CHARLOTTE — It was a sight likely never before seen at Bank of America Stadium; 25 goats, ranging in size from babies less than 15 pounds, to some large enough to send even the toughest, biggest NFL players scrambling on their toes to get out of the way as teammates doubled over in laughter.

And while Chuba Hubbard might have immediately claimed the trailer upon arrival, peeking in to catch a glimpse of the goats before they were released, the only person completely comfortable with the farm animals at first was linebacker Trevin Wallace because, "I'm from the country, so you got remember that." Which is also, presumably, why he owns two goats; Billy, and a girl goat he's asked Panthers fans to name.

It was a unique Monday afternoon for the six Carolina Panthers players who took part in a yoga session presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina: Hubbard, Wallace, Tommy Tremble, Tershawn Wharton, Chandler Zavala and Ikem Ekwonu. Yoga is typically offered for players but this was a new kind, as the goats participated during the session. A few of their teammates – Bryce Young, Robert Hunt, and Derrick Brown – dropped by to offer their support. This effort was part of Blue Cross NC's ongoing efforts to raise awareness about mental health, emphasizing the importance of well-being both on and off the field.

Building on its commitment to improve the health and well-being of all North Carolinians, Blue Cross NC has launched an initiative focused on improving youth mental well-being and resiliency across the state by investing in prevention, expanding access to high-quality-care and enhancing community support.

"We recognize how critical mental health resources are to help manage daily stressors before they become crises," said Dr. Marcus Wallace, Chief Medical Officer at Blue Cross NC. "Thank you to the Panthers and our community partners for working alongside us to improve mental well-being and build a brighter, healthier future for all North Carolinians."

Those participating on Monday took part in goat yoga, a niche approach to the activity that has become mainstream in recent years. The goats, in theory, are supposed to walk over participants as they go through yoga poses, helping to alleviate stress and tension. It didn't take long to realize though that the primary way the 20-plus goats assisted was to provide laughter and the natural joy many experience around animals.

"I did (yoga) with dogs before, never with goats," shared Tershawn Wharton. "But I think animals are always a good thing because usually they know they just always charming."

Added Hubbard, "You take things like this for granted at times, but this is really how you build chemistry and really get to get to know your teammates. I didn't even know Trev had two goats. I didn't even know that (and) that's my teammate, that's my brother. I'm getting closer with him. We all getting closer, so things like this kind of just bring us, closer together organically."

Forming such a bond can not only build chemistry but help alleviate the natural stress that comes with playing such a high-pressure sport.

"Look at us right now," noted Wallace. "We all having fun out here laughing, like that's good. You always want somebody that you can be around happy, and laughing and all that."

With such a high-profile public career and often living life in a fishbowl, athletes have to find ways to reach peace of mind when away from their teammates as well. For Wallace, that's spending time with his family and two daughters who he says make him think about staying in a good headspace.

For Hubbard, it's meditation and being open with his friends and family.

And for Turk Wharton, the 6-1 280-pound defensive lineman who made friends with the smallest goat on the line, mental health actually looks like yoga…even if it doesn't normally include goats.

"I do yoga of course, you know that's one way" Wharton shared, "and then just taking those mental breaks to talk to family, that's always a good thing."

Even with larger conversations happening around mental health, there is still a stigma associated with the topic, particularly for men. The Panthers and Blue Cross NC collaboration served as an opportunity to help normalize conversations about mental health and reduce stigma, for not only athletes but people everywhere.

"We are role models to the communities and, you know, it's something that's not taken into account, they think, maybe just because of what we do, it's just easy, but it's serious," said Wharton. "And letting them know that even though we're doing things and having fun we also still go through those battles."

Added Wallace, "It's really important to talk about mental health because at the end of the day, everybody struggles with mental health no matter if you're an athlete, not an athlete, we're humans."

Read more here on how Blue Cross NC is committed to improving the mental health of youth throughout the state.