Auburn football welcomed Luke Kuechly to the Plains today, but not in the way that it sounds. Head coach Bryan Harsin got the former linebacker on campus today to speak with the 2022-23 team.
Kuechly played college ball at Boston College and spent all eight seasons of his professional career on the Carolina Panthers, where he was teammates with former Auburn football quarterback Cam Newton.
From his biography on the Carolina Panthers website, Kuechly was one of the greatest linebackers in the NFL before announcing his retirement in 2020:
"A seven-time Pro Bowler, Kuechly finished with 1,092 tackles which led the NFL from 2012-19. His 18 interceptions were the most by any linebacker over that stretch and rank third in franchise history."
Auburn football players and coaches were tremendously impressed with Kuechly, and thanked him on Twitter for taking the time to speak to the team:
Inspirational!! Thank you @LukeKuechly #WarEagle 🦅 https://t.co/GWaC4GDjw7
— Zac Etheridge (@ZacEtheridge4) February 24, 2022
One Of The Greatest Minds The Game Ever Produced!!! Thanks @LukeKuechly https://t.co/gcsW7nQcwf
— Derick Hall II (@derick_hall9) February 24, 2022
Special guest in the house today! Thank you @LukeKuechly for sharing with us the the experience of being on a team, what he’s learned & how much love he has for the game! #WarEagle #Fearless pic.twitter.com/EALFuj5DJQ
— Bryan Harsin (@CoachHarsin) February 24, 2022
So is it possible that Luke Kuechly could be looking for a new home on the Plains? Following his retirement from the game, he signed on with the Carolina Panthers as a Pro Scout but resigned from the position in May of 2021.
Though Bryan Harsin seems to have finally filled out his on-field staff for the fall of 2022, I don’t think many fans would complain about having Luke Kuechly join the staff in any capacity. Either way, it was a great experience for the team to hear from such a great player on campus today.