By: Ethan Shen
Luke Kuechly was an amazing linebacker for the Carolina Panthers for 8 years until he retired at 28. Since his retirement, he has helped athletes and parents alike understand the dangers and benefits of football.
Kuechly had sustained at least 3 documented concussions when he left the team. Even though he doesn’t play anymore, Kuechly still keeps close ties to the game, working as a scout for his former team and coaching 12-year-olds with Gary Olsen, one of his former teammates.
In a phone interview from his home in Charlotte, NC, Kuechly discussed watching current football players take hits to the head, whether he worries about his cognitive health, and what he tells the parents of the kids he coaches about the dangers of tackle football.
In the interview, Kuechly says everyone knows that there is more that can be done. The more people talk about it and the more perspectives that we share with each other, the more small positive impacts we can make. He also talks about what the experience was for him when he joined in 2012. Mr. Kuechly says that the NFL did a really good job of trying to keep the players safe on the field, using multiple spotters to see if anyone gets hit or acts strangely.
A concussion isn’t like a sprained ankle; with a sprained ankle you get up and tough it out, with a concussion you have to let yourself get better, Kuechly said. When asked about his thoughts on what happened to Tua Tagovailoa last year, Kuechly says he wants everyone to be safe, but the players understand that this is a violent game and still want to play it. It’s inevitable that people will get hurt. “It’s physical, it’s tough. There’s big strong guys running around, and getting hurt is kind of inevitable.”
At the end of the day, Kuechly knows how dangerous football can be, but understands that there are people that still love and play football in spite of the risks. He also knows that there are a lot of positives that you get from playing, whether it’s what he learned about toughness, how to fight through things, how to build relationships, the people that he met through the game, and the experiences he’s had through the game.