Carolina Panthers defensive players said Thursday they would never fake an injury to slow down another team's no-huddle defense.

"I don't think I could," said linebacker Dan Connor. "I'm not a good actor."

Faking injuries became an issue in the NFL this week when New York Giants safety Deon Grant (who played for the Panthers from 2001 to 2003), fell to the ground before the St. Louis Rams began a play in their no-huddle offense.

Grant, who denied faking the injury, stayed down for a few minutes while trainers looked at his knee.

Since then, the league has sent a memo to every team with a warning that fines, suspensions or loss of draft picks could result if players fake injuries.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Thursday he hadn't seen the league's memo, but it was a non-issue to him.

"As far as I'm concerned, (Grant) cramped up," said Rivera.

If flopping is a strategy to slow a no-huddle offense, that's the first Panthers cornerback Darius Butler has heard of it.

"I've never been coached to do it," said Butler. "I don't think there's anybody on this team that would do that."

Just play, said cornerback Captain Munnerlyn: "If a team is in a rhythm, it's your job to stop them. Besides, I'm not superstitious, but if you fake an injury something bad is going to happen to you. You're going to end up getting hurt. So I wouldn't do that."

Notes

Smith nears record: Steve Smith needs 37 yards to tie Muhsin Muhammad for the Panthers' career receiving yards record. Muhammad, who retired in 2009, has 9,255 yards for the Panthers. Smith, who has been with the team since 2001, has 9,218.

Smith is leading the league in receiving yards this season (334) and yards from scrimmage (334).

Rivera won't visit White House: Rivera said he won't be able to join his former Chicago Bears teammates when they make a belated visit to the White House on Oct. 7. The Bears, who won the Super Bowl in 1985, missed their chance at being honored at the White House because of the Space Shuttle disaster that year.

Rivera will be preparing for the Panthers' game Oct. 9 against New Orleans instead.

"I can't come unless they send Air Force One to pick me up," Rivera joked.

Williams OK with run game: Tailback DeAngelo Williams said he doesn't have an issue with Carolina's anemic running game (which ranks 29^th in the NFL).

"We're not the offense that a lot of people are accustomed to seeing - run, run, pass," said Williams. "That's no longer our philosophy here. I think we're going to click whenever that game calls for us to run the ball a great deal and lean heavy on us. I think that game is coming."

Williams recently made a six-figure donation to the athletics department at his alma mater of Memphis. The donation will buy new lockers for the football team and begin renovation on the school's athletic complex. The football locker room also will be named for Williams.

"Memphis has been great to me," said Williams. "I figured the least I could do was donate a small portion to the university."

Gamble twists ankle: Cornerback Chris Gamble twisted his ankle Thursday and practiced on a limited basis. Rivera said it wasn't serious.