Now that kicker John Kasay is retired from the NFL, the Carolina Panthers should look to find an appropriate time to retire his No. 4. My suggestion is for the ceremony to be held when the Panthers host the Atlanta Falcons on the afternoon of Nov. 3. He’ll certainly be around that day as he now helps coach Charlotte Christian football.
Plus, Kasay, who was born in Athens, Ga., played college ball for Georgia and had some of his best games against the Falcons, including a pair of last-minute game winning field goals.
Even though Kasay started his career with Seattle and ended his playing days with New Orleans, he is Mr. Carolina Panther. Kasay, now 43, became one of the first two unrestricted free agents to sign with the then new Panthers franchise in 1995, and he played for the Panthers until 2010.
Kasay, who holds virtually all the Panther kicking records, also has played in a team-record 221 games and is the all-time points leader for the Panthers. Perhaps most impressively, he made 11 game-winning field goals for the Panthers.
He also holds several NFL records including being the only player to convert four field goals from 46 yards away or more in a single game. He is second all-time for field goals made from 50+ yards (42).
He had a big leg and he has a big heart, earning the love and respect from his teammates. It was appropriate for the Panthers to sign him again recently so he could retire as a Panther. It will be appropriate for the Panthers to retire his number – on Nov. 3 of this year.
The Original Panther !! The fans deserve this as much as he does . I hope they do , to not do so would be a shame #4