Carolina’s Frankie Luvu is showing the Panthers how he can be valuable to their team
Often during the preseason, there are players who stand out on the football field, and there are others who blend in.
Frankie Luvu, the former New York Jets backup linebacker who the Panthers signed this offseason, stands out.
Whether he’s rushing the passer or dropping back, Luvu is often making plays. And he did that again in Saturday’s preseason game against the Ravens.
Luvu, who is 6-3, 236 pounds, had three tackles, a pass deflection and a forced fumbled in Carolina’s 20-3 loss.
His play Saturday was just a reflection of what he’s done throughout camp. And his teammates, who call him “Uce,” which is Samoan slang for “brother” or “close friend” (Luvu is Samoan), have taken notice.
“I love Uce,” Haason Reddick said. “I love Frankie. High intensity guy, motor doesn’t stop. In practice, he’s been making big plays and it is carrying over into the field for the second week in a row, where you know he’s on the field.”
Luvu’s forced fumble happened in the first quarter when the Ravens were in the red zone. Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley had just completed a pass to Josh Oliver, but Luvu hit Oliver from the side, jarring the ball loose. Safety Sean Chandler recovered it.
In the second half, he had a pass deflection after applying pressure to Huntley.
“The biggest thing is he punches the ball out,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said. “He plays with tremendous intensity. Got the ball out today. It seems like he’s a difference-maker so far in these first few games in terms of some key plays, so we’ll continue to find ways to get him on the field.”
Luvu, who spent his first three seasons with the Jets after going undrafted, said his goal is to bring energy to the Panthers. He said he’s been trying to show the coaching staff and his teammates that they can trust him to do his job.
“Coach Snow always says ‘just be around the ball.’ That’s kind of a mindset I started when I started playing under Kevin Greene,” Luvu said of the former Hall of Famer and Panther, who passed away last December. “He used to coach me and I kind of took that mindset and brought it over here and carried on with it.”
The Panthers are thin at linebacker, and the team also need special teams players, so Luvu’s chances of making the 53-man roster are solid.
Then he’s also made plays in both games and in practice. He had a sack in the first preseason game against the Colts last week, and he terrorized the Ravens’ backup quarterbacks in joint practices.
“It’s been good, nothing but blessings,” Luvu said of his journey, while wearing a green shirt that said, ‘All faith, no cap.’ “Just trying to help the team in any way I can.
