BOSTON -- Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly left Boston College as the schools most decorated player. But it wasnt until he came back to campus after his rookie pro season that he picked up the honor his parents wanted most.Kuechly spent his first semester after winning the NFLs defensive rookie of the year award back in school, living in a dorm with his friends, taking five classes toward his degree. He finished his academic requirements online over the next two offseasons and graduated in 2015.Asked on Friday what motivated him to get the degree, he said with a smile, Because my mom told me to do it.Thats all youve got to say, Kuechly said at a news conference in Chestnut Hill on Friday, a day before BC will retire his number during its game against Syracuse. As long as shes happy, youre good. Once shes mad, its trouble.Kuechly led the nation in tackles for two consecutive seasons in college and won the Butkus, Nagurski and Lombardi awards before going pro. He was picked by Carolina as the No. 9 overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft. He was the APs defensive rookie of the year and Defensive Player of the Year the next year.Last year, he helped the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a spot in the Super Bowl.But Eileen Kuechly held him to the promise he made when he left school after his junior season.We shook on it, that he was going to get his degree, she said.It wasnt hard to persuade him to come back to campus while his friends were still there, but finishing the final classes was more of a slog.That was the best. Back with all the guys again, Kuechly said. I missed that part of being at school, just going back to the dorms, being with all your friends. That was cool. That was probably my favorite part about being back, was being around all the guys.Although he had spent time on campus, Kuechly hadnt been back for a game because of the difficulty of matching up his NFL off weeks with the BC schedule.You walk back on campus, its very nostalgic, he said, listing some of the places he had missed -- a dorm thats been demolished, a dining hall, a classroom building. It was a special place. Im glad I had the opportunity to come here.Having his number retired, Kuechly said, was something he thought about as a player while working out in the stadium under banners for players like Doug Flutie and Mike Ruth.You thought always one day maybe you could be up there on the wall with those guys, he said.Flutie lives in the area and comes back often; his nephew, Billy, was a teammate of Kuechlys.I think the No. 1 thing that makes me proud to be a BC alum, when guys like Luke come through. What they did at school, what they do off the field, and now continuing in his NFL career, its been amazing, Doug Flutie said. What he stands for and what this school stands for, he exemplifies. Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. Wholesale Hockey Jerseys From China . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. http://www.wholesalenhljerseyschina.com/ .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. Cheap NHL Jerseys China . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. Wholesale Hockey Jerseys Authentic . PETERSBURG, Fla. NAPLES, Fla. -- Harris English and Matt Kuchar won the Franklin Templeton Shootout on Saturday, holding off Wisconsin friends Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly by a stroke at Tiburon.English and Kuchar also won in 2013 in their first start together and finished second the last two years.Its a thrilling event to come out with a win, amazing feeling, Kuchar said. I think its just such a fun partnership weve had. Weve had such a good run. To have our last four events together, to have our track record be first, second, second, first is quite amazing.English eagled the par-5 17th and they closed with a 7-under 65 in better-ball play to finish at 28 under.We had some good action there and it kind of came down to the last couple holes and kind of set up perfect on 17 for me, English said. Really reachable par 5 and hit a really good drive off the tee and knew Kuch was in really good position so I could play really aggressive. Hit a really good 8-iron right where I wanted to and made about a 12-footer.Thats the difference in these events, Kuchar said. Pulling out some shots like that, getting an eagle, getting that two-shot swing, thats a big deal. This event comes down to you need to make birdies, you need to make some scores under par,, and to do it on the 17th hole today and the position and the situation we were in, it was a battle.ddddddddddddWe werent making a huge number of birdies. Its not like we were just battling with birdies, it was a fairly challenging day. But for Harris to come through and eagle 17 and give us that one-shot lead.Stricker and Kelly also shot 65.We just couldnt get that momentum, Stricker said. A shot here or there. Jerry played great. Wish I could have helped him out a couple more times. I had some putts at it I didnt make, but it was fun. Harris made an eagle. I knew somebody was going to do something there. It was just playing too short. He hit two great shots there at 17 and that was the difference really.English and Kuchar each earned $385,000. They opened with a 57 on Thursday in the scramble round and had a 66 on Friday in modified alternate shot.Charley Hoffman and Billy Horschel were third at 26 under after a 61.Lexi Thompson and Bryson DeChambeau tied for last at 16 under after a 67. Thompson became the second woman to compete in the event, following Annika Sorenstam with Fred Couples in 2006. ' ' '