CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Luke Kuechly’s superpower throughout his Pro Football Hall of Fame career was his preparation — his uncanny ability to know what would happen before it does, to see the game in a way no one else could.

But the Carolina Panthers legend admits there’s something he isn’t exactly ready for over the next few months:

He’ll have to talk about himself — a lot.

“Hopefully that’s what this is for, so you guys can do it for me,” Kuechly told reporters over a Zoom video call Tuesday. “There’s a lot of stuff coming up that’s very exciting. I think the talking aspect of it — the big thing is the speech up there in August. That’s the one thing I really gotta get figured out. But hopefully everyone else can do all the talking.”

Kuechly was announced as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 earlier this month. The honor cements his legacy as one of the most revered players in Panthers franchise history and one of the best inside linebackers in NFL history. To his name: seven All-Pro selections, AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, AP Defensive Player of the Year — all in eight seasons played, a career cut short due at least in part to an injury history that included multiple concussions.

Ask anyone about what made Kuechly such a great player, and the first trait they’ll likely mention is his unrelenting preparedness. That’s an unimpeachable part of his legacy.

But ask anyone who knows him about Kuechly’s weaknesses, and the first thing that might come up is his deflection of praise. As his close friend (and head coach of the middle school football team at Charlotte Christian) Greg Olsen said via FaceTime the day he received the news that he’d made the Pro Football Hall of Fame: “You’re like the dude who doesn’t let anyone tell you how awesome you are. And now hopefully you let us now celebrate you.”

Kuechly will have to face such a task head-on throughout the rest of the spring and into the summer, when he’s ultimately enshrined in the Hall in Canton, Ohio, in August. That means a press tour of sorts. Jacket and ring fittings. Oh — and speech writing.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Kuechly said in regard to where he’s at with his speech. “I’ve got a big call with the guys at the Hall of Fame, I think, tomorrow. And I’ve got a whole list of questions. There are a lot of things that need to happen between now and then. That’s certainly a big one of them. It’s a 10-minute speech, which is a good length, so I should be able to hopefully touch on everything that I need, and hopefully get out of there with none of them knocking on me to get off the stage.”

Kuechly said Tuesday that he’s had some time to reflect on his career a bit since learning he’d made the NFL’s most prestigious palace a few weeks ago. That’s not something he’s done much in retirement.

Kuechly, at 34, has been busy since retiring at age 28 — mostly with his first post-college employer, too. He served as a pro scout for the Panthers in 2020 for one year, and in 2022 he joined the Panthers’ radio broadcast team as an analyst.

He’s constantly found ways to be around the game without talking about himself. It seems he’s been as meticulous about that as studying blocking patterns and reading a quarterback’s eyes. But that will change this spring.

After all, discussing your legacy is part of the job. Reflecting is required.

In some ways, Kuechly said, it’s been a gift.

“With Drew for example, I always talked about how normal it was to play him: ‘Oh we’re playing the Saints and Drew Brees again,’ ” Kuechly said. “And as you get further away from the game, you realize how special it is to have had the opportunity to play against Drew as much as we did when we were in Carolina.”

Kuechly continued the story by talking about what it was like being at his first NFL Honors ceremony, where he won the AP Defensive Player of the Year award. He talked about how strange it was seeing Julius Peppers — a legend who he not only grew up watching but was also a teammate — become a Pro Football Hall of Famer himself, surprising him in his home, delivering the special words: “Luke, welcome to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

“I’m still uncomfortable talking about myself,” Kuechly said. “I’m uncomfortable for a lot of reasons. There are so many people who worked hard, who worked as hard as I did. But I was in such a great situation. I was in a defense that highlighted what (fellow inside linebacker) Thomas (Davis) and I did really well. We had a lot of unselfish guys around us. And in football, in sports, you’re often a product of your situation.

“People can argue that if they want. But I was in a great situation in Carolina, with fantastic coaches, with great guys, with a defense that allowed me to run around. And I’m just fortunate that that’s where I ended up.”

Before leaving Tuesday, Kuechly thanked the throngs of reporters who were on the Zoom for their coverage throughout the years. It included those who covered him in Charlotte as well as in Boston, where he broke through the nation’s consciousness as a star at Boston College.

“I know I could be frustrating at times, but I appreciate all you guys,” Kuechly said.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer was referring to his regular reluctance to talk about himself, of his sidestepping of the spotlight — the place, at least for the next few months, he won’t be able to leave.

©2026 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.