Wide receiver Kenneth Moore, from Butler High School in suburban Charlotte, said many times during his All-ACC career at Wake Forest that it would be a dream to play for his hometown Carolina Panthers.

Yesterday, Moore's dream came true.

Moore, who last season set an ACC record with 98 catches, signed with the Panthers as a free agent. He had been on the practice squad of the Detroit Lions, who drafted him in the fifth round (136th overall) last April.

Moore replaces Ryne Robinson, a wide receiver who was put on injured reserve yesterday with an injured knee.

Moore played in all four preseason games with the Lions, catching two passes for 19 yards, returning three punts for an average of 11.7 yards and two kickoffs for an average of 29.5 yards.

He was signed to the Lions' practice squad after being waived in the final roster cut Sept. 1.

"He's a wide receiver that we liked coming out," Coach John Fox of the Panthers said in a statement released by the team. "He's got some return ability -- just a guy that we felt was worthy, that, hopefully, can help us down the road."

After two disappointing seasons at Wake Forest, Moore emerged as an essential cog in the Deacons' drive to the ACC championship in 2006, his junior season. He caught 32 passes for 314 yards, despite moving to tailback during the middle of the season. He led the Deacons with 507 rushing yards on 105 carries and delivered his best performance in a victory at Maryland that clinched the division championship, piling up 165 yards on 27 carries.

Moore was even better last season, when he made the All-ACC first team after catching 98 passes for 1,011 yards and five touchdowns.

Moore will wear No. 81 with the Panthers, the number once worn by another former Wake Forest star, Ricky Proehl.