Muhsin Muhammad

Lore & Background

Muhammad was born in Lansing, Michigan. His birth name was Melvin Campbell, but it was changed after his father converted to Islam when Muhammad was four years old. He attended Waverly High School in Lansing, Michigan, where he earned three letters in football and two each in basketball and track. He played college football at Michigan State University, enjoying a breakout season in 1995 under coach Nick Saban with 50 catches for 867 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Carolina Panthers selected him in the 1996 NFL draft's second round with the 43rd overall pick. He played for the Panthers from 1996 to 2004, then for the Chicago Bears from 2005 to 2007, and returned to the Panthers from 2008 to 2009. He retired after 14 seasons. Muhammad was added to the Carolina Panthers Hall of Honor on October 29, 2023.

In Their Own Story

The October wind off the Catawba River was cutting through the upper deck at Bank of America Stadium, and the Panthers were down by four with two minutes left. The crowd had gone quiet in that particular way Charlotte crowds go quiet—not defeated, but holding their breath, waiting to see if the team would find its spine again. The quarterback dropped back, scanned the middle, and saw him: Muhammad, lined up in the slot, hands up, eyes locked. The throw was tight, a little behind, the kind of pass that most receivers would let go of. Muhammad didn't. He dragged his back foot in the turf, caught it off his hip, and was hit by two defenders before he ever got his feet set. He rolled, scrambled, and got one more yard. The crowd erupted, not because it was a touchdown, but because it was *him*. That was the Muhsin Muhammad play. Not the highlight. The commitment. The eleven-year, one-team, one-color commitment that made a city feel like it had a receiver who belonged to them.

Reader's Guide

Muhammad's first stint with the Panthers (1996–2004) included leading the NFL with 1,405 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in 2004, earning his second Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors. He recorded the longest touchdown reception (85 yards) in Super Bowl history during Super Bowl XXXVIII. With the Bears (2005–2007), he started in Super Bowl XLI and made a touchdown reception, becoming the third player in NFL history to score a Super Bowl touchdown with two different teams. He returned to the Panthers for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. In 2008, he became the 29th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards. At retirement, he was the Panthers' all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards, and tied with Steve Smith Sr. for most receiving touchdowns.

Did You Know?

• Muhammad was mainly a soccer player in elementary school, switching to football in 8th grade.
• He was an all-state linebacker and running back at Waverly High School.
• His younger brother, Abdullah Muhammad, played quarterback at Waverly and later for Army.
• Muhammad won a Chicago Emmy Award for his segment 'Hanging with the Moose' on Comcast SportsNet's 'SportsNite' in 2005.
• He and his wife adopted two children from Ethiopia in 2007.