Season Cut Short for Connor

Rookie linebacker Dan Connor came out of Penn State with high hopes set for him, but last Sunday put a stopper on the Panthers’ special teams player that will most certainly last the rest of the year. During Sunday’s 20-10 loss to Minnesota, Connor suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ligament in his left knee after his cleat snagged on the Metrodome turf, leaving him in the same position as Tom Brady – inactive for the remainder of the season.

In his short NFL debut, Connor had played on special teams for Carolina’s first three games, marking four tackles down in the books. This disappointing injury is the first major one in Connor’s career, as he was golden for Penn State, starting in 36 out of 45 games he played in for the Nittany Lions. Connor’s injury comes as a blow for the Panthers, as the Carolina third round pick holds the Penn State record for most career tackles with 419, also an All-American and all-Big Ten player in 2006 and the 2007 recipient of the Bednarik Award (given to the nation’s best defensive player.) The Panthers have not yet released who will replace Connor in upcoming games.

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