While Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly was a no-show today, the Roanoke Rapids High School Yellow Jackets had a chance to show off — their new look for the upcoming season.

Kuechly was the NFL player designated to go through an hour of training, a question and answer session and photo session with the Jackets football squad in the Gatorade Train With a Pro contest.

The problem was, Kuechly said in a brief telephone interview, his GPS took him to Roanoke, Virginia, instead of Roanoke Rapids, although he said he put information in for the high school.

“I talked to the coach and we’re going to see when I can come down again,” he said. “Right now I’m just flustered and want to apologize.”

A Gatorade representative was at the high school and planned to work with the players.

Smith takes a look at the new helmet.

The day did give Jackets coach Will Clark a chance to show off the team’s new helmet for the upcoming season.

“We were looking for something different, a fresh start,” Clark said of the fierce and muscular Yellow Jacket that adorns one side of the helmet with the player number on the other side. “The kids like to have a fresh start and when the kids see Oregon changing their style they get excited at what they’re doing.”

The helmet replaces one that resembled the Pittsburgh Steelers helmet that was used by former coach Russell Weinstein. “This was to give the kids something different and new and create a little excitement,” Clark said.

Clark was not alone on the creation. “A lot of this is senior imprint. It’s not just my style, it’s their style.”

The striping on the helmet is similar to what the Baltimore Ravens use and the angrier Yellow Jacket was something the players wanted.

“It’s a good-looking helmet,” said Clay Smith, a member of the team. “We just wanted something different. We had the same thing for a while.”