SAN FRANCISCO — For weeks, months really, Tetairoa McMillan avoided the conversation.

As mid-November slipped into December, then the page turned to January, whispers began, speculation grew, and a sense of belief started to take hold amongst Panthers fans and the NFL: the Carolina receiver might just become the offensive rookie of the year, the club's first since Cam Newton in 2011, a dream that came true Thursday night at the annual NFL Honors event.

But for 10 months, the Carolina receiver in question did everything he could to block out the noise.

"I hear about it. I feel like it's a hot topic, so I can't go a day without hearing about it," joked McMillan back in mid-December. "Whether it's from my family, people in the locker room, stuff like that. But that's not really my concern right now. We just got to win the game."

The referenced game was a Week 16 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was a must-win for the Panthers if they wanted to stay in the NFC South race, and a must perform for McMillan in what had become a tight race for the rookie of the year with Bucs receiver Emeka Egbuka and Saints quarterback Tyler Shough.

Carolina did win, a 23-20 close one, as McMillan pulled in six receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, the score coming just before halftime in what proved to be a difference maker. It wasn't the first time the No. 8 overall pick had helped his team win a game that season, but it was the most timely.

It's but just one example of why McMillan was named the AP rookie of the year.

"I know that I could've never done this by myself," expressed McMillan during his acceptance speech Thursday night.

"I want to thank my family for just teaching me the importance of humility and respect, and for always just supporting me. I want to thank Mr. Tepper, Mrs. Tepper, (general manager) Dan Morgan, (head coach Dave) Canales, (receivers coach Rob) Moore, my teammates, and just the whole Panthers organization for believing in me."

But that campaign didn't start in Week 16; it didn't start in November, when he pulled in 20 receptions for 314 yards and four touchdowns, including a career-best performance against the Falcons in Week 11. It didn't even start in training camp, when the rookie was making catches that mimicked the Jordan logo and facing off daily against Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, winning enough of those battles to raise eyebrows.

It started back in April, when the Panthers first drafted McMillan No. 8 overall. When he put on the Carolina hat in Green Bay, gave a little excited shoulder shake, and walked out on stage with a shout, the countdown began.

"The grind starts now," he said after touching down in Charlotte for his initial welcome. "It's only the beginning, so I'm ready to get after it."

He knew, even then, there was a narrative to overcome. A video from his freshman season at Arizona had made the pre-draft rounds, raising questions about the dynamic receiver's willingness to watch tape.

Loving football is a prerequisite for Dan Morgan when drafting guys, though, and McMillan was determined, even then, to prove he was the right choice.

"I feel like there was a lot of talk about me during the pre-draft process. A lot of people thought that the Panthers were dumb for picking me and I'm sure a lot of people didn't expect me to do as good as I did," McMillan admitted this week, a vulnerable moment of reflection 24 hours before he would be named rookie of the year.

"But I mean, my job is not to prove anybody wrong, it's to prove the people that believed in me right. So when I got picked at No. 8, it was my job to make sure that I made Mr. Morgan and doach Canales and Mr. Tepper, that made them feel like they made the right decision and that I was worth the pick."

The idea of this campaign picked up steam after the draft when McMillan's agent Zeke Sandhu boldly (and correctly) predicted that he would be the rookie of the year.

"I knew," shrugged Sandhu this week, a small smirk on his face that belied the moment.

But McMillan was still hesitant to look that far ahead, not out of caution but a worry that focusing on an individual postseason award would distract from his mission to prove the Panthers contingent right, that he could be a difference maker for an offense which had been sputtering in recent years.

And he was.

In his first game in the National Football League, the rookie pulled in five receptions for 68 yards. His second game, that number only went up, with six catches for 100 yards. His third appearance didn't see as much overall production (three receptions for 48 yards), but the usage came in productive chunks, such as a 23-yard explosive on the first drive of the game that put the Panthers in the red zone. They scored two plays later to open up a rout on the Falcons.

"Our focal point is TMac," Canales told reporters in season. "We try to build for and try to get him into spots to get him the ball."

Time and again, he delivered, and when the lights were brightest, he played at his best.

Whether it was scoring his first two touchdowns in the same game to help beat the Cowboys 30-27 (the jersey from that game immediately went on mom's wall), putting up that career best (to this point) 130 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions against Atlanta in the divisional Week 11 win, or the 43-yard touchdown on fourth down against the Rams in Week 13 that proved to be the go-ahead score in the biggest Panthers win in years.

While he wasn't thinking about the rookie of the year possibility during all those games, he was actively taking care of the biggest factor in winning: availability.

"I think the biggest thing about being rookie of the year, just being consistent throughout the whole year," offered the 2021 rookie of the year, JaMarr Chase, earlier this week. "I think that's (both) the hardest and the most easiest thing you can do to put yourself in position to winning rookie of the year…And (TMac's) doing it."

McMillan was the only one of the five OROTY finalists to play and start all 17 regular-season games. He also added a postseason game.

"There's a lot of things that took it and made sure that happened, obviously, I took good care of my body in college, and I was taught early that, in order to play a long season, you got to take care of your body," explained McMillan.

"So when I first got in the league, that was the first thing I did, I worked with (associate athletic trainer) Katy (Rogers) every day. I'm in the training room every day, making sure my body is right, and at the end of the day, nobody can control if they get hurt."

But fortune favors the bold and the prepared, and McMillan finished his rookie season having played 87.18 percent of the Panthers' offensive snaps this season.

The culmination was a regular season that produced 70 receptions for 1,014 yards, seven touchdowns, and 55 first downs, numbers that helped establish new franchise rookie records, and led all rookie receivers league wide this season.

"Wait," interrupts McMillan, as those numbers are flashed across a screen in front of him on Wednesday afternoon. "I really led all the rookies?"

The question was so abrupt, so genuine, it was clear; his insistence to avoid the rookie of the year conversation not only all year but since last April was real, and not just a company line.

"I don't really pay attention to that," he reiterated. "I'm sure a few people have (mentioned it), but it kind of just goes over my head."

With a nod, he promised, "Tomorrow. I'll appreciate it tomorrow."

And for the first time in 10 months, Tetairoa McMillan really started to think about what it would mean to win rookie of the year.

The idea was more prevalent on Thursday morning. Around eight hours out from when his name would be called on stage, the receiver perused radio row, as he had for a couple of days at that point, signing autographs, taking pictures, and answering a hundred questions about his season and what's next.

"(It's) a little bit weird just because I'm the same person that I've been," he laughed. "Where I am today, it's crazy to think that the goofy little kid that was running up and down the street just in his underwear is sitting here. I'm still that same goofy kid."

It wasn't until running into his friend, and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, that the immediate next really started to sink in.

"Excited to see you get that award tonight," Daniels, last year's rookie of the year, told McMillan.

"Just trying to follow in your footsteps," he responded.

Then, finally, Thursday night arrived, along with a bout of nerves McMillan had not felt until the award was on the precipice.

"I mean, I was a little nervous," he laughed. "I was just a little jittery, but because you never know what can happen."

It distracted him enough that he didn't even notice his mom had slipped out of her seat and onto the stage, where loved ones of each nominee were invited to give the introduction. It meant she also got to be the one to hand him the trophy and stand in his periphery as he began his speech by thanking her.

"First off, I want to thank my mom for always being there for me. She's a real soldier," he bragged.

The following hour included all the fanfare that comes with such an award, including a run-in backstage with the Panthers' Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Luke Kuechly, along with another member of the 2026 class, Larry Fitzgerald.

"I look forward to seeing you (up here) in about 20 years," the legendary Cardinals receiver quipped to the young buck who'd grown up admiring him.

And for a brief wink of time, McMillan allowed himself to think about the future and what all it could hold beyond the next time he'll step on the football field.

"I mean, it's just the beginning," he mused Friday morning. "There's a lot of things I still can get to, a lot of things that I haven't done yet, so, I mean we'll see what the future holds."

Still, that's a good ways away, and Tetairoa McMillan doesn't like to focus on future accolades. There's a new season to pour his energy into. The rest can wait.

"We're straight back to it," he clapped. "It's time to get it in. The deed's already done (with rookie of the year). We already did our due diligence. We've got to get back to work."