Mount Rushmore of most hated figures in Carolina Panthers history
By Dean Jones
Rae Carruth – Former Carolina Panthers WR
When one examines the sorriest tales from the Carolina Panthers, the one involving Rae Carruth is undeniably at the summit. The once-promising wide receiver with character issues was the No. 27 overall selection in 1997, but things came crashing down quickly after flashing during his rookie campaign.
Carruth will never be remembered for anything he did on the football field. The conspiracy to kill his girlfriend Cherica Adams, who was eight months pregnant with their son at the time, saw him spend 19 years in jail before his eventual release in 2018.
There was a stark level of remorse from Carruth, whose son survived but was physically impaired as a result of the incident, born with brain damage and cerebral palsy. Thankfully, this hasn’t prevented him from living a happy life and he graduated from high school not long after his father left jail.
"“I feel responsible for everything that happened. And I just want her to know that truly I am sorry for everything.”"
Nothing Carruth could ever do will change the past. He was banished from the Panthers in the blink of an eye and became one of the league’s most recognized figures among those that have thrown their careers away.
Carruth only has himself to blame for being one of the most hated figures in franchise history. A notion that is sure to stand the test of time.