Inside The Panthers

Calijah Kancey Records First NFL Sack

Former Pitt Panthers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey came back from injury with a vengeance.

Stephen Thompson

Calijah Kancey Records First NFL Sack
Calijah Kancey Records First NFL Sack /
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PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey has had to be patient while he spent the majority of his first season as an NFL player sidelined with a calf injury. 

But in his first full game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the former Pitt superstar recorded a pair of tackles - the first of his career - and even notched his first sack, taking down Jared Goff after fighting through the Detriot offensive line to collapse the pocket. 

Kancey has been dealing with a nagging calf injury since the preseason. He was deemed healthy enough to play in the Buccaneers' season opener at Minnesota but lasted just a half before having to exit the game after recording one quarterback hurry. 

The Buccaneers selected Kancey with the 19th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, making him the third former Panthers picked in the first round over the past two seasons. He earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022 after recording 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games. 

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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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