4 Panthers players who surprisingly never made a Pro Bowl
By Dean Jones
Mike Minter – S
There are few who saw Mike Minter play who will forget him in a hurry. The safety was a passionate figure on the backend for the Carolina Panthers and gave the organization a decade of memorable highlights that continue to be remembered fondly to this day.
The Panthers took Minter No. 58 overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. It did not take long for the vocal figure to find his feet thanks to his superb instincts and ability to get around the ball at the second level.
It is something of a surprise that Minter’s contribution did not result in even one trip to the Pro Bowl. The injury problems probably played its part in this. But when he was healthy there were few better at the position.
His career stats were lofty and a true reflection of the outstanding tools the player brought to the table. Minter recorded 805 combined tackles, 608 solo tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, 69 pass deflections, and 19 interceptions before announcing retirement. This was all the Panthers thought he would be and more when they took the exciting prospect out of Nebraska.
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Minter clearly loved every second of being a member of the Panthers. His enthusiasm, a strong will to succeed and overall athletic traits were sorely missed in Carolina. This tells us all we need to know about how well his time with the franchise will be remembered.