Ex-Mizzou stars Kony Ealy, Markus Golden square off as Panthers win NFC title

They were supposed to meet on the field before the NFC Championship Game game and take a picture. That was the plan, anyway.

It was an easy scene to imagine. Arizona’s Markus Golden and Carolina’s Kony Ealy, two proud former members of “D-Line Zou,” would chat and laugh and joke for a few seconds Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, just moments before the biggest game of their young professional lives, won in dominating fashion by the Panthers, 49-15.

“We always used to talk about ‘Man, we’re gonna be in the league one day, we’re gonna be in the league,’” Golden said. "But I’d be lying if I said I knew I was going to play him in this game right here to get to the Super Bowl.

“We’ve both come a long way, man.”

They had so much in common. Both are former second-round picks who stepped in for injured veterans at the same blindside-edge rusher positions this year and performed reasonably well, and both are also St. Louis kids who also starred at Missouri under one of the nation’s best defensive-line coaches, Craig Kuligowski.

“We come from the same place — we come from the same fight,” Ealy said. “That’s my brother over there, straight up. I know where he comes from, I know what he’s been through — St. Louis.

“But deeper than that. We fought everyday, day in and day out at Mizzou. I was there when he first got there.”

They went through some wars together, too; not only were they teammates during a miserable 5-7 season in 2012, they were also there in 2013, when Missouri won the first of two SEC East titles and won the Cotton Bowl.

But this night would be different, as Golden — donning the red of the Arizona Cardinals — and Ealy — wearing the white of the Carolina Panthers — would be going to battle in different uniforms. Which, of course, meant that for one of them, the season — and their Super Bowl dream — would end on this cool Carolina night.

Both knew what a special opportunity they had in front of them.

“They keep hearing from the veterans on both teams that it’s such a blessing to be able to play in the Super Bowl,” said Joseph Clayborne, an agent who represents both players. “Some guys been playing nine or 10 years and haven’t been this close to a Super Bowl.”

The dream came true for Ealy. Powered by a suffocating defense and the dynamism of star quarterback and NFL MVP candidate Cam Newton, the Panthers prevailed as they jumped to a 17-0 first-half lead before a raucous crowd of 74,294.

Ealy, who got the starting nod with former Chief Jared Allen sitting out because of a broken foot, made his presence known quickly, too. Early in the first quarter, he racked up a pressure on Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer that later spurred a high-five from Allen.

It was part of a very fast start for the Panthers, who jumped to a 10-0 first-quarter lead, courtesy of a field goal and a 22-yard touchdown run by speedster receiver Ted Ginn, who took the end-around rush and reversed his field once he was past the line of scrimmage for the score.

But the Panthers weren’t done. On their next drive, Newton showed why is considered the favorite to win the MVP, as he uncorked a third-and-8 missile on a deep cross to receiver Corey “Philly” Brown, who raced 86 yards for a touchdown that put Carolina firmly in control.

The Cardinals finally got on the scoreboard, courtesy of a 1-yard touchdown run by David Johnson. But a muffed punt by star cornerback Patrick Peterson led to the Panthers’ next score, a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Newton that upped Carolina’s lead to 24-7.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, their quarterback was in the midst of a tailspin. They were spared punishment when Palmer fumbled for the second time in the half on their next possession, thanks to an interception two plays later by Peterson. But Palmer’s next pass after that was intercepted in the Panthers’ end zone by safety Kurt Coleman with seven seconds left in the half, securing the Panthers’ 17-point lead at the break.

The Panthers built on that lead after the break, adding a field goal and another Newton touchdown run — he completed 19 of 28 passes for 335 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while also rushing for 47 yards and two scores — to give the Panthers a commanding 34-7 lead.

For Golden, the loss brought a painful end to a promising rookie campaign in which he proved he could he hang with the big boys. Although the Cardinals liked his toughness and motor and college production enough to take him in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, some teams had him ranked lower due to his lack of length.

He was plenty stout for an edge rusher, at 6 feet 2, 260 pounds, but his 31-inch arms caused some to worry whether he’d be able to consistently keep those large offensive tackles off his body.

Golden, however, has fared well as a rookie, recording 31 tackles and four sacks in 15 games, including six starts. He finished Sunday’s game with seven tackles and, to be sure, plenty to build on for 2016.

“Of course I feel like I proved (I could play),” Golden said. “I proved a lot of people (wrong), people trying to talk bad about me and talk about what I don’t have but not realizing what I do have.”

But the night belonged to the Panthers and his former teammate Ealy, a 6-foot-4, 275-pounder who chipped in as a situational pass rusher as a rookie in 2014 and came back to record 32 tackles and five sacks in 16 games, including nine starts.

Ealy, who had three tackles on Sunday, now has a chance to cap a strong sophomore campaign with a Super Bowl title. Interestingly, the Panthers will be pitted against the Denver Broncos, who feature another former Mizzou pass rushing star in 2015 first-round pick Shane Ray.

Of course, the fact two more ex-Mizzou pass rushers are meeting in a Super Bowl probably shouldn’t come as a shock. Aldon Smith and Justin Smith played in the 2013 Super Bowl, while Ziggy Hood played in the 2011 Super Bowl.

Golden, for sure, hoped to be the next one to carry on the tradition. Unfortunately for him, it is Ealy’s time. But a part of him, at least, is happy that one of his former teammates can proudly carry on Missouri’s defensive-line tradition in this year’s Super Bowl.

After the game, Ealy waded through the crowd of players of coaches on the field and found his ex-teammate. They may have met before the game, but that didn’t keep them from embracing each other afterward. For two minutes the two spoke, ear-to-ear, laughing and joking lightly. And when they finally started to pull away briefly, they each took a step toward each other and embraced again.

“Keep doing what you’re doing, good luck,” Golden said. “Go win the Super Bowl.”

It was a nice moment between competitors, one that offered proof that Golden’s words at last year’s Combine — when he essentially said protecting the school’s defensive-line tradition meant the world to him — were more than just lip service.

In the aftermath of a bitter loss, here he was, legitimately happy his brother would be able to represent the school they both love in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 in Santa Clara, Calif.

“I love that guy with all my heart, for real,” Ealy said.

This story was originally published January 24, 2016 at 9:38 PM with the headline "Ex-Mizzou stars Kony Ealy, Markus Golden square off as Panthers win NFC title."