Running back Jonathan Stewart said Friday that he last felt at full strength prior to playing Arizona, but he wasn't referring to the Panthers' victory over the Cardinals last November.
"Before I played Arizona, my last year in college, is the last time I felt 100 percent," Stewart said.
Stewart has sat out the first two days of training camp as he continues to recover from offseason surgery that cleaned up his left Achilles and heel, injuries caused by overcompensating for a right toe injury that hampered him last season.
Even so, Stewart combined with DeAngelo Williams in 2009 to become the first teammates to rush for more than 1,100 in a season in NFL history.
Stewart said he couldn't help but wonder what kind of numbers he might be able to amass if completely healthy.
"Once I get healthy, it's going to be one of the best days of my life," Stewart said. "Sometimes God puts us in situations to see how we're going to respond and react, and there are definitely some things I've learned through the process – like the perspective of being patient."
Williams is trying his best to display a similar measure of patience when it comes to Stewart's injury concerns.
"I can't wait until he gets out there," Williams said. "He'll take a couple of more reps off us, and we can get back to midseason form like we were last year."
While Stewart wondered how productive his first two pro seasons might have been minus nagging injuries, tight end Jeff King offered a decidedly different take on Stewart's lack of practice time.
"Maybe if he starts practicing, he won't be as good, I don't know," King said. "He's got a good schedule going. Why mess with it now, right?
"Stew has it down to a science. He's outsmarting us all."
In other injury news: Running back Tyrell Sutton missed Friday's only practice with a calf injury that he suffered in Thursday's evening practice.
Wide receiver Charly Martin sustained a finger injury during Friday's practice, and Charles Johnson and Jamar Williams sat out again after suffering hamstring injuries in Thursday's morning practice.
All are listed as day-to-day.
Partying with the Panthers: The Panthers are welcoming fans to their Back to Football Party leading up to Saturday's evening practice.
The party, scheduled for 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Gibbs Stadium plaza, will feature live music, appearances by the TopCats and Sir Purr, a face painting station and giveaways.
Food will be available for purchase, but otherwise the event is free of charge.
Afterwards, the Panthers will practice in Gibbs Stadium, the homefield for the Wofford football program. The Panthers haven't practiced in the stadium in the John Fox era.
Ticket time: Single-game tickets for Panthers' 2010 home games go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.
Tickets will be available via Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone at 1-800-745-3000; at www.ticketmaster.com; and at Ticketmaster Ticket Centers throughout the Carolinas. Fans planning to purchase at a Ticketmaster Ticket Center should arrive by 9 a.m. to receive a random number that will be drawn at 10 a.m.
Approximately 7,000 single-game tickets are available for each home game and are priced from $39-97 plus applicable service charges. Fans may purchase up to 12 tickets per game.
