SAN JOSE, Calif. — Luke Kuechly strolls happily through the Carolina Panthers locker room smiling and addressing teammates as he passes.
He stops at defensive tackle Dwan Edwards' locker first and shares a laugh before moving up the carpeted, rectangular room and sitting with a group of running backs to chat.
He talks. He laughs. He leaves people in a better mood as he departs.
The Panthers seem to agree that Kuechly is, as safety Roman Harper describes him, "the nicest guy I've ever met in the world."
"Definitely," adds Edwards.
But they also know about Kuechly's "other side" — the moment when the All-Pro linebacker steps on the football field, things change quickly.