The Pro Football Hall of Fame announcement of its new class of inductees received more attention than usual in the days leading up to last Sunday’s Super Bowl.
“Coach Belichick was not named?”, broadcasters asked. “Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning was overlooked again as well?” The list of those not included was a major news story for days.
However, once the class was announced last Thursday night in San Francisco, nearly all alumni, media and fans agreed the small class of five was more than deserving: Larry Fitzgerald, Drew Brees, Adam Vinatieri, senior member Roger Craig and….Luke Kuechly.
Now, unless fans live in the Carolina’s or attended his alma mater Boston College, Luke Kuechly is not exactly a household name. However, the retired linebacker is a talented Hall of Famer who will be enshrined this summer in only his second year of eligibility.
Former Panthers head coach (and an outstanding NFL linebacker) Ron Rivera knows more than a little about defense. He played alongside Hall of Famer Mike Singletary with the Bears and coached Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher.
“Teams had to prepare special for those two guys and they also had to plan for Luke,” Rivera recalls. “Luke impacted the game, and opposing offenses had to prepare for him or face the consequences. He was physically gifted and was the same type of athlete as Urlacher. I’ll go a step further: ‘Luke was a more instinctual linebacker than Brian was’.” High praise, indeed!
Dan Morgan is the Panthers’ current general manager, but he also played linebacker for seven seasons in Carolina. He was the team’s first-round draft choice in 2001.
“Luke’s instincts as a player are the first thing that come to mind along with his tenacity and his sideline-to-sideline speed,” explains Morgan, who first was a college scout after his playing days. “Luke’s football IQ also was special and everyone who has met him realizes how smart he is. He studied film without end. When you combine that study with his instincts about what teams are going to do, it gave him a step on his opponent on every play.”
Kuechly played eight seasons (2012-2019) in the league and was 2012 Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2013 Defensive Player of the Year. Casual NFL fans may not remember him, but the Hall of Fame media selection committee did.
We at NFL Alumni congratulate Luke Kuechly and the other four members of this distinguished 2026 Hall of Fame class. We look forward to seeing them become part of NFL immortality when they are enshrined in Canton this August.
