Minutes: Beason's big honor

CHARLOTTE -- After a strong rookie season, it seemed that the only variable separating linebacker Jon Beason from individual accolades was time.

That time came Monday when he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October, giving him the first league-bestowed honor of his career and making him the Panthers' first player of the month on offense, defense or special teams since defensive end Julius Peppers was the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October 2006.

Beason is Carolina's leading tackler this season with 64 total stops.  Thirty-two of his tackles came in the last four games, which also saw him intercept a pair of passes -- one against Kansas City and another in the Panthers' 27-23 win over Arizona to close the month.

The pick against Arizona helped seal the award for Beason; it came at the Carolina 5-yard-line on a pass that skipped off the hands of Cardinals running back J.J. Arrington.  Beason promptly fielded the football and dashed 44 yards up the sideline to the Panthers' 49-yard-line.  The subsequent good field position meant that the Panthers needed just one first down to set John Kasay up in field-goal range; five plays later Kasay hit the 50-yard field goal that punctuated a swing of at least six points.

Beason is in elite company as one of just four Panthers to ever earn Defensive Player of the Month accolades.  The others are linebacker Sam Mills (Nov. 1995, Nov. 1996), Peppers (Oct. 2002, Nov. 2004, Oct. 2006) and defensive end Mike Rucker (Sept. 2002).

(panthers.com)