Former Carolina Panther Sam Mills could have uptown Charlotte street renamed after him
A statue of legendary Carolina Panthers linebacker Sam Mills sits outside of Bank of America stadium, and now a street about a mile away could be renamed after the Pro Football Hall of Fame member.
The city of Charlotte released 12 finalists for the renaming of East Stonewall Street in uptown. Mills, Former Johnson C. Smith University President Daniel Sanders and civil rights activist Reginald Hawkins are candidates.
Mills’ inclusion on the list comes almost a month after he earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which came during his 20th and final season of Hall eligibility as a “modern-day” NFL player.
The New Jersey native died of stomach cancer at age 45 in 2005. He was the backbone for the Panthers’ first three squads from 1995-97 and later invented the “Keep Pounding” phrase that became the team’s heartbeat. Following retirement, Mills became a defensive assistant for the team from 1998-2004.
The Legacy Commission advised the city to rename nine streets in 2020 that honored slavery, slave owners, Confederate veterans, supporters of white supremacy or romanticize notions of the antebellum south.
Last month, the city announced Morrison Boulevard in the SouthPark area will become Carnegie Boulevard. Barringer Drive and Stonewall Street are the only two streets not renamed of the nine.
The only requirements the commission had for the city during the renaming process is the individual should:
▪ Have a significant connection to Charlotte and the city’s progress.
▪ Represent the diversity of the city’s history.
▪ Have had their contributions overlooked in the past due to race or gender.
Stonewall Street is named after Confederate commander Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. For many years, defenders of Jackson’s legacy claimed the street was named to honor his second wife, Mary Anna Morrison.
Sam Mills Way was submitted by the community surrounding Stonewall Street, city spokesman Cory Burkarth told The Observer on Tuesday. Residents, property owners and businesses on Stonewall Street are eligible to vote, which opened Monday and runs through March 27, he said.
“All of the appropriate residents, landowners, business owners were all sent letters notifying them of the voting and how to access it,” Burkarth said.
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Former Carolina Panther Sam Mills could have uptown Charlotte street renamed after him."
