New Bern Mayor Dana Outlaw saw the 704 area code on his caller ID and had an idea who might be calling.
On the other end of the line was Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, who invited Outlaw to Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals and asked him to beat the “Keep Pounding” drum for the game.
The gesture was made as a show of support for areas that continue to feel the effects of Hurricane Florence, more than a week after the storm hit the Carolinas. The Panthers posted video of the conversation on Twitter Sunday morning.