Less than a week after releasing one of their most popular players, the Panthers officially signed one of their fan base’s villains.

The team inked former Saints safety Roman Harper to a two-year deal Tuesday. Later, on a conference call with media, the former thorn in Carolina’s side made a surprising admission.

“Growing up I loved the Panthers. My first jersey was a Tim Biakabutuka jersey. The colors are good, I look good in black anyway,” Harper, who will take over Captain Munnerlyn’s No. 41 jersey, said.

A two-time Pro Bowl safety, Harper was released by New Orleans after eight seasons. He missed seven games with a knee injury in 2013, but he finished the year playing nine straight games, including both of the Saints’ playoff games.

“When I’m healthy I play at an extremely high level,” Harper said. “I know I can compete at a high level in this league and I know I can still do that.”

Harper’s past is an infamous one in Carolina. He was involved in the Saints’ Bountygate scandal and had many battles with former Panthers’ wide receiver Steve Smith over the years. In 2011, Harper was fined $15,000 for this late hit on Smith following a touchdown catch.

With the Panthers’ all-time leading receiver now in Baltimore after his unpopular release last week, Harper echoed the sentiment of many.

“It’s mind-blowing. When you think of the Carolina Panthers you think of that guy,” Harper said. “I would love to play with that guy because I know how hard he competes. We’ve had our run-ins, but when you play a team twice a year you have those.”

Harper, 31, joins defensive tackle 32-year-old Dwan Edwards as the only players older than 30 on Carolina’s defense. While it may take fans some time to be OK with Harper in a Panthers’ jersey, he has already been welcomed by the team’s 22-year-old NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

“Luke Kuechly called me the other day which was kind of a shock,” Harper said. “I was kind of star-struck.”