Introducing Panthers safety Mike Minter

Position: Safety. Ht.: 5-10. Wt.:195.

College: Nebraska. Drafted: Second round, 1997.

Mike could just as easily spell his last name "Mentor."

He is the kind of character guy every NFL team loves to have, and the Panthers have benefited on the field and off from his presence since 1997.

Last June, he partnered with defensive end Mike Rucker and other teammates to start the Rucker House Learning Center in Harrisburg, N.C. They hope to open more of the state-of-the-art child-development centers in every NFL city.

Also last summer, he partnered up with the Charlotte Rescue Mission, a rehabilitation center for drugs and alcohol that sits within sight of the Panthers' practice facility.

Minter also is the team's spokesman for the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, and he is an aspiring pastor who speaks often at local churches.

As if all of that is not enough, Minter is a partner in four Charlotte businesses: real estate, development, playground equipment and a scouting service for high-school football players. Oh yeah, he's also married with four children.

Just wondering, but how did this 32-year-old role model have the time to become the Panthers' career leader in tackles and starts?

Chris Cluff