Purdue's Kawann Short Goes To Panthers With Pick No. 44

Purdue defensive tackle Kawann Short became the second Big Ten player drafted this year when he went to the Carolina Panthers with the 44th pick in the draft, the 12th pick of the seond round.

Short was a two-time captain at Purdue and started all four years. He earned two Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week awards and one Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week award while in West Lafayette. He recorded 48 tackles for loss in his four years at Purdue, despite playing through his senior season with a nagging injury.

The Panthers, who haven't made the playoffs in four years, selected Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei with their first round pick. Had it not been for that pick, Kawann "KK" Short would've been tied for the highest-drafted defensive tackle in franchise history.

For those Panthers fans stumbling across this, a random fact about Short is he was high school teammates with Purdue basketball standout E'Twaun Moore, who now plays for the Orlando Magic. The duo won the 2007 Indiana 4a state title together at East Chicago Central High School.

Short was the second Big Ten player taken in the draft, following Wisconsin's Travis Frederick being picked in the first round. The center went to Dallas with the 31st pick.