Don Shula dabs before Panthers game, but disdains champagne after

Even if some of his former players popped champagne following Carolina’s 20-13 loss to Atlanta, Hall of Fame coach Don Shula wasn’t among them.

Shula coached the 1972 Dolphins – the only team in NFL history to go through the regular season and postseason undefeated. He’s also the father of Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula, who said his dad was not celebrating Carolina (14-1) missing out on history.

“He was like every other kid’s dad. He felt bad for us,” the younger Shula said describing his Monday phone conversation with his father. “And always has good advice, good fatherly advice, and always rooting for us.”

Mike Shula said the call wasn’t emotional but was the “typical, day-after-game call.”

On Sunday before the game, Don Shula posted a picture to his Twitter account showing him and about a dozen family members dabbing, a dance move that has become synonymous with the Panthers.

Mike Shula hadn’t heard about it until Monday afternoon.

“No, he didn’t pass that information along to me,” Mike Shula said.

Extra points: Safety Kurt Coleman was scheduled to get an MRI on his injured left foot. He suffered the injury late in the third quarter but played through it. He had a walking boot on after the game. ... The Panthers waived defensive end Wes Horton from the commissioner’s exempt list. Horton was on the list for a week after serving a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Horton started 15 games last year and one this season.

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Don Shula dabs before Panthers game, but disdains champagne after."