Formerly a Jet, wide receiver Robby Anderson obviously isn't too familiar with Panthers, or perhaps the feline species as a whole.
In the midst of his debut with the Panthers on Sunday, Anderson gazed into the wide-open Bank of America Stadium and looked upon a whiskered mascot dancing and clapping its heart out amid the sea of seats.
Anderson's quandary: "What's that bear doing?"
To which fellow wideout D.J. Moore wondered: "The bear?"
"Panther," Anderson said.
Moore: "That's Sir Purr."
And that's how Anderson met Sir Purr, the furry mascot who's been a Carolina Panthers standard for years and years before Anderson even debuted in the NFL.
Anderson, no doubt one with the animals and a wildlife expert, was able to showcase his skills on the field in the opener against the Raiders to the tune of 115 yards receiving and a score. And, he was likewise able to put on display his, um, eccentricity.
"Robby be trippin' sometimes," Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater said, . "He be in his own little world."
Now Anderson's world is Carolina, though, and Purr's got seniority.
Hailing from Paw Creek, North Carolina, Purr is still a spry cat despite his age as he's been with the Panthers for decades. Archrival of Jaxson de Ville, Purr's not to be disrespected as he's "" and, well, he's a panther with giant, fearsome paws.
Above all else, though, he's a team player, it would seem. Thus, Purr has made a statement of sorts by altering his Twitter account and he's cool with being a bear, it would seem.
After all, Anderson did have a 100-yard day, so you've gotta roll with it. If only the Panthers could've pulled out a win, it would've been purr-fect.
