Former Pitt DT Leaves Bucs Game Early with Injury
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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