CHARLOTTE — The Final Four might be over, but this is still the Carolinas, so basketball season never really ends.

And then came this week's news that the Panthers have signed tight end prospect Colin Granger.

Granger's story — and it's a good one, of a guy who hadn't played football since eighth grade signing an NFL contract after working out with veteran NFL tackle George Fant — has earned a lot of notice. He's actually doing an interview with ESPN this afternoon for NFL Live, which is expected to air in the 4 p.m. hour.

But he's far from the only figure in Panthers history with a basketball background. It's actually fitting, really, so here's a look at some of them:

Julius Peppers, Final Four to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Of course this starts with Julius Peppers.

A two-year basketball letterman at North Carolina, Peppers probably could have gone to the NBA except for one thing — the fact he was one of the greatest football players of all time and just the 90th first-ballot selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He and Donovan McNabb are the only players to appear in a Final Four and a Super Bowl, and nothing against McNabb, but he's not getting to Canton without a ticket, so Peppers remains one of one.

In two seasons at UNC, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds a game, but that doesn't accurately sum up his impact there. He became a tone-setter for a very good team, which went to the Final Four his first season.

In his final college basketball game, in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Penn State, Peppers started and played 33 minutes, was 8-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-7 from the line, scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds.

He might have played three seasons but didn't for a few reasons, possibly including allegations of not wanting to wear short shorts . Circle back to our story from two years ago when Peppers was inducted to the Hall of Fame for more on those shorts and his basketball career, with stories from Phil Ford and more.

LaVar Ball, an original Panther (sort of)

Yes, that LaVar Ball.

The outspoken father of Hornets superstar LaMelo Ball was the first of his family to sign a contract here.

He was a practice squad tight end on the 1995 team from September to November, long enough to appear in the inaugural team photo, right behind then-owner Jerry Richardson and then-head coach Dom Capers. He never made the active roster or appeared in a game, but there he is, that's proof.

Ball played college basketball at West Los Angeles College, Washington State, and Cal State Los Angeles, and a year of college football at Long Beach City College. His first foray into professional football came with the Jets during the 1994 season, when he was signed as a defensive end. He was shifted to tight end and spent a year with the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football in the spring of 1995.

The Panthers signed him to the practice squad in September, during that kick-the-tires first year in which general manager Bill Polian was constantly churning the bottom of the roster.

Of course, he's better known as the CEO of Big Baller Brand and the father of LaMelo and Bulls guard Lonzo and hip hop star LiAngelo. He's battled through some recent health issues, but still has the same spirit.

Devin Funchess, two-sport professional

The former Panthers wideout, who was drafted in the second round in 2015 and played in Super Bowl 50, became the first former NFL player to go on to sign a professional basketball contract.

Last year, he inked a deal with the Caribbean Storm Llaneros of Villavicencio, Colombia, in the Professional Colombia Basketball league (Baloncesto Profesional Colombiano).

Funchess had a good run here and caught 63 passes for 840 yards and eight touchdowns in 2017.

Chris Manhertz, big-time blocker

Manhertz was a three-year captain for the basketball team at Canisius, a school that didn't even have a football team.

He averaged 6.5 points and 6,8 rebounds per game in four years for the Golden Griffins, leading them in rebounds for three straight seasons.

He got a tryout from the nearby Bills in 2015 but spent a year learning the game before really establishing himself.

The Panthers claimed him off waivers from the Saints (after he made their roster coming out of camp) in 2016.

He actually started four games in place of an injured Greg Olsen in 2017 and caught his first NFL touchdown in 2018 on a trick play from running back Christian McCaffrey.

He played in 67 games with 26 starts in his five years here, with 12 catches for 142 yards and that one score.

He signed with Jacksonville in free agency in 2021 and is still with the Giants.

For a guy who never played football (other than Madden), going into a 10th NFL season is quite an accomplishment.

Keith Heinrich got his start here

The Panthers drafted tight end Keith Heinrich in the sixth round in 2002 after a two-sport career at Sam Houston State.

He won Southland Conference championships in both sports and earned All-American Honors in 2001. He was inducted into the school's Hall of Honor in 2012.

He played in four games for the Panthers and would go on to spend time with the Browns, Dolphins, Buccaneers, and Ravens. He caught nine passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns in his career, though none of those offensive snaps came here.