfortable taking the first step back he took Monday.

"I figured if I was going to get in good shape, I might as well do something I love while doing it," he said with a grin. "I've been healthy my whole life, and I've never had any problems and haven't broken too many bones. I'm thankful because, through football, I've not had a ton of injuries.

"So, to go through that and then come out the other side, I'm just thankful, and I feel like I have a new opportunity."

Of course, this is not just any opportunity. After growing up in the Carolinas, being from and of this place, it means a little more to do it here and to be near family.

He rattles off names like Jake Delhomme and Greg Olsen and Luke Kuechly easily, because they're the ones he saw on television when he was growing up, and when he was playing at Clemson.

He said when he was with the Raiders, he'd tell teammates in the shadow of the famous Las Vegas Strip that they were missing out on what he felt was the center of the universe.

"I'm from the Carolinas, born in Myrtle Beach, went to school at Clemson, and so the opportunity to come back here and be a part of Carolina, the people are special to me, the place is special to me," Renfrow said. "I'm probably a little biased, but I would tell them when I was in Vegas, you know, the Carolinas are the best place in the world. I would tell my teammates that over and over. And watching Cam Newton in the Super Bowl, just a lot of good memories. I've been a Carolina Panther fan my whole life, right?"

Now, there's the small matter of getting back into football condition and competing again.

The Panthers have raised the floor around here the last couple of years, to the point that roster spots aren't a given for any player. He's walking into a position group that includes a couple of recent first-rounders in Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette, along with veteran Adam Thielen. When you mix in guys including Jalen Coker and veteran David Moore, and a late draft pick like Jimmy Horn Jr. and the eventual undrafted guys, it's a more competitive position than it's been in some time.

Renfrow is aware of all that.

And now that he feels like himself again, he can't wait to go.

"It's going to be a cool opportunity to meet them," Renfrow said of his new teammates. "One of the reasons why I wanted to come back, my thought process was, I want to really enjoy the time with the receivers and time with the team and time with my teammates and just be the best teammate I can.

"I want to be real intentional about that and try to lock in and get in with the guys and have a good time and, and just be a resource any way I can."

Mostly, he's grateful that he has the chance. Same as when he signed a blank piece of paper and walked on at Clemson.

And like then, finally again, he feels ready to fight and compete for anything that comes his way.