CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Being a Carolina Panthers fan has not always been easy. But for one longtime superfan, Sunday’s win meant far more than a final score.
Carlos Armadillo has followed the Panthers since their inaugural season in 1995, wearing his loyalty proudly, from a Panthers hat and “Keep Pounding” chain to a full sleeve of tattoos that tell his story.
What You Need To Know
Carlos Armadillo has been a Panthers fan since 1995 and travels from Texas to Charlotte for games
He and his wife Jess attended games together for years, even during her health struggles
Jess battled cancer, kidney failure and dialysis before dying in October from congestive heart failure
He says the team’s “Keep Pounding” mantra reflected his wife’s battle with her illness
Every year, Armadillo makes the trip from Texas to Charlotte just before Christmas to catch a game in person.
“I haven’t missed a game in seven years,” he said.
Win or lose, Armadillo says he was never alone. His wife, Jess, was always by his side, cheering on the team. At times, she attended games holding a sign that read, “I need a kidney,” hoping to find a kidney donor she desperately needed.
After Sunday’s game, Armadillo headed back to Texas after a 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that sent the Panthers to first place in the NFC South.
This season’s trip carried a heavier meaning.
“She had cancer, but the beginning stages. She was on dialysis. She had a kidney donated to her, but it lasted two and a half years,” Armadillo said.
Jess died in October from congestive heart failure.
“She was an awesome person, she was just that person,” Armadillo said. “I just miss her.”
Armadillo said his wife embodied the Panthers’ mantra “Keep Pounding,” fighting through illness and pain until the very end.
“I’d tell her, keep pounding, keep pounding and she did. She kept pounding until she couldn’t power no more. It was her time already. But she fought a long, hard fight, and she was in a lot of pain, but she just kept pounding throughout all that pain. She kept pounding. She kept being a mom, a grandma, a wife, a daughter,” Armadillo said.
Even without Jess physically by his side, Armadillo said Sunday’s win made him feel closer to her than ever.
“Got that pick [game-winning interception] I wanted. I really got that pick from her, and I was talking to her and begging her for her to help us in some kind of way, like angels in the outfield. Jess was on that field, and, I really think it was her helping us out,” he said.
Armadillo plans to carry on their tradition of attending games in her honor.