When Kawann Short was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month in October, he was the first Carolina Panthers defensive tackle to win the honor. Now he's gone and done it again.

The league announced Thursday that Short's the Player of the Month for December/January, making him the first defensive tackle in NFL history to win the award twice in a season.

In the Panthers' final five regular-season games, Short totaled 16 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles.

The third-year player destroyed the Panthers' record for most sacks by a defensive tackle in a season, earning four more than Kris Jenkins' previous mark of seven.

Short has another year left on his rookie deal, but the Panthers will likely make locking up one of the league's premier interior pass rushers an offseason priority.