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.
#59. James Anderson
James Anderson left Roanoke Rapids, NC for the Virginia Tech Hokies. Following a quality career in Blacksburg, the Panthers saw fit to use a third round pick on the linebacker in the 2006 NFL Draft. Anderson started off as mainly a special teams contributor, playing in all 16 games with only two starts in his rookie season. In his second and third seasons, he was a healthy scratch for a handful of games. 2009 was the final year of his rookie contract, and he managed to show enough potential to earn another contract. While he only started seven games, he notched 65 tackles including three for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovered.
The Panthers faith in Anderson paid off for the next three years. Anderson became a key member of the defense, starting 43 of a possible 44 games in that stretch. 2010 was arguably his best season as he racked up 130 tackles (including 101 solo stops), 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, a pick, two forced fumbles, and three fumbles recovered. The following season, he was less impactful behind the line of scrimmage, but had career highs with 145 tackles, two interceptions, and nine passes defended. 2012 was his final season with the Panthers, and he missed the last four games with a back injury. The Panthers had a Jon Beason and future Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly on the roster in 2012, so Anderson became a cap space casualty.
Anderson had a pretty good year for the Chicago Bears the following season, then finished out his career bouncing from the Titans to the Saints. Though the Panthers eventually replaced him, no one can argue that Anderson’s seven year stint with the Panthers was another in a long line of quality linebackers the team has touted throughout their existence. While he never got the national accolades, he was an important part of the Panthers franchise and earned his spot at No. 59 on our list.
