Celebrating Luke Kuechly, Smartest Linebacker to Play the Game | NFL Films Presents
2024 ж. 22 Мам.
1 860 337 Рет қаралды
NFL Films celebrates former Carolina Panthers linebacker, Luke Kuechly, who announced his surprise retirement early in 2020 after the 2019 NFL season.
Subscribe to NFL Films: goo.gl/XJTggL
Check out our other channels:
NFL Network / nflnetwork
NFL / nfl
NFL Rush / nflrush
#NFL #NFLFilms #Football #AmericanFootball
Imagine working hard your whole life and finally making it to the NFL just for Luke Kuechly to tell you nobody knows you 😭😭😭😂😂😂
After absolutely clobbering you too 😂😂
It's weird they don't even say the word "concussion" once...
@@whittengreen8781 well who knew smacking ur head over and over again could potentially not be great for ur brain's health. I mean that was just a shocking revelation in and of itself huh... all this concussion talk is hyped up bologna. Everyone has always known football is dangerous
@@BICfootball92 Everyone knows the sport is dangerous... I doubt we understood how dangerous later in life, though.
@@paigepellaton u can be paralyzed on any given play. We've all seen that. We all knew exactly how dangerous the game is at every level. Its no surprise how dangerous football is.
" Thou shalt not run up the middle or throw at the screen pass so says the gospel, according to Luke" Best quote ever
"And thou shalt not throw the seam route so says the gospel, according to his fan"
Luke was my favourite player to watch and to see that interception at Tottenham stadium live was so special. My upmost respect goes to Luke and wish him well whatever he does.
Trying not to cry through this whole video. Miss him so much!
2:02 some clean tackles, quite a literal show stopper.
I like your profile pic
Dude… Imagine getting cracked at the line of scrimmage by the captain of the math team…
Underrated comment here. Haha.
Defensive footballers seem to be really freaking good at pattern recognition, it's insane. I'm sure Luke has a career ahead of him as a statistician if he wants.
@@SamnissArandeen He majored in business at Boston College I believe, I'd imagine alot of that is statistical so you are correct :)
😂😂😂
Makes sense angles and geometry matter in sports.
“I still wanna play, but I don’t think it’s the right decision.” Can you imagine how difficult of a that was for him to say. Heartbreaking.
Im still heartbroken, it isn't right, its not fair but its the best decision for him and his family💔
I cried watching his video
He'll be a defensive coordinator in no time
@@ricardovera116 same
"heartbreaking" hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahhahahahahhahahaha
Dude only played 8 years and etched out a HoF career. Absolute beast
Man, really, this couldn't have been any better said.
Bro u worded tht PERFECTLY man , imma pats fan thru&thru but ALWAYS LOVED watching this man work!!! 1 of my FAV LB's EVERRRR!!!
No I first ballot hall of fame career
All I can say is generational linebacker. One of the best considering the small sample size he gave us just like Patrick Willis
Who?
The biggest NFL stat you can't quantify in numbers is play-reading abilities and football IQ. That's what separates Luke from the greats.
His stats alone are Hall of Fame worthy, but his known presence on the field and overall football IQ are what's going to solidify his name in Canton.
@@howardbaxter2514 carrer wasn't long enough for hof
@@coreyandreas730 there are plenty of careers shorter than Luke that ended with being in the Hall of Fame. For instance, Fritz Pollard only played in 49 games in his career.
@@coreyandreas730 terrel davis literally only played 4 seasons. If you are good enough you can get in. Luke was def a hof player his entire career.
@@gnoodle6994 it'll be close
"picked that same route last year at home" dude remembered a play from over a year ago, that's insane
Said Eric Reid did and remembered that
he said “remember that play?” like it’s something everyone should’ve remembered
Luke: You remember that play? Linebacker Coach: uh, yeah… sure!
Or he watched film of reid interception along with all of the interceptions thrown by the opposing QB... to find a weakness...
What's insane? He remembered a stupid play..big whoop
You HAVE to respect the decision to hang up the cleats and realize you have the rest of your life to live. It’s unfortunate that concussions ended his career short but he deserves to be in the HOF
Better to end your career too early than too late
@@B-Mag very good point.
As a Saints fan, I ABSOLUTELY agree with his decision. Even if I was a little sad when he first announced it.
first ballot
Easily
Only 8 years in the league and a first ballot hall of famer. One of the absolute rarest feats one can accomplish. Unbelievable player.
The beast Patrick Willis was 8 years also...
Kuechly, Willis and Bowman are the best linebackers I've seen play over the last decade. All three left the game way to early with the exception of Bow who had his knee destroyed and was never the same after.
@@rhunt4014 they didnt leave early. They left at the perfect time. With a position like a linebacker keeping health in check is more important than anything football related no exceptions. They left before it was too late
@@mackaycreative6336 Luke was better
He's not a hall of Famer
I just hope concussions don't rob him of that mind 30, 40 years down the road.
For real man. TBIs rob people of the latter half of their lives...
Exactly why he made the right decision to retire. Playing football at the NFL level for 10+ years just isn't compatible with having a cognizant mind down the road.
Dude only played 8 years and etched out a HoF career. Absolute beast
I think that's why he retired, just like Luck. He earned a decent amount of money and can now live the rest of his life in peace
I agree but I wouldn't be too worried. Concussions can really do a lot of damage to a brain when you haven't yet completely recovered from one concussion when you experience another. However, the way the NFL concussion protocol is set up now ensures the players' brains get long enough to recover after a trauma to avoid exactly that. It's a pretty great system to protect them from long term damage.
I always get teary eyed when Shaq Thompson tells him he can’t wait to see his number retired. That says a lot & I’m sure all his nfl peers would agree with.
100%
This man made jaw dropping plays. One of the GOATs at his position.
I played the same way as Luke when I was in the semi pros and in high school ball. I was a defensive tackle and end. I'd stand up and recognize sets in high school, and start yelling out Play packages. I caused a few opponents to take time outs. It was really fun watching them burn timeouts because I knew their play. I finally got a couple of my friends to do the same thing, our defense went to the top of the district. It's too bad we couldn't score anything, so we missed the playoffs, but darn we have a good defense.
Who‘s Aaron Donald huh? Luke was the man.
What a cultured man he’s using a 360 controller to watch film like a real OG
Came here to look for this comment. Thank you
I think in the big leagues most teams look at film with a xbox controller because it has better rewind and forward control
@@mrpancakedemon7454 it's not the fact that it's an Xbox controller, it's the fact that it's a 360 controller
I thought he was studying using Madden
😂🔥🔥
Imagine him and Tony romo commentating on a Sunday
🤯 That would be an amazing commentary pairing!
They would be terrifying. The booth would call every play before it even happens.
it would be the most perfect thing ever. not a single play would go by that wasn't called 5 seconds earlier by them lmao
One's thing for sure, all of us would know exactly what to expect before it happened
Oh yeah, this is big 🧠 time.
"We know all yall damn plays big dawg" 5:05 😂😭😭
😀😃😄💙💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙
NFL lawyer: “ due to ongoing lawsuits, we advise you to not make use of the word “concussion” in your upcoming documentary concerning former NFL athlete Luke kuechly.”
“Ain’t nobody know you” Damn.... that hurt 😭
Dude only played 8 years and etched out a HoF career. Absolute beast
@@brunamurray9741 um....ok
Thanks Obama
hey obama your a inspiration of mine. Thanks for serving for our country
@@elliotb8133 No problem my fellow American.
All I can say is generational linebacker. One of the best considering the small sample size he gave us just like Patrick Willis
Pat WASNT small you tripping dude was 6’1 240 pure muscle
@@ygswaggy8357 talking about the length of Kuechly and Willis’ careers, not their size..
@@ygswaggy8357 ur high bro
Deserves hall of fame just off of skill alone.
The real '15 MVP!!!
I respect this man a lot. The time he put in in the film room shows a lot of respect for the generations who came before because it shows you take the game they've built seriously.
I think we as a generation were robbed of seeing two amazing linebackers play in the same era, Pat Willis and Luke Keuchly both had short but incredible careers.
And robbed of the potential of Ryan Shazier
Totally agree. However, it was good to see Willis and Kuechly retire before their health got worse. Also, Calvin Johnson was the same way. I thought he was the most physically gifted player I ever saw but even with all of that the injuries still ended his career
@@KevyWhitShazier robbed himself. Shouldn’t be leading with the crown of your helmet.
@@KevyWhitShazier sucked. Don’t lead with your crown
Trying not to cry through this whole video. Miss him so much!
I did 😭
Yo for real, I was gonna comment that it literally brought a tear to my eye but scrolled the comments first to see if anyone else had the same reaction lol
He’s not dead, bro. Write him a letter or something
@@alexanderbraddock6543 Fr they should if they’re that emotional about him as sports fanatics.
They said he might come out of retirement
He was also the smartest for getting out when he wasn’t broken
He's broken you couldn't tell he said it himself nearly broke down on national tv I'd say what is he hiding?
As much as I hated seeing him go, as a panthers fan... I totally got it.
Probably didn’t want end up like junior seanu
Yep, he might have some head problems later, but at least hes not someone like Earl Campbell
Kuechly is a name all football fans need to know how to spell. Like Butkus and Montana. Eight years of pure excellence for the blessed fans of Carolina. HOF first ballot.
As a die hard Bucs fan I have to admit that he was an absolute terror & monster on the field & quite possibly the best player on the field on Sunday's. A straight force to be reckoned with. My respect & a salute to you Luke. Congratulations on a hell of a career. Enjoy your retirement & may good health and good fortune follow you everywhere you go.
When extreme levels of Athleticism, Intelligence, and Instinct come together in one package you get a player like Luke Kuechly. Thank you Luke for everything!
59 likes. I'm going to leave that as is.
@superchef710......He's the bigger version of sam mills. A linebacker that completely used his athletic ability and intelligence to their max potential.
As a Panthers fan I love this guy he’s my favorite player to ever play the sport
I guarantee if we had him against KC we would have won.
Same
Agreed, on and off the field, absolute top notch.
you must be new here lol... Agent89
When a grown man starts to break down, he is truely invested in what he sheds tears for. Luke is a g.
As a Panthers fan since ‘06 it hurt when we lost Steve Smith but to lose Cam,Olsen,Ron Rivera, and sadly Luke early retirement in one off season still baffles me🤦🏾♂️I’m so glad I got to witness such a great player on my team he really showed what #KEEPPOUNDING mean 💯I remember this man never stopped even if we were blown out 😂seeing this man chase down a RB watching him literally carry our defense on our downfall 😔THANK YOU KUECHLY 🖤🤍
And Tedd gin and Josh Norman
Lol and now you lost McCaffrey too
Love Luke Kuechly. It was a pleasure being a Panthers fan during the Cam, Luke, TD, Agent89, Greg Hardy, J-Stew and etc etc days. #KeepPounding
I will never forget the game where Luke had 24 tackles against the saints if that don’t tell you he’s one of the best because I’ve never seen any other linebackers do that before
Ray Lewis: 👁️👄👁️
@JD we're you dropped as a baby or something?
@JD if he is overrated than Tim Tebow is a good blocker
In the pouring freaking rain he did that
As much as I loved him play, I’m glad he got out before it was too late. His brain is so valuable and he will know how to put it to use in football and help other players.
I’m a packers fan. But ever since this dude came in the league I’ve been a big fan, this guy was truly something special
I love the interaction. “You’re cool. You’re pretty good at what you do.” Love that so much
It's weird they don't even say the word "concussion" once...
That's what I was thinking. The whole time I was like ok when are they gonna bring up all the concussions cause that's a huge part as to why.
Nudge nudge wink wink
Who could understand why lol
U kno its always a cover up jus matters how much cover
They don’t want the sport to look bad lol you can’t even get concussed in the madden games.
Man I miss Luke so much, he was such a great player and in my book one of the greatest of all time
As a Panthers fan I love this guy he’s my favorite player to ever play the sport
As a Panthers fan I love this guy he’s my favorite player to ever play the sport
My 1st nfl game was seeing him play and mannnn this guy was everywhere and all you heard was LUKKKKKKEEEE and like you felt his tackles. He was definitely great and a future hall of famer
Dude im on the verge of tears i miss him so much as a panthers fan, we will never see someone like him again in NFL history
Somebody needs to get him in their coaching staff he would be a very good coach such brilliant mind he has
Hes already a scout and will probably be a defensive coach and/or coordinator in the future
@Ima Castle no one said he could coach people to be the same level as he was
He is working with the Panthers right now
I’d like to see him in the patriots
@@WhatsY0UTUB3 no body has to. If he learned to be a coach he’d excel.
It hurts so much knowing Kuechly and Thomas Davis join the ever growing list of legendary Panthers players who never won a ring. I can't think of anyone who deserved a ring more than those two, Kuechly for his intelligence and ability and TD for his heart and willpower. One of, if not the best LB duos of all time.
Not even a panthers fan, but love Luke kuechly. Genuinely. A great player and person
Damn I miss the 2011-2017 Panthers teams.2015 Panthers might have been the coolest team of all times
you and me both
I really like Luke Kuechly, it’s just unfortunate that his decision to leave the game is basically for the benefit of his long term health
gotta respect the hell out of it though
The pathers were so bad it forced him to retire
@@scottp4269 i respect it so much 😪
Can't tell if this is sarcastic or not
@@christophr3538 ditto
So much respect for this man. He is truly one of a kind.
I'm crying on this every time... such a great guy. Miss you Luuukeee
5:25 you know hes one of the greatest when a coach askes him what he saw there
Luke was my favourite player to watch and to see that interception at Tottenham stadium live was so special. My upmost respect goes to Luke and wish him well whatever he does.
Awesome player and teammate! Thanks for the video!
My favorite player of all time! Keep pounding Luke! You’re the 🐐🐐🐐🐐
Easily my favorite linebacker of all time. Just so involved all the time, and a straight up genius. There's linebackers that are the tacklers, the pass rushers, or the pass coverage guys, but Luke does it all at an elite level. It's sad not seeing him every week, but I hope he has a wonderful life.
I applaud him for stepping away when he did. Shows his intelligence to listen to his body and know what he can and can’t do to what he feels is his best. #Added to the list of all-time linebackers in my book
Great player!!! It takes a real man to walk away in his prime keeping his health in mind via the future. Hall of Famer for sure. I've been to two Panthers games. It was a pleasure to watch him and the whole defensive line for that matter do well. It would not surprise me though if he does come out of retirement.
Happy Birthday Luke!!! We love and miss you 💙
My favorite Panther. Sad day when he announced his retirement. Can't wait to see you in Canton. Best pure LB of the decade.
Kuechly and Luck - I could still cry every time I hear their goodbye messages 😢
He did well Luke you respected the position and the work ethic that comes along with it, guys like you were the reason kids want to grow up in the big headers of big tacklers in the game of football, God bless you and your journey to the Hall of Fame 🍻
Absolute stud, miss this guy
I'm not a panthers fan But I admire the way Luke Kuechly played
The way he read plays was uncanny. Watched film and then remembered all the plays for all the teams. Amazing.
He went to my high school and he’s a legend in our football program
Went to BC with Luke helped him out on Spanish class. Great guy.
Ray was a great linebacker, killed on and off the field.
DAMN LMAO
Corny
Dude only played 8 years and etched out a HoF career. Absolute beast
I just hope concussions don't rob him of that mind 30, 40 years down the road.
Ayo?
He played my Saints twice a year and it was amazing to see how he moved and anticipated plays. This guy is gold jacket bound all day!
The man quit while he was ahead and still has his head. It's heartbreaking to say the least but I'm glad he had his time to shine and can still walk away without leaving it all on the field. Clark Kent indeed.
6:16 I will always remember this play. I saw it live on TV and always watch Keuchly cause he's always making calls and switching things. On TV, you just see him pointing then he just shoots the gap so well to make the tackle and cause a fumble. I was pretty amazed.
As a Vikings fan, nothing but the up most respect for Luke. Been watching him since his days at BC. Straight up monster. Here's to you Luuuuuke. Cheers 🍺
I thought vikings say Skål instead of cheers
Best LB for the past 8 years! Don’t @ me!
@Her Yang
I remember the day he put out that retirement video. It literally broke my heart. I LOVED watching him play in the panthers uniform. Thank you for all the memories #59.
i still cant watch that video without crying..it broke my heart to see Luke leave . but im happy he is doing what is best for him
this guy is every football coaches dream. Hardest worker on the field and off. Knew when to turn on the aggression. He was a special player. Shame his career was only 8 years, but he decided to get out before he could get injured so more power to him. He made his money, his legacy and everything else iis amazing
Damnnnn man I miss My Guy Lukkkkkkkkeeeeeeee 😔😔😔 but I still till this day respect his decision of Retiring
One of my favorite NFL players of all-time outside my favorite team. What a player!
Thank you for every single moment Luke then and now 👍 keeppounding
Don't care if this causes hate, but he is the best linebacker to ever play the game. No one else was elite in every single facet of the game and defense. HOF no question
Lawrence Taylor. But ya Luke's great
@@onlyicedcrybaby7297 Lawrence Taylor never had to cover wide receivers and call out the plays
Ur forgetting about rey lewis
@@thenickabrams lmao call me when ray isnt an actual murderer. Lawrence Taylor is the only man to even be close to luke all time. Ray is lucky he got babied or hed be in jail right now.
@@onlyicedcrybaby7297 LT would have been referred to as an edge rusher in modern nomenclature, more defensive end than linebacker. Luke was the best pure linebacker.
8:48 “you’re pretty cool” “you’re pretty good at what you do”
8:48
So wholesome
2020 been so long I thought this happened 2 years ago... man I miss seeing Luke play, one of the best to do it and in such short time too
We love you Luke!!! You’re a carolina legend!!
Awesome player- thank you Luke!
Great story, great guy, with so much humility too. I always enjoyed watching him lead the panthers defense growing up.
Tearing up right now because this is how I feel about my career. You do something you love and cherish for so long that it’s best to walk away because you want to leave when it’s good not when it’s bad. That passion you once had, the drive you once love driving isn’t drivable anymore 😔 Luke you will forever be a staple in the panther community, your love for football is like no other, you will and are missed BIG time.
5:00 for him to shed the block and fight through that soup to make the tackle is just miraculous. Poetry in motion
I live in South Carolina and I'm so glad that I went to a couple panthers games and saw him play.
Miss watching him play one of my favorite players of all time.
And well missed by fans around he world. Good kid, big heart, role model!
What a guy, off and on the field. Definitely what future players should inspire to be.
It makes me happy that he’s a scout for the panthers now
I just realized that every time the panthers played the Seahawks it was a game of the top 2 linebackers in the nfl
Yeah and they always say luke was better yet in all but 1 game the Seahawks won and by the numbers 54 is better in all but interceptions.
Honestly it doesn’t matter to me. Coverage-> Luke Run stopping->Bobby; reacts faster and has faster closing speed. Tackling ability-> Tied. For me. 1. LT 2. Ray Lewis T3. Bobby Wagner T3. Luke Kuechly 5. Derrick Brooks That’s my 5 guys.
@@anthonydeshields9613 Wagner is almost a liability in pass coverage sometimes. That’s what separates them for me.
I cry every time I watch this. We miss you LUUUUUUUKE!
this guy one of a kind! this guy was a animal! respect
I miss seeing this guy on sundays playing his heart out but Im happy to know that hes still the greatest linebacker I've ever seen
I remember when I played linebacker back in high school, I would always look up to Kuechly when I played.
Thank you Luke!! Favorite player of mine for sure.
I will never know true joy again until that 2015 regular season..
Luuuuuuuuuke!! I'm miss chanting that name after every tackle. And if you're at the games, they play the starwars theme everytime he makes a tackle/play. 😭😭😭 I miss him.
He'd make a great Linebacker coach in the future maybe he could even develop into an amazing defensive coordinator one day.
He could be the head coach with those brains
Well he’s becoming that this year
Looks like this aged well for the bills
@@duxfan298 he’s not with them
One of the best MLB I have ever seen. That game where he had back to back picks was crazy
Grateful I got to watch him for all eight yrs. What a player he is. 🙏
I miss Luke
I just hope concussions don't rob him of that mind 30, 40 years down the road.
Ditto😪
He was the anti-Cam Newton.
Miss him 🤘🏻
The Force is Strong with you Luke...
Dude would make an unreal coach
He would definitely make a great defensive coach or LB coach
He's going to be a GREAT Defensive coordinator in a few years. I miss Luke out there every Sunday, doesn't feel the same without him and Cam.