Luke August Kuechly is a former American football middle linebacker who played all eight seasons of his professional career with the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He was drafted by the Panthers ninth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. Kuechly played college football at Boston College where he was recognized twice as a consensus All-American. Kuechly had an immediate impact his rookie season, as he led the NFL in tackles and won the Associated Press 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, becoming the third youngest recipient in its history. In 2013, Kuechly became the youngest recipient of the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in its history.