Panthers DT Kawann Short wins another NFC Defensive Player of Month award

For the first time in NFL history, a defensive tackle has won NFC Defensive Player of the Month twice in one season.

That honor goes to Carolina Panthers third-year defensive tackle Kawann Short.

After winning the award in October, Short came back in December/January with five sacks, more than any other at that position in the NFL in that span.

His 11 sacks on the season tied him with the most in the NFL among defensive tackles.

“You look for guys to step up and make plays and in some cases go beyond and KK’s been one of those guys that goes beyond,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “That is the mark of a really good player. Not only is he making himself a better player but he’s making the guys around him better players. That’s important.

“When you talk about what we’re doing on the defensive side, when a guy can impact the play of other guys then you know he means something.”

At least one Panthers player was named an NFC player of the month for each month this season. Cornerback Josh Norman was September’s defensive player of the month, followed by Short in October and then kicker Graham Gano as the conference’s special teams player of the month in November.

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Panthers DT Kawann Short wins another NFC Defensive Player of Month award."