Means has a `bop' in his hop.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Finally, the secret behind Natrone Means' "bop" has been be revealed.

"I can't help it. I have a leg discrepancy," Means said Monday.

Means' admission came with a big laugh, but he's very serious about his infirmity. It's a life-long condition that might explain why the Carolina Panthers backup running back walks with a pronounced limp.

"One leg is longer than the other," he said.

The left leg is about a quarter of an inch longer than the right. That's not a fact Means often discusses and it's obvious he's not up on the medical terminology.

"I kind of have a bop," he said. "That's what my coach called it in high …