Carolina players and coaches preview the Panthers’ new sales experience center on opening night

From there, the group moved into the “Memory Vault” where a special possession (in this case, a memory) is pulled from the vault. When an LED screen “pulled” a memory from that vault that specifically shouted out former linebacker Luke Kuechly, the man who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in two weeks did all he could to melt into the back wall, avoiding attention.

Those in the room were too excited, though, especially when they realized this memory was pulled from January 17, 2016, the day Kuechly picked off Russell Wilson for a pick-six, and the defense held off a ferocious Seattle Seahawks second-half comeback to take the 31-24 playoff win.

As highlights from the game, particularly of Kuechly, played out on the screen, head coach Dave Canales couldn’t help but glance over, smiling as he watched the All-Pro try to remain unassuming. Canales was a member of the Seattle staff for that playoff game. But not the offensive coordinator, Olsen pointed out, because “if he’d been the offensive coordinator, they would’ve had more than 78 rushing yards that day.”

Cam Newton famously said after that game, “The playoffs bring out, more than any other time, the impact of ‘Big Mo. Momentum. We can’t wait for no one to make plays for us.”

It’s the kind of message that defined the next room, where Jim Nantz’s iconic voice welcomed friends to celebrate the city where he was born and the city that is creating momentum through sports and entertainment, around Charlotte and the Carolinas.