He passed Panthers greats WR Muhsin Muhammad and S Mike Minter who had shared the record. Gross has been just what you hope when you draft a LT in the top 10. A ten year starter with Pro Bowl performances.
If you are wondering where Steve Smith stands with starts he is about five games behind Gross so he will be in 2nd place by the end of the season. Though Smith has been with the franchise longer Smith has missed more starts due to injury. Gross amazingly has missed only 9 starts in 10 seasons, seven of those due to broken leg in 2009.
So what does Gross, who lives in Idaho on an alfalfa farm, attribute his longevity to:
Panthers’ Gross: Steady hand for unpredictable franchise | CharlotteObserver.com
“I’m a big believer in being an in-shape lineman, if there is such a thing,” he said. “I think that’s been key for me. I don’t ever really get out of shape that much. I’ll do less immediately after the season, but I’m always trying to be active.” Gross has a 40-acre alfalfa farm in Idaho that he works during the offseason. He has a weight room inside the garage that opens to the fields.
You can always count on Gross to provide a little humor in almost any situation. Almost any. That does not include heart-wrenching, soul crushing losses:.
"It’s funny, you’d love to have something like that in a win and everybody’s excited and there’s a lot of celebration. But we didn't," Gross said. "I've always been happy to be a part of this team and organization. I wouldn't have done anything any different."
I appreciate the loyalty but he sounds like he's about to retire or something. I'm just going to chalk it up to the lingering affects of the losing streak.
Regardless I would like to offer a hearty round of congratulations to Jordan from all of us here at CSR!
I'm hoping you have a couple more seasons, including a Super Bowl Trophy, left in you!