5 greatest Panthers to never make an NFC Championship game
By Dean Jones
DeAngelo Williams – Former Carolina Panthers RB
- 2006-2014
When one looks at the best running backs who’ve ever suited up for the Carolina Panthers, DeAngelo Williams is high on the shortlist. The player formed a dynamic one-two punch with Jonathan Stewart that was among the league’s best once upon a time and something that is now prevalent across the NFL.
Williams was unfortunate in one sense. He joined the Panthers one year after their 2005 NFC Championship appearance and left after the 2014 campaign just before Carolina went on their memorable run to the Super Bowl.
The former first-round pick out of Memphis put up some lofty numbers during his time with the organization, reaching one Pro Bowl before moving on to spend the final two years of his career as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His most productive campaign arrived in 2008. Williams rushed for 1,515 yards and recorded 18 touchdowns from 273 carries. This also included 22 receptions for 121 receiving yards and two scores.
The emergence of Cam Newton as a signal-caller who could run and the fact Williams featured in just six games in his final season meant the writing was on the wall. He ended his time in Carolina with 6,846 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns, with 178 receptions for 1,621 receiving yards and seven scores thrown in for good measure.