Inside The Panthers

Former Pitt DT Leaves Bucs Game Early with Injury

The former Pitt Panthers star played just one half in the NFL before re-aggravating an injury.

Stephen Thompson

Former Pitt DT Leaves Bucs Game Early with Injury
Former Pitt DT Leaves Bucs Game Early with Injury /
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PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was able to log just one half of NFL football before a re-aggravated injury sidelined him for the second half of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season opener against the Minnesota Vikings. 

Kancey, who the Buccaneers took with the 19th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, suffered a calf strain this summer but had recovered in time to make his first NFL start in Week 1. But the issue with his calf reappeared in the first half and Kancey sat out the entire second half, as Tampa Bay pulled a stunning 20-17 upset over the Minnesota Vikings. 

He had gotten off to a good start, racing through the offensive line to record a hit on Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. He did not, however, make a tackle or fill the box score in any other way. 

Before he shattered all-time records with his speed and quickness at the NFL Combine and Pitt's Pro Day, Kancey was a unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year this past season after recording 31 tackles, 14.5 for a loss and 7.5 sacks in 11 games this year.

He suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of the regular season finale and sidelined him for the Sun Bowl against No. 18 UCLA, but Kancey still led the country's interior defensive linemen in tackles for loss.

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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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