The next class of Hall of Famers was announced at the NFL Awards on Thursday night. One of those is one of our very own. Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly is now Carolina Panthers Hall of Fame linebacker, Luke Kuechly.
Kuechly is either the second or third player inducted into the Hall of Fame that is predominantly known as a Panther joining Julius Peppers and Sam Mills, depending on who you ask. He
is the first player to spend his entire career as a Panther and make the Hall of Fame.
While his career was short, Kuechly was arguably the best linebacker in the NFL for almost all of it. He played eight seasons and was a first team All Pro in five of those. He was a second team All Pro in the other two that weren’t his rookie season. He was Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, and three time winner of the Butkus Award for the league’s best linebacker. He retired at the height of his powers after dealing with numerous injuries that included a handful of concussions. He surely would’ve added more awards to his trophy case had he continued playing, but he’s a nice enough guy that he stepped away to let other players get some shine.
This one feels good. Luke Kuechly is a Panther through and through. He’s still a part of the organization calling games on the radio. And he’s one of the most beloved players in the history of the franchise. This couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Congrats Luke!
