Big blow for ex-Gamecock wide receiver Damiere Byrd

Former South Carolina receiver Damiere Byrd has been placed on injured reserve and is expected to be out for the season after injuring his leg in the Carolina Panthers’ victory against Tampa Bay on Sunday, coach Ron Rivera announced Tuesday.

Byrd injured his leg on a kickoff return that started the second half and did not return to the game. Rivera called it a lower leg injury,

Earlier in the game, Byrd had a Panthers-record 103-yard touchdown kickoff return. It was the first kick-return touchdown for the Panthers since 2011.

“He’s a playmaker on this team and we can’t go too far without him,” teammate Russell Shepard told the Charlotte Observer. “We’re a better football team when No. 18 is on the field.”

An undrafted free agent in 2015, Byrd was popular among his teammates. According to the Observer, other Panthers adopted his Napoleon-Dynamite-esque wing-flapping touchdown celebration.

The Panthers (11-4) find themselves looking for a No. 2 receiver. Carolina traded Kelvin Benjamin and rookie Curtis Samuel went on injured reserve earlier this season.

This story was originally published December 26, 2017 at 11:22 AM with the headline "Big blow for ex-Gamecock wide receiver Damiere Byrd."