Panthers LB Luke Kuechly

RE: What he said to Thomas Davis on the sideline after he went out with an injury

“We had his back and he’s one of my best friends on the team. He’s taught me so much and it’s tough to see him not playing. He’s worked his butt off his whole career and for him to get dinged up is unfortunate. But if you guys know Thomas, he’s a fighter and he’s going to come back and do the best he can. It feels good to go out there and win a game for Thomas because of how much he’s meant to me and how much he’s taught me and how much he’s brought me along.”

RE: If it is surreal to know that he will be facing Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl

“When I was growing up, it was Peyton Manning and the Colts putting up big numbers. He was the guy and still is the guy that everyone looks at, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

RE: On the pick-6 did it strike you that you’re going to the Super Bowl?

“No, not yet. You look at the score, and there’s still time left on the clock, and you got to really think, ‘Alright we got to keep playing because the games not over yet.’ And I think when you start to relax, and even though there a limited amount of time left, you still want to finish the game strong. We’ve tried to do that all year and finishing the game’s important and I don’t think you can rest or relax until the clock hits zero and the game’s over.”