SAN JOSE, Calif. -- I can’t help but think of Dan Morgan as the Carolina Panthers prepare for Sunday’s game at Seattle.

Morgan was Luke Kuechly before the Panthers had Kuechly.

Morgan, like Kuechly, was a tackling machine at middle linebacker from 2001-2005. His 18 tackles in Super Bowl XXXVIIII – and the Panthers upped that to 25 after film review -- was one of the greatest defensive performances in team history.

Morgan, like Kuechly, woke up and went to bed thinking about football. Morgan, like Kuechly, spent tireless hours studying film to make sure no stone was left uncovered.

Morgan, like Kuechly, was a fan favorite.

Morgan, like Kuechly, was prone to friendly mischief around the locker room that mostly went unnoticed by those on the outside.

"Their approach to the game, I would say they’re like twin brothers," said former Carolina defensive end Michael Rucker, who played with Morgan. "Just the size, the way they approach the game in the film room, how fast they run to the ball ... physical.

"They’re very, very similar."

But the reason Morgan comes to mind is because of Kuechly, who missed Sunday’s game at Oakland with his second concussion in two years and is questionable for the Seahawks.

Morgan, 37, is the director of pro personnel for Seattle. He retired at the age of 29, less than eight seasons after the Panthers made him the 11th pick of the 2001 draft out of the University of Miami.

Officially, lingering issues with a shoulder and Achilles injury are what forced Morgan to step away. But there also were at least five concussions that played a factor, too.

Morgan really doesn’t know how many concussions he really had. In 2010 he told ProCanes.com, a Hurricanes website, that the number could be "double digits."

“I never really kept count, but the longer you’re away from it, the more you realize you had,’’ Morgan said. “I never knew it was an issue until I got to the NFL, and the media made it an issue.

"I mean, I go back to high school, and I remember hitting people and seeing shades of green. You know, that was probably one there."

Morgan declined to be interviewed for this story because of his position with Seattle’s front office and his effort with the NFL Players Association to study concussions.

But in past interviews, he has admitted that had the current concussion protocol been in place when he played, his career could have been extended. He has also a admitted that he covered up potential concussions to stay on the field.

However, he couldn’t cover up the concussion he suffered in the 2006 opener at Atlanta that ended his season -- and ultimately his career.

Morgan played only three other games for Carolina, and his attempt at a comeback at New Orleans in 2009 ended before it began.

Technically, his career was over at the age of 27.

This isn't to suggest that Kuechly, 25, is headed for the same fate. The concussion protocol was put in place to protect players from playing with concussions that might shorten their career. Had it been in place when Morgan played, his career might have lasted longer.

But Morgan's career does make you think of Kuechly's. The ninth overall pick of the 2012 draft missed three games with a concussion last season. His return came in an Oct. 18 game at Seattle that Carolina won 27-23.

He played 61 snaps and led the team with 14 tackles that day. He said any fears he had about the concussion subsided when he collided with running back Marshawn Lynch on the first play of Seattle’s second series.

"One I hit him I was like, 'All right. That’s as good of a shot as I’m going to get,' and it worked out," Kuechly said at the time.

Kuechly remained all right until late in the fourth quarter of a Nov. 17 win against New Orleans. That’s when he collided with Saints running back Tim Hightower.

That’s when a national television audience saw a grown man in tears as he left the field on a golf cart.

You could imagine Morgan showing similar emotion had it been him.

That’s why I can’t help but think of Morgan this week.