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.
#51. Geoff Hangartner
Geoff Hangartner is about as offensive lineman as they come. He played college football at Texas A&M, where he never missed a game, though he did get in trouble for drinking in driving. He was picked by the Panthers in the fifth round in 2004 and took a role as a backup center and special teams player. He was thrust into a starting role in year two due to injury and played well. Still, he was demoted back to a bench role for year three and was only called upon when injuries hit. He split time as a starter and reserve in his fourth season before departing for Buffalo in free agency in 2009.
The Panthers apparently realized what they had and re-signed Hangartner after the Bills let him go in order to go younger on the offensive line. He slid in at right tackle and was an integral part of a strong offensive line that helped Cam Newton win rookie of the year honors. He seemed poised to hold down that spot for a while but went from starting guard to training camp cut before the 2013 season, once again as the victim of a team making a youth push on the offensive line. He ended up making a few cameos as an injury replacement that season before retiring.
Hangartner was the quintessential underappreciated interior lineman that never wowed anyone but also more than held is own. It seemed like he was always a target for replacement, but he always showed up and played well whenever the team was forced to rely on him. And he was a passable kickoff returner in a pinch. He returned three kickoffs during the 2007 season, one of which set up a game winning drive against the Seahawks. Not bad for a 300 pounder.
