Frank Reich joins his brother in area coaching ranks

Joe said Frank would often discuss the quarterback transitions he went through in Indianapolis, where the Colts moved from Andrew Luck to Jacoby Brissett and Philip Rivers to Carson Wentz, year by year.

“What you’re going to get is a guy who is smart enough to have a system that’s flexible, to maximize and take advantage of all the talents in their offense,” Joe said. “Explosive plays, run the ball, be physical.

“I bet you the first thing he’s going into is ‘We’re going to be physical. We’re going to be a physical offense. We’re going to run the ball downhill, and we’re going to establish an identity of being physical upfront.'”

But before Frank dives into the Panthers’ roster, builds his staff, and plans for the future, Joe said he knows his brother will take in the moment.

Joe remembers how Frank “noticed the moment” when he played in Super Bowl 27, coming in for an injured Kelly in the second quarter of a 52-17 Buffalo loss to the Cowboys.

Frank Reich had led the Bills in their first playoff win of that Super Bowl campaign, which stood as the biggest come-from-behind win in NFL history at that point. Buffalo came back from a 35-3 deficit against the Houston Oilers to win in overtime, a game known as “The Comeback.”

But when Frank came in during the Super Bowl, he made mistakes, throwing two interceptions and losing two fumbles. Despite the outcome, Joe said his brother turned to him after the game and expressed gratitude for that moment – an attitude that has followed him throughout his lifetime.

“He looked at me, he goes, ‘Dude, I just played in the Super Bowl,'” Joe said. “I loved that. Here’s a guy who’s been in the NFL, who’s been in many big games and had the greatest comeback in the history of the league at that time, had played in all these huge games. And to have that perspective of, ‘I just played in the Super Bowl,’ like that’s really cool.”

Joe said special memories stick with Frank. And Joe believes that something as special as his brother returning to a city he loves, a team he has a fond connection to, and family connections across North Carolina is likely to elicit a similar emotion from him.

“I think it was the same thing here,” Joe said. “Coming back to a place like Charlotte and the Carolina Panthers, it’s such a special place to him that that moment won’t be lost on him.

“That he was the first quarterback to throw a touchdown pass for the Carolina Panthers, and everything that goes into that. I think all that will be like this is where he…