CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) - Whenever a guest ventures down to the office of Carolina Panthers historian David Monroe, the first item he shows off is always the same. "It is so important to the beginnings of the franchise,” Monroe said. “Children love it. It’s like a toy.” But looks can be deceiving. You see, unlike Barbie's dream house, this item was never sold on shelves because it's one of one. It is the result of one man's passion for his profession. When the design comes up, not everyone can see three-dimensional,” says Sam Yue. “Our architectural model is a small version of what really things are about.” The 71-year-old Yue has a gift for turning these ideas into reality. It’s why he's had a hand in the development of several stadiums in the Carolinas over the last 35 years. “Bobcats Arena (now Spectrum Center), N.C. State. Wake Forest. UNC-Chapel Hill. There are golf courses even,” he says listing some of the buildings he has designed models for. But Bank of America Stadium will always hold a special place in his heart because it was his first.  It was 1990 and at 38, he was thrilled to take on the biggest opportunity of his life. “The NFL came to the city to interview for the new team. We had to have something to show them,” he explained. Armed with just the blueprints, his tools, and his hands, Yue went to work. “The model itself went through two stages: One is to make the stadium itself.  The second is to fit it into a site.” Three weeks and $35,000 later, the job was at last complete, and the owner of what would be the Carolina Panthers couldn't have been happier. “Oh yeah,” Yue said when asked if Jerry Richardson liked it. The NFL did too and thus, the Panthers were born. However, the story doesn't end there as Yue’s model would play an instrumental role in selling tickets, well before there was an actual stadium to play in. “What our sales representatives would do is, they would take our prospective season ticket holders to the model and say ‘Okay, If you like a PSL in section 128, row 13, this is section 128 and this is what your view would be,” said Monroe as he pointed to the small seat. It may seem crazy but somehow the model made it all real. How else can you explain how 41,000 personal seat licenses were sold on the first day they went on sale?“I’m honored actually,” Yue smiles. “I’m honored to be part of it.” It's history alright. “Before there was a shovel in the ground, there was the model,” Monroe says. It was the first thing shown off then and that remains the case today.