The Panthers kicked off the second round Friday night by continuing to fill out the defensive front by drafting defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos.
Gross-Matos played three seasons at Penn State, where he totaled 111 tackles, 19.0 sacks, 37.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Those 19 sacks rank him 10th in school history, and the 37 tackles for loss ranks 11th.
Before Gross-Matos starts making plays in Carolina, get to know the Panthers' new defensive end.
Turning tragedy to triumph
When Gross-Matos was just two years old, his biological father drowned while rescuing Yetur after a boating accident. Then at age 11, Gross-Matos' 12-year-old brother Chelal was tragically killed after he was struck by lightning.
Two unthinkable tragedies a decade apart. But since then, Gross-Matos has used those losses as motivation.
"I want to do something better for my family and my mother and that's kind of how I approached it," Gross-Matos said in an interview with the LA Times.
He hasn't done it all on his own, though. Following the loss of Yetur's biological father, Robert Matos married into the family and adopted Gross-Matos. The defensive end told Bleacher Report that meeting Robert is actually the first memory he can recall from his childhood.
"He's my dad. I've never known him as anything else," Gross-Matos said.
His mother, Sakinah, said they don't use the word "stepfather." Instead, Robert is their "superhero" for helping guide the family through tragedy and inspiring Gross-Matos' passion for sports.
"My dad is everything to me," Gross-Matos told Bleacher Report. "He didn't have to be part of my life, didn't have to adopt me. He chose me. That's a powerful thing."
The "Fifth Quarter"
Five years before signing with Penn State as a senior in high school, Gross-Matos wasn't playing organized football. But when he decided to quit baseball and pursue football, it wasn't like a switch had been flipped.
Actually, when Gross-Matos first started playing football, he wasn't good enough to play in games, so he had to get his work in during the "fifth quarter" — what his team called the time before warm-ups began.
At a lanky 6-foot-3, Gross-Matos had the frame for success, he just had to grow into it. So Robert, the "superhero" father, invested in a trainer that required two-hour round trips three times a week. But seeing his son bulk up to become a 6'5", 240-pound four-star recruit made the trips worthwhile.
A name with meaning
Yetur Gross-Matos is a mouthful, but the first name was picked perfectly.
A biblical name from the Old Testament, Yetur means "surrounded by family." After learning Gross-Matos' story, it's hard to think of anything more fitting.
View photos of Carolina's second-round pick, defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, out of Penn State.
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) lines up during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Idaho in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn St. defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos poses for a portrait during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2020 in Indianapolis. (Todd Rosenberg via AP)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) watches the action from the bench in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Idaho in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) chases Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey (12) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Nov.16, 2019. Penn State defeated 34-27. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) closes in on Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey (12) for a sack during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Bloomington, Ind. Penn State won 33-28. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) in action against Purdue during an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) reacts after getting a sack of the Indiana quarterback during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) reacts after stopping a run by Rutgers running back Raheem Blackshear during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, in Piscataway, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Penn State's Yetur Gross-Matos (99) knocks the ball out of the hand of Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan (17) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. Penn State won 22-10. (AP Photo/Chris Knight)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) greets fans following an NCAA college football game against Idaho in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) pass rushes against Pittsburgh offensive lineman Carter Warren (77) during an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. Penn State defeated Pittsburgh 17-10. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State's Yetur Gross-Matos (99) hits Appalachian State quarterback Zac Thomas (12) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. Penn State won 45-38 in OT. (AP Photo/Chris Knight)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) fights off a block by Buffalo offensive lineman Evin Ksiezarczyk (67) in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
In this Dec. 28, 2019, photo, Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) faces off against Memphis offensive lineman Obinna Eze (77) while quarterback Brady White (3) looks to pass during the second half of the NCAA Cotton Bowl college football game in Arlington, Texas. Gross-Matos would have liked to be in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 23, 2020, with other NFL draft prospects, but the Penn State defensive lineman is just as comfortable watching it at home. (AP Photo/Roger Steinman)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) tackles Purdue running back King Doerue (22) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019. Penn State defeated Purdue 35-7. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (99) lines up against Memphis in the first half of the NCAA Cotton Bowl college football game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
