C arolina Panther photo
Panther defen
sive back Mike
Minter ranks as
Carolina 's all
time leader in a
variety of cate
gories. He has
compiled 572
tackles , 7 3
forced fumbles
and 27 1 inter
ception return
yards and is tied
for first all-time
with two inter
ception returns
for touchdowns.
? ? ? : ?2 slm or- i ,u awn;i iTVrW^ 1
Panther defensive back Mike
Minter still optimistic
Media around the nation are
talking about the character of the
Carolina Panthers and the strong
push the team is making toward
the playoffs.
Most people seem to be
* impressed with the way the team
has conducted itself through such
a trying season. I megn. there
have been injuries to a number of
key players. The team also suf
fered a very long losing streak,
and expectations were a little
higher than normal heading into
this season.
So I wanted to see how Car
olina's star defensive back, Mike
Minter, was taking everything
that has happened with the team
to this point. I also wanted to get
his thoughts on why the teajn still
seems confident in making the
playoffs and having a good sea
son.
He says it has a lot to do with
the way the team finished last
season. He and I talked about a
number of other things too. 1
realized that I now have a
favorite Carolina Panther. I
already admired a lot about
Minter, but I like him even more
after our interview.
Mike: What's up, buddy?
Anthony: Nothin' much,
man. What's up with you?
Mike: 1 can't call it.
Anthony: Well, tell me what
has been good with you lately.
Mike: Man. we're winning.
That's what's good right now.
(Giggles.)
Anthony: (Smiles.) I hear
that. Kind of tell me how bad it
was for you-all to go through
that lil' losing streak at the begin
ning of the year.
Mike: t'U tell you what, man,
that was tough, especially com
ing off the Super Bowl and all the
expectations coming into the sea
son. It was tough, especially los
ing guys throughout the losing
streak. That was also tough to
deal with. The biggest thing is
that we have guys that under
stand that it's a long season. And
we realize that we can forget
about the six-game losing streak
if we get on a roll.
Anthony: How much did
playing in the Super Bowl a year
ago do for the team's confi
dence?
Mike: Yeah. I think it did.
Again, we understand what it
takes to win in this league. I think
it was more of a chemistry thing.
We had a bunch of people com
ing in for the injured people, so I
knew it was a chemistry thing.
Most of the guys understood that.
It would' ve been different if we
were losing and didn't think we
were good enough.
Anthony: Right.
Mike: We understand that
this was something we could fix.
That's why we've had confi
dence in our football team the
whole time.
Anthony: How were you
able to deal with the injuries?
Mike: It was tough. We lost
some big-time guys: Steve
Smith. Steven Davis, DeShaun
Foster and Chris Jenkins. Those
are some hard injuries to over
come. For us to overcome all that
we've gone through and be in the
position that we're in today is a
testimony to the coaches for
keeping us focused on the job at
hand.
See One-on-One on BS
Sh4* Pic
Shaw running back Dian Mclver was named Outstanding
Offensive Player of the Game after storing I 23 yards.
Shaw Bears take i
Pioneer Bowl VII
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The Shaw Bears took the
Pioneer Bowl championship in
its first year in Mobile, Ala.
After missing a PAT (point
after touchdown) that could
have tied the game, Chester
Charles kicked a 30-yard field
goal midway through the fourth
quarter to give Shaw a 30-28
win over Tuskegee in Pioneer
Bowl VII in Mobile's Ladd-Pee
bles Stadium last Saturday.
Charles' game-winning
kick, his only attempt of the
game, capped a nine-point
fourth quarter in the Bears'
come-from-behind victory.
Shaw scored first, late in the
first quarter on a Terrence Ford
7-yard run. Tuskegee responded
with an eight-play. 42-yard
drive that ended on a 2-yard run
by Lawrence Ervin to tie the
score at 7-7. Shaw went aheaa
14-7 on a 16-yard pass from Jer
monty Kimbrough to Mark
Bransom.
The Bears' defense scored a
touchdown when A.J. McDon
ald and Torrance Nunnally com
bined for a 65-yard fumble
return for a touchdown. Shaw
linebacker Christopher Peavy
forced a fumble by Tuskegee
running back Lamont Finnie at
the Shaw 35-yard line. McDon
ald picked up the fumble and ran
25 yards to the Tuskegee 40,
then he pitched to Nunnally,
who ran the remaining 40 yards
for the score.
Tuskegee then scored 21
straight points, beginning with a
Travis Gumbs 30-yard field goal
with 10 seconds remaining' in
the first half. Shaw led 21-10 at
the half, but Tuskegee stormed
back in the third quarter.
The Golden Tigers began the
second half with a 52-yard kick
off return by Harry Williams,
leading to Ervin's second 2-yard
touchdown run to cut Shaw's
lead to 21-17. Tuskegee scojed
10 mote points on a Gumbs 21
yard field goal and a Ramone
Nickerson recovery of a blocked
punt in the end zone. After a
successful 2-point conversion,
the Golden Tigers took their
first lead of the game at 28-2J .
Shaw's defense stiffened in
the fourth quarter, shutting out
the Golden Tigers and limiting
Tuskegee to a punt, missed field
goal and interception in its three
possessions. While the defense
was stopping Tuskegee's
offense, the Bear offense scored
9 unanswered points on a 36
yard pass from Kimbrough, to
Damon Harrison and Charles'
game-winning field goal. .
Shaw running back Djon
Mclver was named Outstanding
Offensive Player of the Game,
rushing for 123 yards on 21 car
ries. Tuskegee defensive b^ck
Ramone Nickerson got Out
standing Defensive Player of the
Game as a result of his 14 tack
les (five solo) and blocked punt
recovery for a touchdown.
Quarterback Jermonty Kim
brough was named Shaw MVP,
completing four passes for 108
yards and two touchdowns, he
also rushed 10 times for .57
yards.
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