{"id":1765,"date":"2026-06-17T21:35:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T21:35:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1765"},"modified":"2026-06-17T21:35:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T21:35:46","slug":"panthers-david-tepper-steve-smith-honored-by-north-carolina-gov-josh-stein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=1765","title":{"rendered":"Panthers\u2019 David Tepper, Steve Smith honored by North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein"},"content":{"rendered":"

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein<\/a> honored Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper<\/a> and team legend Steve Smith Sr.<\/a> on Wednesday at Bank of America Stadium in uptown Charlotte.<\/p>\n

Read more 3 things to know about CMS superintendent Crystal Hill amid reports of departure<\/a><\/p>\n

Tepper and Smith were among a dozen honorees \u2014 including Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot and former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles \u2014 presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.<\/p>\n

Stein spoke for nearly two minutes about Tepper\u2019s impact on the Carolinas, from his ownership of the Panthers and Charlotte FC to his charitable efforts involving food insecurity<\/a>, education<\/a> and Hurricane Helene relief<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tepper, a Pittsburgh native, bought the Panthers from original owner Jerry Richardson in 2018. Tepper Sports and Entertainment then launched Charlotte FC in 2022. Along with his work with sports, Tepper \u2014 as acknowledged by Stein \u2014 has opened up Bank of America Stadium to host regular events<\/a>, including marquee concerts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

During the presentation, Stein said the consistent use of Bank of America Stadium has benefited the city\u2019s economic growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing that\u2019s great about North Carolina is that a lot of folks who are wonderful North Carolinians are not born here,\u201d Stein said after the presentation. \u201cThey came because they saw opportunity, they saw a wonderful quality of life, and they saw the people.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd the people of North Carolina really are special, very friendly, very welcoming, and it attracts those kinds of people from other parts of the country to come here. So it does not surprise me that in such a short period of time, David Tepper has made his way here. He has grown roots here, and he has absolutely committed to making sure that this city, this region is strong and thriving.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his presentation speech for Smith, Stein noted that the former wide receiver was still the franchise\u2019s all-time leader in touchdowns (75) and receiving yards (12,197). Stein also acknowledged the work Smith does in the community in regard to mental health and family wellness in Charlotte through his Steve Smith Family Foundation.<\/p>\n

Smith, a Los Angeles native, spent 13 of his 16 NFL seasons with the Panthers. He has remained in the area following his five-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro career.<\/p>\n

According to the governor\u2019s website, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine is \u201cthe highest award for state service granted by the Office of the Governor.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Below is the full list of a dozen honorees for the Order of the Long Leaf Pine:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and team legend Steve Smith Sr. were among the honorees of the Order of The Long Leaf Pine on Wednesday in Charlotte.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1764,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nPanthers\u2019 David Tepper, Steve Smith honored by North Carolina Gov. 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