Inside The Panthers

Pitt's Calijah Kancey Dominates NFL Playoff Debut

Former Pitt Panthers standout Calijah Kancey made the most of his NFL Playoff Debut.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt's Calijah Kancey Dominates NFL Playoff Debut
Pitt's Calijah Kancey Dominates NFL Playoff Debut /
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PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey didn't take long to warm up to the NFL or the postseason. His first career playoff game was a resounding success as he and the reigning NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles on Wild Card Weekend. 

Kancey, the Bucaneers' 2023 first-round pick out of Pitt last spring, finished the game tied for third on the team in tackles with four, sacked Jalen Hurts once and came up with a TFL in a playoff debut that saw his team suffocate one of the league's most explosive offenses. Kancey even helped contribute to a safety by bull-rushing his blocker and putting pressure on Hurts in his own endzone. 

Kancey made some fine individual plays against the Eagles but the play of the front seven as a unit was what really stood out. Tampa Bay held Philadelphia to just nine points and 42 rushing yards on 15 attempts. Leading 16-9 midway through the third quarter, the Buccaneers even halted the Eagles' infamous "Brotherly Shove" on a two-point attempt from the one-yard line.  

"For us, it was a statement game," Kancey said. "In the first game, we couldn't stop the run and they kind of gashed us and this game, our main goal was to stop the run so we could get after them on third down."

Kancey, whose rookie season has been stunted by a calf injury, finished the year with 26 total tackles, four sacks, 10 tackles for loss and a pass defended in just 14 games. He and the Buccaneers will now prepare for a trip to Detroit, where they'll try to take down the red-hot Lions in the Divisional Round. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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