Carolina Panthers: 30 greatest players in franchise history
87. . Defensive End. 1999-2007. Mike Rucker. 18. player
Next in the long line of quality Carolina defensive ends in Mike Rucker, who had a couple of outstanding seasons during his nine years with the club. Although he only had a stretch of about three seasons during which he was dominant, Rucker enjoyed his fair share of success.
Said stretch was from 2001-03, a time during which the 1999 second-round pick racked up 31 sacks and earned his only Pro Bowl appearance. While the stats may not be overly impressive, his impact for the Panthers during that time as a edge-rushing extraordinaire played a big part in the club’s trip to the Super Bowl.
On top of that, his two career safeties are tied for most in franchise history and he had 15 forced fumbles to his name before hanging up his cleats. Put simply, he was an impactful part of the Panthers defense for years after spending his first two seasons in Carolina as a reserve.
Was Rucker a superstar defensive end? Eh, probably not. With that said, the effort and impact he had as part of the Panthers defense made him a realistic option for this spot on the list.