Steve Smith Sr. congratulates Sam Mills on reaching the Hall of Fame

Smith spoke about the greatness of Sam Mills on the night that he was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Watch the Carolina outside linebacker stall a Jaguars drive with a big first-quarter sack.

Melanie Mills, wife of Sam Mills, was the Keep Pounding Drummer in Week 4 as the Panthers honored the legacy of Sam Mills and celebrated Keep Pounding.

Smith fought through tears to speak about Mills during Saturday night's celebratory dinner in Charlotte for Mills' family for his Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction.

Mills played three seasons with Carolina and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 1996. He had 385 tackles, 10.0 sacks, seven forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and seven interceptions with Carolina before being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

Mills spoke about what it means for her family for Sam Mills to be inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

Darin Gantt interviews Melanie Mills and Sam Mills III, the widow and son of former Panther great Sam Mills who was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

'You epitomized what a Panther is all about.'

'You left us with a great legacy of Keep Pounding in Panther Nation and for that we will forever be grateful.'

Listen as Sam Mills' son and former Panthers coach, Sam Mills III, finds out that his father will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Watch the moment that Mills was announced for the Hall of Fame from the NFL Honors broadcast.

Former Panthers linebacker and coach Sam Mills coined the phrase, 'Keep Pounding' during a pre-game speech on Jan. 2, 2004.

Sam Mills III, the son of the late Sam Mills, spoke about his father's dedication to the game as he was announced as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Panthers legends explain how Keep Pounding embodied Sam Mills' fight and inspired a generation and a region in a way that we consistently remember and commemorate.

"Keep Pounding" started as a pre-game rallying cry in 2004 and has become emblematic of a spirit and character of the Carolinas.

They said he was too small for the NFL. In the end, he was larger than life.

Sam Mills intercepted a shovel pass from Bubby Brister and returned it for a touchdown to key the Panthers to their first-ever franchise win over the Jets on October 15, 1995.