CANTON, Ohio — Luke Kuechly was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday, becoming member number 386, and the first player to spend his entire career with the Carolina Panthers to be enshrined.

Here is the text of his speech after he was presented by his father Tom Kuechly and his bust was unveiled.

Thank you, Dad. You're over there with tears coming out of your eyes, so I don't have to cry because you've already done it.

Thank you, everyone.

And thank you to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the selection committee, and everyone who made this day possible.

Jim (Porter), Jeff (Shreve) and the whole crew with the Hall of Fame you have created not only an unbelievable weekend but an exciting journey from the time we were all together in February in San Francisco until now.

The Class of 2026 is special and I'm so excited to enter with you guys.

Drew, you're the best player I played against. Your process, anticipation, competitiveness — and that dang cadence that you have — I can still hear it and it's something I will keep with me. Coach Payton's right next to him. And if I ever hear "Stand Up and Get Crunk" it still ruins my mood and I can't stand it.

Larry, we've had battles and I have so much respect for the consistency you've had throughout your career. You played outside and inside, could block and caught everything.

Adam, you've had two Hall of Fame careers with two teams and like the rest of these guys had the gift of consistency and durability and apparently quite a bit of humor.

And Roger, the first guy to eclipse 1,000 in the air and 1,000 on the ground. Your son Rogdrick been right next to you since the moment I met you. Your family's infectious joy and happiness is what football is about, and it's been so fun to see you the last couple of months.

To the 382 guys here that have entered before us, you guys were the standard.

Our games were modeled off of what we saw from you.

And Pep, there was no cooler moment than being with all of you guys on last night at the Gold Jacket Dinner.

This game teaches you a lot if you're willing to observe and listen.

It's taught me resilience, consistency, toughness, the value of communication, how to find common ground, and most importantly how to enjoy it along the way. Bcause often times the best moments are the ones you are in.

Ron Rivera used to beat that into our head and say, "Be where your feet are."

Well, he didn't just mean be where your feet are when you're at the Super Bowl, playing with and against incredible players.

He meant, be where your feet are all the time, and that's been great advice.

The joy football gave me didn't come from any particular win.

It came from competing, from studying, from practicing, and from preparing.

And joy came most importantly, from the people I was with.

I think about the bus rides, the plane flights, being with each other at Wofford College during training camp.

You've never seen guys so happy to have a night off at Venus Pie eating pizza with their buddies!

The relationships formed through football are unique.

You see each other at your best and at your worst.

You spend long days together in meeting rooms.

You learn how different people communicate, lead, and overcome challenges.

And over time, teammates become friends, and friends become family.

That's why, when people ask me what I miss most about football, it's not one specific game or one specific play.

It's the locker room which I feel like I have again with you guys up here.

It's conversations that have nothing to do with sports.

It's celebrating together after wins, and hurting together after losses.

There's no way to measure what the game of football has given to me. The joy it's provided, and, more than anything, the people that I have been so blessed to be around as a result of this game.

I was lucky to have started playing football right down the street in Cincinnati with the Golden Bears as a fourth Grader.

And then on to St. Xavier High School with Steve Specht. The St. Xavier Bombers football team is right over here, and I couldn't be happier they're here.

And then off to Boston College where I met some of the best friends anyone could ask for.

And finally when the Richardson family gave me an opportunity to come to the NFC South and join the Carolina Panthers.

Being part of the Panthers organization was a special experience.

From the front office to PR – Drum, Charlie Dayton and Ryan Anderson – thanks for always having my best interest in mind and taking care of us. To the cafeteria and security guys, everybody was always pulling in the same direction.

It was an amazing group of people — and some of our relationships have transcended the game.

When David Tepper took over, he kept the team's energy and focus going strong.

He and Nicole have remained so welcoming to me since I finished playing and have given me so many opportunities to remain involved with the team, and that means so much to me. Thank you guys.

They deeply care and we are so close — and I know that, like me, you guys are super excited for the season.

Back when I arrived in Charlotte, I didn't have to look hard for how things were done.

Marty Hurney and Ron Rivera created a team that valued the person, hard work, being a good teammate and most importantly enjoying the game of football.

Hall of Famer Sam Mills set the tone for what the linebacking room was supposed to look like, and that standard was still held by Jon Beason and Thomas Davis.

Hall of Famer Sam Mills set the tone for what the linebacker room was supposed to look like. When I arrived in Carolina, that standard was held by Jon Beason and Thomas Davis and was learned from our GM currently, Dan Morgan, sitting right in front here.

I couldn't have asked for a better person to start my playing career than next to Thomas. He taught me about effort, toughness, competitiveness, and most of all, having joined the game of football. That joy can never be taken away, and it helps you find a path forward when this game challenges you.

Like I have mentioned, I arrived to a Charlotte as a kid and needed guidance outside the walls of football and Steve Luquire provided that to me. You've been there as someone I can talk to in the more important times of my career. Steve, thanks for helping me and continuing to help me navigate Charlotte. You're always there. Thank you.

Another person I learned so much from was Sean McDermott.

Some coaches say, "This is how we do things, and if you don't want to do it this way, you're wrong."

But McDermott — alongside our position coaches Al Holcomb, Steve Russ, Warren Belin, and Bill McGovern at BC — they created a playground, and, inside that space, you could play the game the way that worked best for you but most importantly, still worked best for the team.

And that creativity remained when Steve Wilks and Eric Washington took over.

You guys let me be me and that's is something I always appreciated!

Another creative person was RV, Ryan Vermillion, our trainer and his whole crew.

A good trainer is more than a trainer — they talk you off the ledge, they're honest with you, they take care of you, they put you back together, they understand you.

RV, I always felt like you knew what motivated me, and you could see on my face when something bothered me. That's why you did such a great job!

While we're talking about training, I want to thank the guys in our weight room, and our equipment room. House, Nabes, and Jason, your room was one of my favorite places to be in the building. The energy was unbelievable and had a huge impact on my career.

And Donnie, Greg, Danny and Jackie, you guys were consistent, proud of your work, and not afraid of a little humor, and we needed that.

Off the field, I've also been blessed with wonderful colleagues.

I first met Howard Skall in Bradenton, Florida, when I was just 20 years old and getting ready for the combine.

Howard and I started as colleagues, and over time, our business relationship became one of my best friendships.

I know his family, he knows mine. We've been all over the U.S. together, we've had great dinners, great times, and have created a lasting friendship, thanks Howard.

To my agent, Tom Condon, he's been another blessing.

Tom, when I called to tell you I was retiring — I remember exactly where I was, standing in the B terminal at DFW and you didn't even ask why.

You just said, "Luke, I'll always be here for you. Is there anything I can do to help?"

That call showed how important your players are to you, and I've always appreciated that, so thank you.

I probably have the best college buddies in the world. You can hear them back there.

There's a group of eight of us that have a very special bond.

You guys are a safe place for me; you're always there and never ask for anything in return.

I'm so lucky to have you, and I'm so happy you're all here today.

Now I mentioned that I didn't have to look far to find out how things were done when I came to Carolina.

One of those reasons was Greg and Kara Olsen.

I was just 21 years, looking for what it looked like, and you two were so generous in so many ways.

Christmas, family vacations, you always included me and I learned so much from your relationship.

Plus, Greg — let's be honest—the season was awesome but how great were the offseasons? We had so much fun and it was one of the best times of my career. Training with you was beyond special.

I'm also grateful to JJ and Laura Jansen.

Even though you're just a few years older, you both have plenty of wisdom.

You are amazing sounding boards — honest, patient, what I told you stayed with you, and you let me make my own decisions. It always helped me to talk through things with you guys.

Ryan and Natalie Kalil , much like the Olsens you gave me a home when I came to Carolina, I had a safe place to go. Family dinners, movies and the ability to be around the kids and your family was so important to me.

Hannah, thank you for being by my side throughout this entire process. I'm so happy to have been able to enjoy it with you. Your love and support means the world to me.  Thank you!

Now to my first team, my family. My mom's getting ready to start crying, she's got her sunglasses on.

I have two wonderful brothers, John and Henry.

John was my first teammate.

We played on the same teams growing up, took our first car rides together, went hunting, fishing, and had plenty of adventures in the woods behind our house.

John, you've always had the biggest heart, and you may not be the loudest person in the room, but I've always felt your support. It means the world to me that you are here today!

To my younger brother Henry.

We are 7 years apart but I look to you for motivation. Your drive, your determination and will to find a way to be the best is so fun to watch.

Your consistent in what you do is so cool to see. Ive seen it through schooling and now into medical residency. Your ability to wake up, be the same person, treat everyone well and do your job the best you can has made me so proud.

More than anything, your honesty. You know how to offer your opinion without being pushy, you speak your mind and give great feedback. That's so valuable.

Lastly, to my Mom and Dad:

Thank you.

There are not enough words.

Thank you for every ride to practice.

Thank you for every sacrifice.

Thank you for every lesson.

For every meal.

Mom for every lunch packed, annoyed phone call on the way home from games, and from Sunday Night Football evenings on the couch.

Dad for the most thoughtful, well thought out answers, you gave me what I needed not always what I wanted and that's so important.

Thank you for showing John, Henry and me what love and consistency looks like.

Thank you for creating a home where effort, humility, and gratitude mattered.

Thank you for teaching me that a simple smile goes a long way.

You never pushed me to be a football player, you pushed me to be a good person — and that gift means more than anything.

I love you guys.

I want to close with something that Jerry Richardson used to say.

He must have told us a thousand times, "The most valuable member of the team is the fan."

Well, the fans in Charlotte, and throughout the Carolinas, sure proved that Mr. Richardson was right.

You welcomed us — more importantly you welcomed me — to the community. And every game, every play at Bank of America stadium felt like being home because of you guys. Some of you are here in Canton, and that means the world to me.

I've been incredibly fortunate to have been touched by the game of football.

Football has given me so much more than I could have ever imagined.

The people I've met, the experiences we've shared, and the joy that I've found through this game will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Your love and support have meant more than you'll ever know.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey.

Thank you for sharing today with me.

And most importantly, Keep Pounding.