Northwestern Trojans football to be highlighted during Panthers’ Monday Night Football game

Northwestern’s football program will be featured during the Carolina Panthers’ Monday Night Football contest with the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 2 in Charlotte.

ESPN launched “Monday Night Lights” in late September in an effort to highlight youth football more during its Monday Night Football broadcasts. Local teams have been featured in games involving Indianapolis, Green Bay, Seattle, San Diego, Philadelphia, and Arizona.

Eight players and several Northwestern coaches were invited to the Panthers’ private walk-through Sunday morning, meeting Panthers players, taking pictures with them and even doing a touchdown dance with quarterback Cam Newton.

The group then met the ESPN crew involved with the Monday Night Football broadcast. That included a chalk talk session with announcer and former Super Bowl coach Jon Gruden, and a tour of his bus.

Northwestern coach Kyle Richardson said he thought the segment featuring the Trojans would air between the first and second quarters Monday. He and the eight players that were privileged to see Sunday’s walk-through will have to record the game; they’ll be at the Monday night game in person. The group arrives at Bank of America Stadium around 6 p.m., for the Monday Night pregame show with Steve Young, Ray Lewis, and others, hanging out on the field and meeting the ESPN production crew.

This story was originally published November 1, 2015 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Northwestern Trojans football to be highlighted during Panthers’ Monday Night Football game."