Here at Cat Scratch Reader we have counted down the final 100 days leading up to the Carolina Panthers season opener by for at least the past ten years. We’ve always done this by highlighting the current player on the roster whose jersey number matches the day on the countdown. This year, we decided to change that up a bit by counting down our own list of the Top 100 Panthers of all time. This does not correspond to jersey number, does not need to be somebody who wore a jersey, and will in no way be controversial.
#40. Lamar Lathon
Lamar Lathon started his career as an off-ball linebacker out of the University of Houston. The hometown Houston Oilers selected Lathon 15th overall in the 1990 NFL Draft. After a rookie season that saw mostly backup and special teams duties, he took the starting role at strong side linebacker in his second season. That year just so happened to be his best year in Houston, logging 116 tackles, two sacks, three interceptions, and six forced fumbles. A couple years later, an injury and a coaching change cost him that starting role. During training camp in 1993, Lathon suffered a broken forearm. Newly hired defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan kept Joe Bowden as the starter even after Lathon was healthy. Lathon moved to more of an edge rusher role the following season, notching 8.5 sacks. Despite showing some pass rush promise, Houston released Lathon after the season.
The Carolina Panthers had just come into existence in 1995 as Lathon hit the open market. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio liked Lathon’s fit in his 3-4 as an outside linebacker, and the team signed Lathon. The team was rewarded with one of Lathon’s best seasons to that point. He then followed up that campaign with a 1996 season full of accolades. He combined with fellow edge rusher Kevin Greene to terrorize opposing quarterbacks. Lathon alone logged 77 tackles and 13.5 sacks (still good for fifth most in franchise history for a single season), leading to him being named to the Pro Bowl and All Pro Second Team. He even got seventh place in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, proving how dominant he truly was. After Kevin Greene left for San Francisco the following year, Lathon’s production took a huge hit, as did his health. He started the year with foot and ankle injuries and suffered a major knee injury in Week 3. Though he played through the injury for most of the rest of the season, the knee would need major reconstructive surgery during the offseason. Lathon tried to return the following season, but being 31 years old and coming off a major knee injury ultimately ended his career.
Lamar Lathon showed incredible ability as both an off ball linebacker and edge rusher, essentially being a Micah Parsons or Abdul Carter before they were even born. His true home, like Parsons and Carter, was at edge. The “Salt and Pepper” combination of Greene and Lathon drove the Panthers defense to be second in points allowed, leading the team to a 12-4 record and a NFC Championship Game appearance. Though his time in Carolina was cut short, his dominance for the then expansion franchise helped catapult the Panthers into the hearts of the people of Charlotte. For this contribution, Lamar Lathon earned the No. 40 spot on our countdown.
