We, here at the Greensboro Science Center, are getting excited for Super Bowl XLIX this weekend! Perhaps no one is more excited than our most adorable football fan, little Kuechly.

Even though our beloved Carolina Panthers won’t be playing on Sunday, Panther Pride is certainly still alive and well at the GSC… In fact, we support our home team so much that we’ve named a penguin after one of our favorite team’s players… Meet Kuechly (pictured below with her sibling at about 10 days old), who was born on December 8, 2014 to penguin parents Pilchard and Possession.

You might be wondering why we named this little girl after Kuechly instead of another Panther. Well… let’s just say our lead penguin keeper MAY have just a SLIGHT crush on the real Luke Kuechly. Her birds, her rules, right? (Don’t worry, fiancé Drew… she assures us her heart is still yours.)

Luke Kuechly, if you’re reading this… We’d like to invite you to come meet little Kuechly! Just let us know when your schedule allows and we’ll set up a penguin meet and greet with your namesake. We’d also love for you to join us for our second annual Tuxedo Trot on April 25, 2015 (World Penguin Day). It’s a 5K and fun run we’ve created to raise money for SANCCOB, a non-profit organization devoted to saving endangered wild African penguins. Check it out here: http://www.tuxedotrot.com/

Please note: Kuechly is not on exhibit just yet. She’s still growing in her waterproof feathers and will join the rest of her colony when she sharpens her swimming skills!