Panthers star Xavier Legette goes viral after wild video emerges of him ‘arriving at NFL playoff game on a horse’… but all is not as it seems
Don’t believe everything you read on social media because, no, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette did not ride into today’s NFL playoff game on a horse.
That’s despite an ESPN journalist and several outfits erroneously reporting that he did, in a bizarre video that quickly went viral ahead of the game.
The Panthers go into this afternoon’s Wild Card game against the Rams as heavy underdogs, and Legette was in the headlines ahead of kickoff when a wild video started doing the rounds.
It was initially posted by ESPN’s David Newton, who wrote alongside the post: ‘Not a grand entrance by Panthers WR Xavier Legette and Dolla bill.’
Legette immediately received heat from fans, who called him arrogant and predicted a huge loss for Carolina after his bizarre arrival.
The only problem? It wasn’t him on the horse. The video, which is believed to be legitimate, showed a group of men riding towards the stadium wearing cowboy hats, but they are not understood to be players of either team.
A video went viral that suggested Xavier Legette rode to today’s game on a horse… but it wasn’t him
Panthers star Legette is pictured ahead of the game, after arriving – presumably – in a car
Newton’s tweet, though – which has since been deleted – spread like wildfire, with several outlets reporting the news as if it was fact.
The ESPN man then followed up with a post which read: ‘I posted a video that caused confusion. It was not Xavier Legette, and it was my intention to make the point that it was not Xavier. I apologize for the misunderstanding.’
At the time of writing, Sports Illustrated is still carrying a story with a headline that reads: ‘Panthers receiver Xavier Legette rides his horse in cowboy fit to Rams Wild Card game’
The Panthers face a tough Wild Card matchup against the Super Bowl favorite LA Rams
It is perhaps understandable that many would interpret the post as legitimate, given Legette does own a horse called Dolla Bill, per multiple reports.
He is said to own multiple quarter horses, with another named Dime Piece, and they are said to be a big part of his life.
That said, he didn’t ride one into Bank of America Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
