Over 15,000 fans show up for Panthers' scrimmage, but stars don't play

Published: Aug 08, 2009 at 09:46 AM

CHARLOTTE -- The Carolina Panthers held their annual Fan Fest without their regular stars.

Panthers coach John Fox held out most of his team's top players during a short intrasquad scrimmage Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

The 15,549 fans didn't see running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart or wide receivers Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad. Defensive end Julius Peppers also didn't play.

Fox says he withheld the top players because the Panthers reported to training camp a few days later than normal. The Panthers open the preseason Aug. 17 on the road against the New York Giants.

The Panthers have Sunday off and resume practice Monday in Spartanburg, S.C.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.