CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charles Johnson's retirement news conference wouldn't have been complete on Thursday without recalling the day general manager Marty Hurney and other members of the Carolina Panthers flew to Miami to wrap up the deal that would earn the defensive end the nickname "Big Money."
It was a Monday in July 2011. Johnson was coming off a breakout season in which he had 11.5 sacks after the Panthers let star end Julius Peppers sign with the Chicago Bears.
Carolina didn't want to lose Johnson, too.
So Hurney, head coach Ron Rivera, then-defensive line coach Eric Washington and assistant coach Sam Mills Jr.