CHARLOTTE — The Panthers have been working at a high level of intensity for the last week and a half.
And now, they're ready to show off.
Saturday night's Fan Fest in Bank of America Stadium will be their first chance to practice in front of fans, since construction on the indoor facility has kept visitors off the practice fields.
"That's exciting for me," first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan said of working in front of fans. "Obviously, just being my first time to make a first impression on the fans over here and being able to showcase my talents in front of everybody."
The Panthers will be in full pads, and coach Dave Canales has promised something approaching a live scrimmage in front of fans.
That was good news to outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum.
"Oh, we live tomorrow?" Wonnum said, eyebrows raised. "Oh yeah, let's do it. Let's go. I'm excited."
Maybe not fully live, but close enough that Canales and the coaches get a view of how they react to an added layer of adrenaline.
"I'm really excited to just get the extra energy that comes with a game-like environment," Canales said. "It feels to me like we used to have four preseason games. It feels like that first opportunity for us to suit up. We'll be in full pads. We'll get all of our special teams units a couple of full-speed reps to evaluate it.
"But also just the gratification of making a play here, making a tackle, making a nice catch, or a big run. And the successes that come with that and being able to feed off the energy of the fans."
Check out photos from the Panthers training camp practice on Friday.
