CANTON, Ohio — Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, a 2009 St. Xavier High School graduate, is a nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.
Kuechly is one of 16 players in their first year of eligibility among the list of 167 modern-era nominees.
"I'm excited for Luke; I'm excited for his family," St. Xavier football coach Steve Specht said. "That's what it's about. It's a reflection on the family. What a great honor."
A seven-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time All-Pro, Kuechly is one of 56 defensive players nominated for the hall.
"That's exciting," Specht said. "Because you're talking about somebody who is the best and is being recognized as the best in his trade. And I know we've had great players come through here but we've never had anyone don a gold jacket. That is special. And it couldn't happen to a more unique and great human being. He's an even better person than he is a football player."
A screening committee will reduce the list to 50 players by mid-October. The list will be reduced to 25 players later this fall.
Another vote will create the list of 15 finalists who will be discussed at the annual meeting ahead of Super Bowl LVIX that will produce the new class, which can consist of three, four or five modern-era players.
Those making the list for consideration for the first time besides Kuechly are quarterback Eli Manning; running backs Marshawn Lynch and Darren Sproles; wide receiver Demaryius Thomas; tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker; offensive linemen Travis Frederick, Ryan Kalil, Joe Staley and Marshal Yanda; Terrell Suggs; defensive backs Antoine Bethea, Aqib Talib and Earl Thomas; and kicker Adam Vinatieri.
Former Bengals offensive tackle Willie Anderson, a 2024 finalist, is also on the nomination list again. Other notable former Bengals include running back Corey Dillon and wide receiver Chad Johnson.
Former longtime Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, a Boone County High School graduate, is also a nominee.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 will be enshrined next August.
Kuechly, 33, was the NFL Rookie of the Year in 2012 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. He became the youngest player to win that defensive player of the year honor.
Kuechly, who lives in Charlotte, also helped the Panthers reach their second-ever Super Bowl appearance in 2016.
He played with the Panthers for eight seasons (2012 to 2019) before he announced his retirement in January 2020.
Specht said Kuechly has never been about personal accolades and has made faith at the center of his life.
Specht said he has "chills" thinking about the possibility of Kuechly being enshrined in Canton one day. The St. X community would be on cloud nine, too.
"We're excited," Specht said. "That would be phenomenal."
Specht said he has several fond memories of Kuechly's days at St. X.
"I think the one that stands out was after our last loss his senior year," Specht said. "We stood on this field together - Tom Ballaban Field - and he just sobbed. It meant that much to him. When something means that much to you that it brings you to tears that's a special moment. But, I think that epitomizes Luke Kuechly. He loves this game."
In April 2020, Kuechly was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. Selected by the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, that list included 52 players and two head coaches.
Kuechly, a former Boston College star, was the ninth selection in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Panthers.
Kuechly earned every major position award in the nation during his Boston College career.
In 2011, he won the Butkus Award, the Lombardi Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. He was a two-time consensus All-American and three-time first-team All-American.
He was the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Defensive Rookie of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He led the nation in tackles as a sophomore (183) and as a junior (191).
Kuechly, a 2021 LaRosa’s High School Sports Hall of Famer inductee, was instrumental in helping the Bombers win the Division I state championship in 2007. St. X completed its journey with an undefeated season (15-0 record).
Kuechly earned 277 tackles, seven sacks, five forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, three interceptions and one touchdown in his final two seasons at St. X, according to the LaRosa’s High School Sports Hall of Fame. Kuechly could become just the second LaRosa's High School Sports Hall of Famer to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after Roger Staubach (Purcell High School, 1985 hall of fame class).
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its nominees for the Seniors category Sept. 10. Former Cincinnati Bengals players Ken Anderson, Boomer Esiason, Isaac Curtis and Lemar Parrish are among the 182 nominees in that category for the 2025 class.
MODERN-ERA NOMINEES
FOR THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2025
*-Finalist for the Class of 2024. Underline indicates first year of eligibility. (Players must have last played at least five full seasons ago to be eligible for nomination. Therefore, any individual who last played in 2019 is eligible for the first time in 2025.)
QUARTERBACKS (10): Marc Bulger, Randall Cunningham, Jake Delhomme, Doug Flutie, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Eli Manning, Steve McNair, Tony Romo
RUNNING BACKS (31): Shaun Alexander, Terry Allen, Jamal Anderson, Tiki Barber, Larry Centers (FB), Jamaal Charles, Stephen Davis, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn, Charlie Garner, Eddie George, Priest Holmes, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, Thomas Jones, John Kuhn (FB), Vonta Leach, Dorsey Levens, Jamal Lewis, Marshawn Lynch, Eric Metcalf (also WR/PR/KR), Glyn Milburn (also WR), Lorenzo Neal (FB), Clinton Portis, Tony Richardson (FB), Robert Smith, Darren Sproles (also PR/KR), Fred Taylor*, Chris Warren, Ricky Watters, Ricky Williams
WIDE RECEIVERS (21): Anquan Boldin, Donald Driver, Antonio Freeman, Irving Fryar, Torry Holt*, Joe Horn, Chad Johnson, Brandon Marshall, Derrick Mason, Herman Moore, Muhsin Muhammad, Jordy Nelson, Andre Rison, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, Steve Smith Sr., Demaryius Thomas, Hines Ward, Reggie Wayne*, Wes Welker, Roddy White
TIGHT ENDS (6): Ben Coates, Vernon Davis, Antonio Gates*, Jeremy Shockey, Delanie Walker, Wesley Walls
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (26): Willie Anderson* (T), Bruce Armstrong (T/G), Matt Birk (C), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Jahri Evans* (G), Travis Frederick (C), Jordan Gross (T), Ryan Kalil (C), Lincoln Kennedy (T), Olin Kreutz (C), T.J. Lang (G/T), Nick Mangold (C), Logan Mankins (G), Tom Nalen (C), Jeff Saturday (C), Mark Schlereth (G/C), Josh Sitton (G), Chris Snee (G), Joe Staley (T), Dave Szott (G), Brian Waters (G), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G), Marshal Yanda (G)
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (18): John Abraham (DE also LB), Jared Allen* (DE), La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Casey Hampton (DT/NT), Robert Mathis (DE), Chester McGlockton (DT), Haloti Ngata (DT), Simeon Rice (DE), Clyde Simmons (DE/DT), Justin Smith (DE), Neil Smith (DE), Henry Thomas (DT/NT), Justin Tuck (DE), Ted Washington (NT/DT), Vince Wilfork (DT/NT), Jamal Williams (DT/NT), Kevin Williams (DT), Pat Williams (DT)
LINEBACKERS (20): Jessie Armstead, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Cornelius Bennett, Lance Briggs, Keith Brooking, NaVorro Bowman, Tedy Bruschi, Donnie Edwards, James Farrior, London Fletcher, James Harrison, Luke Kuechly, Willie McGinest (also DE), Ken Norton Jr., Julian Peterson, Bill Romanowski, Takeo Spikes, Terrell Suggs, Mike Vrabel, Lee Woodall
DEFENSIVE BACKS (18): Eric Allen (CB), Eric Berry (DB), Antoine Bethea (S), Dré Bly (DB), Kam Chancellor (S), Nick Collins (DB), Antonio Cromartie (CB), DeAngelo Hall (DB), Rodney Harrison* (S), Eugene Robinson (DB), Samari Rolle (DB), Allen Rossum (DB), Bob Sanders (S), Aqib Talib (CB), Earl Thomas (S), Charles Tillman (CB), Troy Vincent (CB), Darren Woodson* (S)
PUNTERS/KICKERS (15): David Akers (K), Gary Anderson (K), Darren Bennett (P), Jason Elam (K), Jeff Feagles (P), Jason Hanson (K), John Kasay (K), Sean Landeta (P), Shane Lechler (P), Pat McAfee (P), Brian Moorman (P), Matt Stover (K), Matt Turk (P), Mike Vanderjagt (K), Adam Vinatieri (K)
SPECIAL TEAMS (2): Josh Cribbs (KR/PR also WR), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB)
Twenty finalists will be presented to the full 50-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee during its annual meeting to choose the Class of 2025. Those candidates will consist of 15 Modern-Era Players Finalists, three Seniors Finalists, a Coach Finalist and a Contributor Finalist.
The Selection Committee will meet next year (on a date still to be determined) in advance of Super Bowl LVIX. While there is no set number for any class of enshrinees, the selection process bylaws provide that between four and eight new members will be selected.
Finalists must receive at least 80% support from the Selection Committee to join the Class of 2025. The Modern-Era Player Finalists will be trimmed during the annual selection meeting from 15 to 10, then to seven. Committee members then will vote for five of the seven Finalists.
This year’s reduction voting and the selection meeting ballots will be processed via an online voting platform developed specifically for the Pro Football Hall of Fame by the firm Ernst & Young LLP. EY has overseen the election process since the Centennial Class of 2020.
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