Domenik Hixon's six-year run with the New York Giants ended in 2013 when he inked a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.



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The two-time Super Bowl champion was one of Dave Gettleman's first signings as Panthers' general manger. Gettleman was hired three months earlier after 15 years in the Giants organization as a personnel executive.

"Being honest, that's the reason I went to Carolina," Hixon said on Big Blue Kickoff Live. "I had an opportunity to speak to him and take a visit down there. The relationship that we built in New York and just his personality and who he is and what type of man he is, I said, 'I feel comfortable making the move.' Going down there and seeing what he was doing and what he was doing was something I wanted to be a part of."

Hixon, now retired, joined Giants.com on Monday to discuss his relationship with Gettleman, now back with the Giants as the team's general manager. Hixon also provided insight on new offensive coordinator Mike Shula, who served in the same role during Hixon's first and only season with the Panthers. After two years of working with Cam Newton as the quarterbacks coach, Shula, 52, took over play-calling duties in 2013 and helped guide Carolina to a 12-4 record and an NFC South title.

"He [Shula] does a lot of film work, and especially during meetings how he explained it to us and kind of what he wanted done game plan wise," Hixon said. "I felt like we went into every game knowing what we wanted to get accomplished…That year in Carolina with the offense we had, I thought we were extremely explosive and I could see the Giants doing the same thing."

This past season, the Panthers were fourth in the league in rushing yards per game (131.4), seventh in third-down efficiency (93 conversions in 222 opportunities, a 41.9% success rate) and 12th in scoring (22.7 points a game). From Week 6 of the 2014 season to Week 3 in 2016, the Panthers produced 30 consecutive regular-season games with at least 100 rushing yards, the longest NFL streak since Pittsburgh had 43 in a row from 1974-1977.