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.
#39. Kevin Greene
The Carolina Panthers had one of the most successful integrations into the NFL of any expansion franchise in league history. Kevin Greene was a big part of that, as he led the team in sacks in all three of his seasons in Carolina, anchoring an overachieving defense for such a new team.
Greene entered the NFL with the Rams. After three modest seasons, he broke out as a pass rusher with his first of 10 double digit sack seasons. He left the Rams after eight seasons for greener pastures and joined the Steelers, where he continued to dominate the league as a pass rusher. After the 1995 season, he joined up with his former defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who was then the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Greene led the league in sacks and was named a first team All Pro at 34 years old. Despite the success, Greene and the team could not work out a new contract, and Greene was released. He spent one year with the 49ers, after which he returned to the Panthers and picked up where he left off. He racked up 27 more sacks and more Pro Bowl nomination at age 36 and 37 before calling it a career.
Greene finished his career with 160 sacks, good for third all time. 41.5 of those came in his three seasons with the Panthers, which ranks sixth in franchise history. His time with the team was short and sometimes tumultuous given the contract dispute, but there’s no denying that Greene was one of the best pass rushers to ever come through Charlotte. He unfortunately passed away from a heart attack back in 2020, but he will always be immortalized in the Hall of Fame and in Panthers history. His massive production and contributions to the unlikely rise of the Panthers land him at number 39 on the list of top 100 Panthers of all time.
