There once was a team who came out of nowhere to sit on the top of its league's standings. They had an unimpressive record a year earlier, and because they came from a small market and didn't have much of a history, few believed their success would last. Most just waited for the team in blue to eventually go away.

Sound familiar?

Leicester City Football Club thought so, too. That's why they're the latest addition to the Carolina Panthers' bandwagon:

Located smack dab in the middle of England, the city of Leicester was best known as the burial place of King Richard III. That's until its soccer team was promoted to the English Premier League in 2014.

As tends to happen with recently promoted clubs, the Foxes struggled in their first season against the big boys. In last place at Christmas, a stunning late-season rally gave them another year in the EPL. What they've done with that second chance is nothing short of incredible.

Five months into this season, Leicester City sits in first place, tied with superpower Arsenal. Few expect the Foxes to win the EPL title, but after their "fluke" start, few expected them to be still hanging around the top of the table. Yet there they are.

And on Thursday, there was cornerback Josh Norman wearing his new jersey:

"They're just like us," Norman said. "Not a lot of people talking much about them and then they came out and are doing some good stuff over there."

Linebacker Luke Kuechly, who along with Norman, quarterback Cam Newton and kicker Graham Gano also received a custom-made jersey, admittedly doesn't watch much soccer. But now he can at least have a conversation about it.

"When soccer's on, or my buddies are talking about soccer, I can pump Leicester City up, say it's my squad and wear that shirt around," Kuechly said.

And Gano, whose soccer interest lies mostly with Germany's Bundesliga, has a new rooting interest as well.

"I didn't have a favorite English Premier League until now. Leicester City."