Where are they now? A chat with former Panther Muhsin ‘Moose’ Muhammad
Panthers owner David Tepper, left, and Muhsin Muhammad
In the second round of the ’96 draft, the Carolina Panthers selected Muhsin Muhammad as a wide receiver. Not only was this the second year of the team’s existence, but it was also the first year that the team would play in what is now Bank of America stadium.
Muhammad, or “Moose” as fans grew to call him, played with the team for nine straight seasons, which included an NFC South title and an appearance in a Super Bowl.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t signed back after my ninth season,” Muhammad told CharlotteFive. “I went on to play with the Chicago Bears for two seasons.”
As luck would have it, Muhammad was able to come back to Carolina for the 2008 and 2009 seasons before retiring as a Panther. In his 11 years total with them team (and 13 in the league), he racked up more than 11,000-plus receiving yards — a testament to a very successful career.
We had the chance to catch up with Muhsin Muhammad to see what he’s up to these days and what life has been like since retiring in 2009.
Latest business ventures
During his career in the NFL, Muhammad was able to get involved with various real estate projects, investment tools and platforms.
“As my career progressed, I started thinking about my exit strategy. While I always played at a high level, I knew that it wouldn’t go on forever,” Muhammad said.
After reading a book by Steve Jobs, he became inspired to connect the dots of his life. He wanted to operate companies, invest and grow businesses with a large platform.
Just before he retired, he begin to build the infrastructure for his private equity firm, Axum Capital Partners. Today he, along with partners Ray Groth and Denis Ackah-Yensu, have acquired two companies in the food and beverage space. He also has a few real estate investments as well.
To cure his itch to be close to football, Muhammad co-hosts a radio show on WFNZ with Kyle Bailey on Mondays during the season. The two talk all things Panthers each week.
“I’m also currently the uniform inspector for the Panthers through the NFL. Essentially, I’m like the fashion police but I make sure that everyone on the team looks uniform and is dressed according the league standards. It’s both a cosmetic and safety necessity.”
Philanthropic work
If you know Muhammad, you know that he has always been heavily involved in the community and charitable work. What many may not know is that he and his wife adopted two children from Ethiopia.
Adoption has been very important to them, and he focuses a lot of his time on Gift of Adoption of the Carolinas, as well as several other organizations such as The Boys and Girls Club.
Family
The Muhammad family is still local to Charlotte. They enjoy traveling internationally together and simply hanging out at home when they can all get together.
“I think my favorite trip so far has been to Thailand,” Muhammad recalled. “We just had a great time traveling all over from Bangkok, to the mountains, and even down to the beaches of Phuket.”
Muhammad and his wife have 6 children, 4 girls and 2 boys, ranging in age from 15 to 23. Three of them are in college, and the others are in high school.
When asked to give his favorite quote that he instills in his children and models in his own life he said, “Don’t explain, don’t complain, find solutions.” This quote, was taught to him by a former coach who explained that when you do the first two things, it causes you to develop a loser’s mentality. So, find the solution when you have a problem.
