Why Luke Kuechly Wanted Black Carolina Panthers Jersey in HOF

Luke Kuechly had a poetic reason for wanting his bust to wear a black Carolina Panthers jersey.

Luke Kuechly wanted a black Carolina Panthers jersey in the Hall of Fame. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week, former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Like the rest of the Class of 2026, Kuechly unveiled his bust. However, his bronze bust has an extra detail that uniform lovers will appreciate.

Kuechly wanted his bust to have a black jersey, instead of the Panthers' blue or white options. The 35-year-old then provided a poetic reason during his press conference that will speak to middle-aged men everywhere: weather, grass, and playoff football.

Luke Kuechly's Jersey Choice

Kuechly explained that the black jersey was one of his favorites because it represented the change of seasons. "We would never wear black in the beginning of the year, because you'd be delusional to wear a black jersey in the South early in the season for home games, right?"

He continued to explain how Dennis, the Panthers' groundskeeper, would switch from Bermuda to Rye grass. So Kuechly was able to see the change in the grass. "And then as the grass would change, the weather would cool off, and then we'd switch from white jerseys to black jerseys.

I think it was a black jersey, or maybe whatever, but it felt like playoff football, because it was, like, November, December, and cold, and it just felt like football. So there was that, and I'm sure there's some other things in there I'm missing."

Luke Kuechly's Black Carolina Panthers Jersey

Luke Kuechly's Black Carolina Panthers 2013 Legacy Jersey. | Mitchell & Ness

Kuechly had plenty of experience playing late into the winter, as the Panthers made the NFL Playoffs four times during his eight-season career. Luckily for fans, Kuechly's black jersey is the only one available online.

Online shoppers can buy Kuechly's Black Carolina Panthers 2013 Jersey in two options at mitchellandness.com. Fans can choose from Authentic ($350) and Legacy ($175) in most adult sizes. If you wait long enough, they may be available for discounts around the holiday shopping season.

Luke Kuechly's Black Carolina Panthers 2013 Authentic Jersey. | Mitchell & Ness

There are some noticeable differences between the Authentic and Legacy options. In addition to a truer cut and materials, the Authentic jersey features Captain's patches and "Keep Pounding" stitched into the back collar. Both jerseys feature the woven game/player ID label and other branding highlighting its importance.

While the Panthers' uniforms remain as great as ever, they have moved on from natural grass to an artificial surface. Just as there is no replacing real grass, Kuechly remains one-of-one. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Jerseys On SI for all your uniform news from the sports world and beyond.