Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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He wasn't a rah-rah guy in the Carolina locker room. That's not how he led. But he set the standard, as all good leaders do.
As I wrapped my head around the news last night, the last one-on-one interview I conducted with Kuechly came to mind.
It was ahead of the 2019 season finale against New Orleans and I asked Kuechly about the ways running back Christian McCaffrey had grown as a leader.
"He's a guy that does everything the right way," Kuechly told me. "Naturally, people are going to follow him. He also understands the dynamics of teams and the dynamics of locker rooms. He understands that he needs to show everybody before he starts telling people what to do. He's shown everyone who he is."
Sounds a lot like Kuechly's rise, doesn't it?
Then he said this.
"And as older guys move on, it presents opportunities for other guys to step into that role."
At the time, I thought Kuechly was referring to departed leaders like Ryan Kalil and Thomas Davis. He was actually referring to himself.
As he said in the announcement video, he's thought about this for a while. He's known.
Seeing a superstar walk away so suddenly is difficult to digest, but let's celebrate those eight seasons for what they were.
Kuechly played the linebacker position as well as anyone ever has. On his best days, he was an absolute terror for offenses to deal with.
For the rest of his days, he'll be remembered as an absolute legend.