Former Panther Minter Eyes Congress

Mike Minter, a 10-year Carolina Panther and one of the most respected football players to suit up in Panthers blue and black, retired from the NFL at the end of the ‘07/’08 football season, but now he might be ready to make another public appearance of a different kind - a political one. According to the USA Today, Minter is considering running for Congress in 2010, where he would run against Republican Larry Kissell (D-N.C.) as the GOP candidate.

Minter’s run for office wouldn’t be the first time an NFL player ran for Congress in North Carolina, as retired Redskins QB Heath Shuler ran for and won the position as representative for North Carolina’s 11^th District back in 2006. Will Mike Minter become the next Heath Shuler? Since retiring from the Panthers in 2007 due to a knee injury, Minter has been an active figure in Charlotte’s evangelical community, and his superstar status may help him gain exposure as a possible leading candidate in the 2010 race.

Mike Minter has been a Carolina hero ever since 1997, when he was selected as the 51^st overall pick in the second round of the NFL Draft. He holds the record as the Panthers’ all-team leader in forced fumbles and still stands toward the top of the record board of leading tacklers for the team.

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