CHARLOTTE - In Week 16 of the 2017 season, a Carolina returner took three steps deep into the endzone, caught the kickoff and took off into the history books.
He went 103 yards for a touchdown, setting a new franchise record for longest kickoff return and helping secure a Wild Card playoff spot.
The Panthers haven't won a December home game since. And they haven't been able to establish a consistent return game since then either.
The player with that franchise-record return was Damiere Byrd, a lightning-quick product of the University of South Carolina, who struggled to stay off the injury report. The new Panther who could potentially fix those return woes is free agent signee Pharoh Cooper, Byrd's teammate at South Carolina and last season with the Cardinals.
"Damiere Byrd is my guy," Cooper said. "We sat literally right beside each other last year. Our lockers were right beside each other. We already had that bond from playing in college together and I love him to death."
Aside from the comparisons and connection to Carolina's former returner, Cooper's signing is intriguing in a number of ways for the Panthers. He earned Pro Bowl honors as a returner for the Rams in 2017 when he averaged 27.4 yards per kickoff return, fourth-highest in the NFL for eligible returners, and 12.5 yards per punt return, second-highest.
Over the last two seasons, Carolina averaged just 22.1 yards per kickoff return and 6.9 yards per punt return.
Cooper is also making a homecoming after the Havelock, N.C. native spent his first three NFL seasons in the NFC West with the Rams and Cardinals.
"It means a lot to come back to Carolina," Cooper said. "Back in the state I was born and raised in. I made a lot of memories here and obviously right across on the border in South Carolina. Just growing up and having dreams of playing in the NFL, then have actually having that dream play out in the state that you grew up in is a major blessing to be a part of."
Cooper now gets to make more frequent visits to his alma mater down the road in Columbia, something he didn't get to do as often when playing on the West Coast. He represents a Gamecock program that boasted 24 players in the NFL at the end of the 2019 season.
"It means a lot for us to be having this success in the NFL," Cooper said. "Just the hard work that you put in from high school and then to being a freshman in college. And the older guys there are paving the way.
"Now you can say that you were one of the ones paving the way for the younger guys. That helps get that program up and running. It feels great to be a part of that group and still playing in the NFL. We've got a lot of talent in the league right now."
With four Gamecocks: Cooper, offensive lineman Dennis Daley, running back Mike Davis and kicker Elliott Fry, the Panthers have one of the bigger collections of South Carolina players in the league. But the final roster is clearly far from set.
Every spring brings question marks during a normal offseason, but throw in a new coaching staff plus the physical challenges and unknowns from COVID-19, and all anyone can do is speculate who will be lining up where.
Cooper is hoping to change some of that speculation, too. After all, there is still a WR next to his name on the roster.
"When I signed, everyone wrote, 'Former return man signs with the Carolina Panthers.' That's fine and all. I've made a name for myself at that position with the accomplishments that I have. But that's not necessarily how I want to keep building my name," Cooper said. "I'm a receiver, and I want to prove that I can do that successfully in this league. I want to build off what I did last year with the Cardinals, where I had my best receiving season."
Cooper had 25 receptions on 33 targets for 243 yards and a receiving touchdown last year, and his 75.8 reception percentage led all Arizona wideouts.
But Cooper will have a crowded receiver room when he eventually enters the facility in Charlotte. DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel return as starters from the last two years, and the Panthers have added a handful of new wideouts in free agency.
So while Cooper wants to expand his receiving résumé, he also understands where he can help immediately.
"I'm a receiver first and foremost, but being a returner is an extra skillset that I can bring to the table," Cooper said. "If you're good at it, teams are going to keep putting you there and letting you do it. That stuff puts your team in a good position on the field and helps you score touchdowns and make big plays."
Pharoh Cooper previously played for Rams (2016-18), Bengals (2018) and Cardinals (2018-19).
South Carolina receiver Pharoh Cooper runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
South Carolina receiver Pharoh Cooper runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Wide receiver Pharaoh Cooper #10 during the Los Angeles Rams OTA on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 in Oxnard, Calif. (Ric Tapia via AP)
Los Angeles Rams receiver Pharoh Cooper looks on from the sidelines during a NFL preseason football game against the Denver Broncos on Saturday, Aug. 27th, 2016 in Denver. The Broncos won the game, 17-9. (G. Newman Lowrance via AP)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (10) leaves the field during an NFL preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, August 13, 2016, in Los Angeles, Ca. The Rams won the game, 28-24. (Greg Trott via AP)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Pharoh Cooper runs with the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Los Angeles Rams kick returner Pharoh Cooper (10) tries to get past Tennessee Titans defenders including Taywan Taylor (13) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Pharoh Cooper warms up wearing gear in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)
Pharoh Cooper (izquierda) de los Rams de Los Angeles corre para anotar un touchdown, dejando atrás a Peyton Thompson de los Jaguars de Jacksonville, el domingo 15 de octubre de 2017. (AP Foto/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (10) runs the football during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Los Angeles. The Rams defeated the Saints, 26-20. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (10) runs against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Pharoh Cooper warms up before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Arizona Cardinals wide receivers Pharoh Cooper (12) shares a laugh with Chad Williams (10) after stretching out with teammates prior to running drills at the team's NFL football training facility, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (12) warms up prior to an NFL preseason football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (12) runs during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019 in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers 17-13 (Greg Trott via AP)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (12) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (12) runs the football from Oakland Raiders cornerback Nevin Lawson (26) during an NFL preseason football game on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019, in Glendale, Ariz. The Raiders defeated the Cardinals, 33-26. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (12) runs onto the field during player introductions prior to an NFL regular season football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019 in Glendale, Ariz. The Rams won, 34-7. (Ric Tapia via AP)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (12) catches a late fourth quarter pass for a gain of 24 yards and a first down at the Cardinals 46 yard line as Los Angeles Rams free safety Eric Weddle (32) closes in for a tackle during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019 in Los Angeles. The Rams defeated the Cardinals 31-24. (Paul Spinelli via AP)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (12) makes a catch during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Oct. 06, 2019, in Cincinnati. The Cardinals won 26-23. (Aaron Doster via AP)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (12) runs a route during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in Seattle. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks, 27-13. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Arizona Cardinals punt returner Pharaoh Cooper (12) dives to score a touchdown during an NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019 in Seattle. (Gene Lower via AP)
