Xavier Legette, a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, invited his teammates, including quarterback Bryce Young, to experience life in his hometown of Mullins, South Carolina, which has fewer than 4,000 residents. Sports Illustrated documented a day where Legette took his teammates on a trail ride and showed them around town. Legette expressed gratitude for the opportunity to introduce his community to others beyond himself and highlighted the support he received from his hometown throughout his journey to becoming an NFL player.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette loves the game of football, but back home in Mullins, South Carolina, a true country lifestyle is how he, his family and friends love to spend their time.
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he → love → time
Whether it’s taking care of his horses, which NFL fans have come quite familiar with since the Panthers took him in the first round in 2024 out of South Carolina, fishing, or riding around town on what he calls a "trail ride," Legette’s southern roots are shown in full force whenever he’s back home.
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he → ’ → force
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page → contain → partners
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News → sign → wager
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that → create → newsroom
Before the 2026 season, Legette was able to show some of his Panthers teammates what it’s like in his small South Carolina town that has less than 4,000 residents, including his quarterback, Bryce Young.
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that → show → quarterback
Sports Illustrated was along for the ride, as Legette showcased a day in his life with the entire town alongside him for the trail ride.
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Legette → showcase → ride
It was an experience that had Legette quite grateful, not just for himself and allowing his teammates to experience the special side of his life off the field, but for the people in Mullins.
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teammates → have → Mullins
"To tell you the truth, man, that part of it was great -- for them to be able to come and do those things.
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them → tell → things
But I think the best thing really in my eyes about the whole situation was them boys being able to come in my community," he told OutKick in a recent interview, while highlighting his partnership with Bojangles.
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he → think → Bojangles
"People in my community being able to see other people other than me, you know what I’m saying?
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I → see → what
Because they always see me.
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they → see → me
Legette, with his southern accent and unique hobbies, has become a fan-favorite in the Panthers community, as well as the NFL in general.
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Legette → become → NFL
Viral moments, from his first news conference after being drafted to telling folks he didn’t mind trying asparagus for the first time, made him someone football fans couldn’t get enough of.
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fans → draft → enough
Legette is nothing but positive and genuine, two of the many characteristics he had growing up surrounded by the people he loved most in his small town.
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he → have → town
Now that he’s at this stage of professional life, all he wishes to do is give back and grow the place he still, and will always, call home.
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he → ’ → place
Having Panthers teammates there to see that meant the world to him.
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Having → have → him
"I grew up there and I’m one of the first ones to be able to be in this position that I am being from Marion County."
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I → grow → County
he added.
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he → add → ?
"So just being able for them to see other faces, they was excited.
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they → see → faces
"Everyone know everybody, but my family, it stands out to me, you know what I’m saying?
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I → know → what
They’re the ones that helped me able to [do this].
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me → ’re → this
They shaped me into being who I am today.
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I → shape → me
I got my love for them.
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I → get → them
It’s out of this world and being able to just go through the growing pains with them, ups and downs, and then it’s nothing but smiles on their face.
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it → ’ → face
That’s what I love to see."
Oh, and one of those viral moments mentioned before includes his admittance to eating raccoon, squirrel and other animals that he and his family find on hunts.
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he → love → hunts
When his teammates were in town, they had to try the local cuisine.
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they → have → cuisine
"Oh yeah, we had the raccoon out there.
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we → have → raccoon
A couple of them tried it," Legette said, noting that Young left early before it was ready.
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it → try → it
Fellow receiver David Moore was among those who tried the raccoon.
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who → try → raccoon
Legette’s southern lifestyle is one that came to life for a one-of-a-kind content series by Pepsi and Bojangles, and it stars one of his prized horses, affectionately known as Dime Piece, as Halloween and football come together.
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Halloween → come → Piece
Legette had a smile ear-to-ear as he discussed the Bojangles Bite Box which, starting Oct. 1, will come with limited-edition haunted house packaging.
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which → have → packaging
"I think it’s a great collab.
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it → think → ?
It’s one of the biggest ones I’ve ever did, and man, I hope we can come up with something else for the future.
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we → ’ → future
"They understand my love for the horses and they wanted to bring that to life with this commercial.
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they → understand → commercial
It’s great.
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It → ’ → ?
"
While Legette will be heading to Bojangles whenever he can to get his Bite Box, he’s also excited for another Halloween, where he might just have to be his favorite superhero yet again.
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he → head → Halloween
"All I wanted to be was Spider-Man every year," he said, laughing.
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he → want → ?
The Aporia
