New Carolina Panthers punter Andy Lee had only watched NFL games from the sidelines before January.
A South Carolina native and Charlotte resident for the past three-plus years, he was more into college football and the Atlanta Braves growing up than he was the NFL. And he’s played in every game he’s seen, having been on an NFL roster for 12 years.
So last year, with the Cleveland Browns’ season done by January, Lee took his oldest son, Ryan, to Carolina’s playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, watching an NFL game from the stands for the first time.