CHARLOTTE – Keep striving. Keep leading. Keep pushing. Keep parenting.

Keep pounding.

Jonathan Stewart offered words of gratitude and encouragement to those gathered for his retirement ceremony Wednesday at Freedom Park, and the leading rusher in Panthers history made it clear that he too intends to do all of the above in his post-football life.

The usually reserved Stewart spoke for more than 30 minutes and was overcome by his emotions on several occasions. That included when he thanked his family and especially his wife, Natalie, whom he said had helped him become "a better man, more of a man these last three years than ever been in my entire life."

Stewart also was emotional when talking about his extended family – his football family. About a dozen former teammates attended Stewart's sendoff, among them wide receiver Steve Smith, who on Wednesday flew back and forth from Nashville (site of the 2019 NFL Draft) to celebrate with Stewart.

"Your passion in everything is unmatched," Stewart said to Smith, fighting tears. "I just really appreciate you and the intensity that you bring to everything that you do, as a business man, as a family man and broadcaster – and obviously as a football player.

"I remember the first touchdown I scored in preseason against the Redskins (in 2008). I took off down the sideline [50 yards], and you were the first one there in the end zone to congratulate me. That's a dream come true, out of the gate."

Here's a sampling of what Stewart had to say about other people who cleared the path – literally and figuratively - for his decade of production in a Panthers uniform.

On general manager Marty Hurney, who selected Stewart 13th overall in the 2008 draft: "I want to say thank you for taking a chance on me and rolling the dice. When things weren't really certain with my health, you still believed in me. When there was a lot of doubt being talked about, you still believed in me. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity you gave me to play football for the Carolina Panthers."