[vc_row no_margin=”true”][vc_column width=”1/1″]

Given a second chance during his second chance, Frank Alexander’s comeback story was cut short Saturday night.

The Carolina Panthers’ defensive end tore his Achilles tendon and his season is over. Alexander was injured on the fourth play of the Dolphins’ first offensive series while dropping back to defend a play-action pass.

“I was stepping back and it just felt like somebody stepped on the back of my leg. I looked back and there weren’t nobody back there,” he said while leaning against crutches after the game.

Alexander said he’ll undergo surgery Tuesday, and now his NFL career is very much in jeopardy.

Before the season, coach Ron Rivera called this “a make-or-break year” for Alexander, who was suspended 14 games last season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

The Panthers hoped he would emerge as a starter across from Charles Johnson, but a groin injury slowed him in the spring and he failed to stand out during training camp.

Alexander was quiet during the preseason opener in Buffalo and then spent most of this week with the second- and third-team defense. But Rivera put him back in the starting lineup Saturday night.

“I feel like I was on the right track to do some big things in this game,” Alexander said. “The first game was getting my legs back under me and getting back to the speed of football.”

A fourth-round pick in 2012, Alexander showed promise as a rookie with 18 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He had a disappointing second season before suspensions cost him all but the season finale in Atlanta last year.

“This sucks so bad. That’s my guy. We came in together,” said cornerback Josh Norman, who the Panthers picked one round after Alexander. “Frank’s a fighter. I know he was going to have himself a year. And for that to go down, man, my heart’s out to him.”

Alexander pledged he’ll work to get back on the field, but coming back from a torn Achilles after playing one game in two seasons is a rather large hurdle.

“It’s another bump in the road, but I know God still has a plan for me. My faith is still high. I’m not giving up on myself, turning my back on God or anything,” he said. “I’m going to still stay positive and stay focused. I know it’s just another bump in the road that I have to get over.”[vc_row_inner no_margin=”true”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_raw_html]

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

[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_raw_html]

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

[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][line][vc_raw_html]

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

[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]