CHARLOTTE -- His leg was immoblized. His ankle was broken. His body was in pain, as was his spirit. Yet with all that swirling around and inside him, Jordan Gross, hearing the standing ovation from an appreciative crowd, still applauded to salute those who rose to salute him.
That demonstrates the kind of player and person Gross has been over his seven seasons with the Panthers: diligent, dutiful, respectful and honorable; respected inside and out of the locker room. It's also why his broken ankle cuts particularly deep for reasons that go beyond his proficiency and Pro Bowl status.
"It hurts -- not only the football player, but the man," quarterback
"It was very tough. He's not just a teammate; he's a close friend of mine," said
"He's a leader, not just in the offensive line room, but on this team."
UNTIL GROSS WENT DOWN, the Panthers' offensive line had been unscathed by the virus of injuries that had ravaged the team this year. A year earlier, when the Panthers were relatively healthy, each first-team offensive lineman missed at least one game.
Because they'd dealt with injuries last year, the adjustment was relatively smooth. When Wharton slid outside to tackle, second-year player
"Everybody came up to me and was telling me, 'It's time to step up,'" Bernadeau said. "Once I was in, they just helped me get my fits in and let me knwo that if I needed more help or they needed more help, just to let them know."
By game's end, Bernadeau had one of the key blocks on
"That's big. That just shows what type of character guys we have, that stay focused, know their assignments and know where they're supposed to be," Wharton said.
HIT ME:
"Regardless of the circumstances, that's really not a positive play for us -- and it never will be considered a positive play unless the ball is somehow punted (about) 80 yards. I don't know if I have that shot in the bag," Baker said. "I wouldn't say I was completely excited, but I was happy they didn't score."
"Even though it was a big momentum play for them, it was more of a momentum play for us," said linebacker
In the end, it meant everything. Energized by Baker's jolt, the defense promptly forced a Matt Ryan interception one play later. Three plays after that came Stewart's game-winning jaunt.
"I wanted to see him celebrate, get excited a little bit," Beason said. "He made the play and went back to being Baker. But it was a great play. If he doesn't make that, it's a touchdown and the whole game changes."
"It was a huge play," head coach John Fox added. "There was not much left between him and the goal line."
