When the defensive end Akiem Hicks sacked Cam Newton in the third quarter Sunday, he celebrated by impersonating Willie Young’s fishing-pole dance. The linebacker is on injured reserve with a tear in his triceps.
“I went out there and caught me a big mouth bass,” Hicks said. “That’s my guy. It’s just a way to show him that I don’t forget him.”
Now it’s Hicks’ turn to avoid injury. He appeared to favor his left arm and shoulder in the fourth quarter before returning to the field for the next drive. With about four minutes left, he had to be helped off the field after laying face-first in the grass, in pain.
Fox claimed he didn’t know what was wrong — “I think he was tired,” he said — while Hicks didn’t want to offer specifics.
Hicks, who has three-straight games with a sack, said there was no cause for concern.
“I got a little shock to my system,” he said. “I’ll be OK.”
