 Luck with theIndianapolis Colts in 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Stanford Cardinal | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | General manager | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Born: | (1989-09-12)September 12, 1989 (age 35) Washington, D.C., U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Stratford (Houston, Texas) | ||||||||||||||||||
| College: | Stanford (2008–2011) | ||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2012: 1st round,1st pick | ||||||||||||||||||
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Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an Americanfootball executive and former professionalquarterback who is thegeneral manager of theStanford Cardinal football program. He previously played in theNational Football League (NFL) for seven seasons with theIndianapolis Colts. One of the most highly touted amateur prospects during hiscollegiate playing career with Stanford,[2][3] Luck won theMaxwell,Walter Camp, andJohnny Unitas Golden Arm awards as a senior. He was selectedfirst overall by the Colts in the2012 NFL draft.
Luck made an impact within his first year by setting the rookie records for most passing yards in a season and game, while leading a team that went 2–14 the previous year to an 11–5 record and playoff berth. Establishing himself as adual-threat quarterback,[4] he led the Colts to consecutive division titles in his next two seasons. In the postseason, Luck oversaw the NFL's second-largest playoff comeback during the 2013 playoffs[5] and helped the Colts reach the 2014AFC Championship Game. He earnedPro Bowl honors during his first three years and led the league in passing touchdowns in 2014.
Over the next three seasons, Luck struggled with injuries that caused him to miss the entire 2017 season. He returned to form the following year by setting several career highs and bringing the Colts back to the playoffs. For his success, Luck was namedComeback Player of the Year and voted to a fourth Pro Bowl. However, citing the injuries he sustained, Luck retired ahead of the 2019 season. In 2024, he returned to Stanford as the Cardinal's general manager. He was inducted to theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Luck was born in Washington, D.C.,[6][7] to Kathy (née Wilson) andOliver Luck, who was the commissioner of theXFL, former executive vice president for regulatory affairs at the NCAA, former quarterback (as well as athletic director) atWest Virginia University, and a former NFL quarterback for theHouston Oilers.[8] Luck was raised as aRoman Catholic and was involved in his church's youth group.[9]
Oliver Luck was general manager of twoWorld League of American Football teams before becoming president of the league, so Andrew spent his early childhood in London andFrankfurt, Germany, where he attendedFrankfurt International School.[10] He is the oldest of four children, including sisters Mary Ellen and Emily and brother Addison. Mary Ellen is a Stanford graduate who playedvolleyball there, Emily also graduated from Stanford, and Addison attended Yale, where he played soccer.[11][12] In London, Andrew attendedThe American School in London.[13] As a result of his childhood in London, he is a fan of soccer. Although supporters of London clubsArsenal andTottenham have reached out to him believing he was a fellow fan, Luck said, "I try to support as many of the American fellows playing [in thePremier League] as possible." Luck said theHouston Dynamo was the "number one team in my heart" because his father was the club's founding president and general manager.[14]
The Lucks returned to Texas when Oliver Luck was namedCEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. In Houston, Andrew attendedStratford High School, where he threw for 7,139 yards and 53 touchdowns in hishigh school career, and rushed for another 2,085 yards.[15] Luck was also co-valedictorian of his graduating class in 2008.[15] Regarded as a four-star recruit byRivals.com, Luck was listed as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2008.[16] He played in the 2008U.S. Army All-American Bowl. A highly rated high school recruiting target,[15] he chose Stanford over offers fromNorthwestern,Oklahoma State,Purdue,Rice, andVirginia, after being recruited by Stanford head coachJim Harbaugh.[17]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Luck QB | Houston, Texas | Stratford HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 4.7 | Jun 30, 2007 |
Star ratings:Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 82 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings:Scout:4 (QB) Rivals:5 (QB) ESPN:7 (QB) | ||||||
Sources:
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After accepting an athletic scholarship to attendStanford University, Luck played for coachesJim Harbaugh andDavid Shaw with theCardinal from 2008 to 2011.[18][19]
Afterredshirting during his freshman year in 2008, he earned the starting quarterback job in 2009 over the returning starter,Tavita Pritchard, thereby becoming the first Stanford freshman to earn the starting quarterback job sinceChad Hutchinson in 1996.[10] In his first season, Luck led the Cardinal to victories over top-10Oregon andUSC teams and a berth in the2009 Sun Bowl. Playing in a run-oriented offense featuring Heisman Trophy runner-upToby Gerhart, Luck threw for 2,575 yards.[20] Luck had 2,929 yards of total offense, the fifth-highest total in Stanford history. He led the Pac-10 in pass efficiency rating with a rating of 143.5, and finished second in the Pac-10 in total offense.[21]
Luck injured a finger on his throwing hand in the Cardinal's final regular season game againstNotre Dame. He had surgery prior to theSun Bowl and did not play in the game.[22]
In 2010, Luck emerged as one of the top players in the nation. Luck was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and was unanimously selected to the All-Pac-10 First Team. Luck led Stanford to a 12–1 record, a #4 ranking in the final AP Poll, and a victory in theOrange Bowl. Luck was named the Orange Bowl MVP after throwing four touchdown passes in Stanford's 40–12 win overVirginia Tech.[23] Luck led the Pac-10 in pass efficiency for the second straight year with aquarterback rating of 170.2. He also led the conference in total offense with 3,791 yards, in passing yards with 3,338 yards, and in touchdown passes with 32. Luck rushed for 453 yards, a record for Stanford quarterbacks, with three runs of over 50 yards.[24] Luck's 32 touchdown passes are a new Stanford record, breaking the old record of 27 held byJohn Elway andSteve Stenstrom. Luck's 3,791 yards of total offense also are a school record, breaking the old record of 3,398 yards held by Stenstrom. Luck also set new Stanford single-season records for completion percentage (70.7%) and pass efficiency rating (170.2). He won the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week award for his performances againstArizona andCalifornia.[25][26]
Luck finished the 2010 season with two years of college eligibility remaining. He was eligible to declare for the2011 NFL draft, but announced on January 6, 2011, that he would remain at Stanford to complete his degree.[27][28] He was viewed by many TV sportscasters and ESPN writers as the top pro quarterback prospect in college football. In December 2010,Sporting News projected Luck as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, had he entered.[29]
In 2011, Luck led Stanford to a record of 11–2, a berth in aBCS bowl, the2012 Fiesta Bowl againstOklahoma State, and a #7 ranking in the final AP Poll.[30] He won theMaxwell Award and theWalter Camp Player of the Year Award. He was the runner-up for theHeisman Trophy for the second consecutive year, becoming the fourth player to finish second in the Heisman voting twice.[31] He was named a First Team All America (AFCA,Walter Camp,ESPN.com,Pro Football Weekly). He was thePac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, becoming only the fifth player to win that award twice (after John Elway, Charles White, Reggie Bush, and Rueben Mayes). He was named First Team All-Pac-12 for the second straight year. Luck set a new Stanford record for career touchdown passes with 82, breaking John Elway's record of 77. Luck also set a new school record for touchdown passes in a season with 37, breaking his own record of 32. Luck set another school record for career total offense with 10,387 yards, breakingSteve Stenstrom's mark of 9,825 yards. Luck became Stanford's all-time leader in wins by a starting quarterback, with 31 wins through the end of the regular season. Luck also became Stanford's all-time leader in winning percentage by a starting quarterback, with a winning percentage of .816 (31–7). Luck broke the Pac-12 records for career passing efficiency rating (162.8) and career completion percentage (67.0%). He also broke his own Pac-12 record for highest completion percentage in a season (71.3%). Luck was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance againstWashington State. He earned the 2011Academic All-America of the Year award.[32]
| Stanford Cardinal | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Passing | Rushing | Receiving | Total Yards | |||||||||||||
| Cmp | Att | Yds | Pct | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | |||
| 2008 |  Redshirt | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | 162 | 288 | 2,575 | 56.3 | 13 | 4 | 143.5 | 61 | 354 | 5.8 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 2,929 | |
| 2010 | 263 | 372 | 3,338 | 70.7 | 32 | 8 | 170.2 | 55 | 453 | 8.2 | 58 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3,791 | |
| 2011 | 288 | 404 | 3,517 | 71.3 | 37 | 10 | 169.7 | 47 | 150 | 3.2 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 3,667 | |
| Career | 713 | 1,064 | 9,430 | 67.0 | 82 | 22 | 162.8 | 163 | 957 | 5.9 | 58 | 7 | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 10,387 | |
2011 season
For Stanford fans, though, Luck's individual honors were secondary to his transformative impact on the program:
In 2012, an anonymous donor endowed a permanent chair for Stanford's offensive coordinator position to be known as the "Andrew Luck Director of Offense."[35]
Luck was announced as a 2022 inductee of theCollege Football Hall of Fame on January 10.[36] He was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.[37]
In September 2010, before Luck's sophomore season,Sports Illustrated's Tony Pauline considered him "the most NFL-ready of all the draft-eligible quarterback prospects."[38] After a stellar sophomore year, Luck was widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the2011 NFL draft, but decided to return for his junior year.[27] In May 2011, he was unanimously projected as the top prospect for the2012 NFL draft.[39][40][41] By midseason, Pauline described him as "the best quarterback sincePeyton Manning" in1998,[42] whileESPN'sMel Kiper Jr. went even further, calling Luck the best quarterback prospect sinceJohn Elway in1983.[43] DespiteRobert Griffin III's impressiveHeisman Trophy-winning season, Luck's status as the No. 1 draft prospect was never questioned.[44][45]
Throughout the2011 NFL season, some fans called for their teams to try to lose their remaining games (or "Suck for Luck") in order to improve their chances at the first pick in the draft.[46] By midseason theMiami Dolphins were believed to be the "frontrunners" for the No. 1 pick and drew criticism from their former franchise quarterbackDan Marino.[47] TheIndianapolis Colts, who were without starting quarterbackPeyton Manning, won the "Luck sweepstakes" with a 2–14 record.[48]
Ending speculations on April 24, Colts general managerRyan Grigson announced the team would take Luck as the first pick.[49] The decision became official on draft day, April 26, 2012. Luck was the fourth Stanford quarterback to be selected first, afterBobby Garrett in1954,Jim Plunkett in1971, and Elway in1983. Luck was also the second Stanford quarterback taken first by the Colts after Elway, although Elway did not play for the Colts.[50]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 234 lb (106 kg) | 32+5⁄8 in (0.83 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 4.67 s | 1.62 s | 2.63 s | 4.28 s | 6.80 s | 36 in (0.91 m) | 10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) | 37[51] | |
| All values fromNFL combine[51][52] | ||||||||||||
On July 19, 2012, Luck signed a four-year contract with theIndianapolis Colts worth $22 million.[53] The deal made Luck the fourth starting quarterback for the Colts in the past two NFL seasons,[54] followingKerry Collins,Curtis Painter, andDan Orlovsky.[55] In his debut, a preseason game against theSt. Louis Rams, Luck's first pass was a 63-yard touchdown to running backDonald Brown. He also threw a touchdown pass to receiverAustin Collie. In his second preseason game, a 26–24 loss to thePittsburgh Steelers, Luck played the first half and ran for one touchdown, with two interceptions.[56]
In his regular-season debut, Luck threw his first career interception toChicago Bears cornerbackTim Jennings and his first career touchdown pass toDonnie Avery. Ultimately, Luck completed 23 of 45 passes for 309 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions, as the Colts lost 41–21.[57] The next week against theMinnesota Vikings, Luck threw for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He got his first career win and did it by completing the first game-winning drive of his professional career.[58] Luck won his first career road and overtime game during a week 8 game against the division rivalTennessee Titans. A touchdown pass to running backVick Ballard on the first drive of overtime gave the Colts a 19–13 victory. In a Week 9 win against theMiami Dolphins, Luck threw for 433 yards, a then record for most yards in a game by a rookie quarterback (surpassingCam Newton's 432 against theGreen Bay Packers in 2011). He later sent his jersey from the Dolphins game to thePro Football Hall of Fame.[59] Through Week 9, Luck had thrown for the same number of yards as his predecessor, Peyton Manning.[60] In Week 13 against theDetroit Lions, Luck and the Colts were trailing 33–21 with 2:39 left. After throwing a touchdown to fellow rookieLaVon Brazill, Luck and the Colts were able to get the ball back to the Lions' 14-yard line, facing a 4th down with four seconds left. Luck then threw a screen pass to Donnie Avery, who got free and ran in for the winning score, a big moment in Luck's early career.[61] The win gave Luck his eighth of the season—the most wins by a rookie quarterback drafted first in NFL history—as well as his fifth game-winning drive on the season, tyingVince Young andBen Roethlisberger for the most by a rookie quarterback.[62]
Starting every game, Luck led the Colts to 11 wins—a record for rookie quarterbacks drafted first, where the previous record was 8—and reached the playoffs with a team that had gone 2–14 the year before. Playing against theKansas City Chiefs on December 23, 2012, Luck broke the record for most passing yards in a season by a rookie, throwing 205 to bring his season total to 4,183.Cam Newton held the previous record with 4,051 yards.[63]
In 2013, Luck was reunited with offensive coordinatorPep Hamilton, who was his offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Stanford. In week 1 against theOakland Raiders, Luck capped off another comeback win by scoring a 20-yard rushing touchdown in a 21–17 win.[64] After a Week 2 loss to theMiami Dolphins, Luck defeated his formerStanford coachJim Harbaugh in a 27–7 win against theSan Francisco 49ers in Week 3.[65] After falling behind early to theJacksonville Jaguars in Week 4, Luck and the Colts scored 37 unanswered points to win 37–3.[66] The win gave Luck a 14–6 record through his first 20 games, tying him withJohn Elway for the best record through 20 games for a quarterback selected first.[67]
On October 6, Luck led the Colts to a 34–28 win over the then-undefeatedSeattle Seahawks in his first game against fellow sophomore quarterbackRussell Wilson. Luck also recorded his ninth career fourth-quarter comeback in the win, handing Seattle their first regular-season loss since November 25, 2012.[68] The Colts traveled to San Diego to face theChargers for a Week 6Monday Night Football match, the first of Luck's career. Indianapolis was dominated in time of possession and lost 19–9.[69] In week 7, Peyton Manning made his return toLucas Oil Stadium to face Luck onNBC Sunday Night Football. The Colts led at halftime 26–14 and survived a near comeback by the previously undefeatedDenver Broncos to win 39–33, going into abye week. The win also snapped Denver's 17-game regular-season winning streak.[70] Luck won his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Broncos, going 21–38 for 228 yards with 3 touchdown passes, 1 rushing touchdown, and no interceptions.[71] After a Week 8 bye, Luck engineered his tenth career fourth-quarter comeback, scoring 15 points in the quarter to defeat theHouston Texans by a score of 27–24. He threw three touchdowns, all to fellow sophomore ColtT. Y. Hilton, and finished with 271 passing yards and no interceptions. During Week 14, the Colts won their first division championship under Luck and were the first team to clinch their division that season.[72] The next week, Luck threw for 2 touchdowns in a 25–3 victory over the Houston Texans in their second divisional matchup.[73]
During a Week 16 23–7 victory over theKansas City Chiefs, Luck threw for 241 yards and a touchdown. In doing so, he passed Peyton Manning for second place for quarterback passing yards through 2 seasons with 7,914 (Manning had 7,874 in his first 2 seasons).[74] In week 17, Luck brokeCam Newton's record for yards passing in the first two seasons of a career, with 8,196 yards (Newton had 7,920 yards) in a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.[75]
Luck played his first NFL home playoff game on January 4, 2014, against the fifth-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in theWild Card Round. After the Colts fell back by 28 points, he led a historic comeback, capping the game with a 64-yard touchdown pass toT. Y. Hilton to take the lead for the first time, 45–44. The Colts defense would then denyAlex Smith a chance to get Kansas City within field goal range to end the game. Luck completed 29 passes for 433 yards and 4 touchdowns, in addition to recovering a fumble for a key touchdown, to record the second-biggest comeback in NFL playoff history[76] and the largest comeback to end in regulation. That game was ranked #1 on NFL.com's Top Games of 2013.[77] The Colts lost to theNew England Patriots 43–22 in theDivisional Round of the playoffs the following week. Luck threw for 331 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions.[78]
Luck was named to his second Pro Bowl on January 19, 2014, replacingRussell Wilson due to Wilson's participation inSuper Bowl XLVIII. He went on to be taken first byDeion Sanders.[79][80] He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2014.[81]
Opening the season with his second game against his predecessor,Peyton Manning, Luck passed for 370 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. After rallying from a 24–0 deficit following halftime, the Colts fell short of the comeback and lost to theDenver Broncos 31–24.[82] In a Week 2 loss against thePhiladelphia Eagles, Luck threw for 3 touchdowns, passingJim Harbaugh for fourth on the Colts' all-time list.[83] Looking to avoid losing three consecutive games for the first time in his career, Luck completed 31 of 39 passes for 370 yards and 4 touchdowns against theJacksonville Jaguars to win 44–17 in Week 3. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance, the third time he won the award.[84]
In a Week 4 win against theTennessee Titans, Luck became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 370 yards or more, 4 touchdowns, and have a completion percentage 70 percent or above in consecutive games.[85] He would continue his winning ways in Week 5 against theBaltimore Ravens, throwing 312 yards with a touchdown pass, as well as a rushing touchdown, to win 20–13.[86] Luck would record his fourth-consecutive 300 yard game against theHouston Texans. Indianapolis jumped out to a 24–0 lead after 1 quarter, and would hold on to beat the Texans 33–28.[87] Through Week 6, Luck had thrown for 1,987 yards and 17 touchdowns, leading the league in both, and establishing career-highs through 6 games.[88]
Luck continued his excellent play in Week 7 against theCincinnati Bengals, passing for over 300 yards for the 5th consecutive game, tying the Colts record set by Peyton Manning. He would finish the day with 344 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, as Indianapolis defeated theBengals, 27–0.[89] The shutout victory was the first for Indianapolis since a 23–0 win over theTennessee Titans in December 2008.[90] Luck broke his single-season touchdown mark in the Colts Week 9 game against theNew York Giants, throwing four to bring his total to 26. He also became the first quarterback in 2014 to reach 3,000 passing yards.[91]
In Week 13, Luck threw a career-high 5 touchdown passes in a 49–27 win over theWashington Redskins.[92] In addition, he also became the first quarterback to reach 4,000 passing yards in 2014. On December 4, Luck was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November. In the month, Luck passed for 1,280 yards, 12 touchdowns, and had a quarterback rating of 112.0.[93] Entering a Week 14 matchup with theCleveland Browns, Luck needed only 81 yards to surpass Peyton Manning for the most passing yards by a quarterback in their first 3 seasons.[94] Luck passed for 294 yards to take the record, and engineered a fourth-quarter comeback by throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass to T. Y. Hilton to win the game 25–24.[95]
After a Week 15 win against the Texans, Luck successfully led the Colts to the playoffs for the third straight year.[96] Along with the division title, Luck also earned his third straight Pro Bowl berth.[97] In Week 17, Luck broke Peyton Manning's franchise record for passing yards in a single-season. In addition, he became the 8th quarterback in NFL history to throw for 40 or more touchdowns in a single season.[98] In the Colts'Wild Card Round game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Luck completed 31 of 44 passes for 376 yards and a touchdown, leading the team to a 26–10 victory.[99] He then went on to complete 27 of 43 passes and throw for 265 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in a 24–13 victory over the Denver Broncos in the AFCDivisional Round.[100] In theAFC Championship, infamously dubbedDeflategate, Luck and the Colts fell to theNew England Patriots, 45–7.[101] Luck was also the league'sleader in passing touchdowns for the first time in his career.[102] He was ranked seventh by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2015.[103]
On April 9, the Colts announced they had picked up the fifth-year option on Luck's contract, paying him a guaranteed $16.55 million in 2016. In Weeks 4 and 5, Luck missed the first two games of his career with an injured shoulder. BackupMatt Hasselbeck played in his place and led the team to a 16–13 overtime win over theJacksonville Jaguars, followed by a 27–20Thursday Night Football victory over theHouston Texans.[104] Luck returned to the lineup on October 18 in a 34–27 loss to theNew England Patriots.[105] On November 2, Luck led the Colts back from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime against theCarolina Panthers, but his third interception of the game helped lead to the Panthers' 29–26 win.[106] On November 10, it was announced that Luck would miss 2–6 weeks with a lacerated kidney and partially torn abdominal muscle, suffered during the fourth quarter of the Colts 27–24 win over the previously undefeatedDenver Broncos two days prior.[107] However, the recovery process took much longer than expected and Luck did not return for the rest of the season. The Colts failed to make the playoffs for the first time with Luck, ending the season 8–8.[108] He was ranked 92nd by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2016.[109]
On June 29, the Colts announced Luck had signed a six-year extension worth $140 million, with $87 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid player in the league.[110][111] In a 41–10 win over theNew York Jets in Week 13, Luck passed for 278 yards and four touchdowns, which earned him the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award.[112][113] In the 2016 season, Luck threw for 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns, and a career-high 63.5 completion percentage, despite missing a game due to a concussion.[114] He was also ranked 51st by his peers on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2017.[115] Shortly following the 2016 season, Luck underwent surgery to repair an issue with his right (throwing) shoulder that had been lingering since 2015.[116]
Following surgery on his shoulder during the off-season, Luck was held out of training camp and the preseason, and it was announced he was to miss regular season games.[117]Scott Tolzien started for the season opener against theLos Angeles Rams, and the newly acquiredJacoby Brissett took over as the starter in Week 2 against theArizona Cardinals. Following the Colts' Week 4 loss to theSeattle Seahawks, Colts' general managerChris Ballard stated that Luck would begin practicing but was not ready to fully return to games.[118] On November 2, the Colts placed Luck oninjured reserve, meaning that he was ruled out for the 2017 season.[119][120] On November 11, it was revealed that Luck was traveling to Europe to seek additional treatment for his previously injured shoulder.[121] After returning to the U.S., Luck was put through a throwing program. This led him to travel to Los Angeles to go through rehab with a throwing coach. Ballard stated on February 7, 2018, that Luck would not need an additional surgery.[122]
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Luck started Week 1 on September 9, 2018, against theCincinnati Bengals, his first game in 616 days. He had 319 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, and set a career-high in completions with 39, but the Colts lost 34–23.[123] In Week 3 against thePhiladelphia Eagles, with the Colts down 20–16 with seconds left in the game, Luck, who threw for just 164 yards in the game, was replaced by backupJacoby Brissett to attempt aHail Mary pass from his own 46-yard line. Brissett overthrew several players in the back of the end zone and the Colts lost the game. The move was questioned by some journalists and fans, and led to some speculation about the health of Luck's shoulder, although head coachFrank Reich and Luck both said it was purely because Brissett had a stronger throwing arm.[124] The following week against theHouston Texans, Luck threw for four touchdowns and career-highs in completions (40), attempts (62), and yards (464). He led the Colts back from down 28–10 in the third quarter, including a game-tying two point conversion with :51 left. However the team lost in overtime, 37–34, after Indianapolis failed to convert a 4th and 4 on their own 43 and the Texans kicked the game-winning field goal.[125] In Week 5, onThursday Night Football against theNew England Patriots, he was 38-of-59 for 365 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions as the Colts fell 38–24.[126] Luck's 121 passing attempts in Weeks 4–5 were the most over a two-game span in NFL history.[127] In Week 6, against theNew York Jets, he had 301 passing yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions in the 42–34 loss.[128]
After the 1–5 start to the season, Luck and the Colts went on a five-game winning streak.[129] In Week 7, he passed for 156 yards and four touchdowns in a 37–5 victory over theBuffalo Bills.[130] In the next two games, victories over theOakland Raiders andJacksonville Jaguars, he passed for three touchdowns in both games.[131][132] In Week 11, Luck completed 23 of 29 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns, posting a 143.8 passer rating, in a 38–10 win over the Titans, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[133] In a Week 12 27–24 victory over theMiami Dolphins, Luck had his eight consecutive game with at least three passing touchdowns.[134] In Week 16, Luck led a double-digit comeback against theNew York Giants, the 21st fourth quarter comeback of his career, throwing a go-ahead score toChester Rogers with 55 seconds left, and winning 28–27. The win put the Colts in position for a chance to earn a Wild Card playoff berth the following week in their matchup with the Titans.[135] Luck also set a new record in single-season completions in the game, passing his previous mark of 380 in 2014.[136] The Colts defeated the Titans, earning a Wild Card berth and ending the season winning nine of ten games.[137] Luck finished his first season back from injury with 4,593 passing yards, 39 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.[138] Luck and the Colts upset the AFC South division champion Houston Texans in theWild Card Round by a score of 21–7. In the victory, Luck passed for 222 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.[139] In theDivisional Round, the Colts faced off against theAFC West championKansas City Chiefs. In what ended up being his final game, Luck passed for 203 yards and one touchdown, but the Colts fell to the Chiefs by a score of 31–13.[140]
At the end of the season, Luck was named to the fourthPro Bowl of his career, as well as being given theNational Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award by thePro Football Writers Association.[141] He was ranked 20th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2019.[142]
"To play quarterback, you're not allowed to worry about anything except the task at hand, and that seeps into other areas of life. It's not the healthiest way to live."
On August 24, 2019, after seven seasons and at the age of 29, Luck announced his retirement two weeks before the start of the season. At a press conference, he cited his recurrent cycle of injuries and rehabilitation as the primary reason,[144] saying:
I've been stuck in this process. I haven't been able to live the life I want to live. It's taken the joy out of this game. The only way forward for me is to remove myself from football. This is not an easy decision. It's the hardest decision of my life. But it is the right decision for me.[145]
Due to retiring at the age of 29, Luck is considered by some to be among the best professional athletes to end their career during their prime.[146][147]
After very few public appearances and no interviews following his retirement, anESPN article written bySeth Wickersham in December 2022 went into more detail about Luck's decision. Luck clarified that while injuries played a role, another factor was a desire to save his relationship with his wife, Nicole. According to Luck, the development required to become a top tier NFL caliber quarterback caused friction with Nicole. He ultimately chose his marriage over his career.[148]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| NFL record (Rookie Quarterback) | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacked | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2012 | IND | 16 | 16 | 11–5 | 339 | 627 | 54.1 | 4,374 | 7.0 | 70 | 23 | 18 | 76.5 | 62 | 255 | 4.1 | 19 | 5 | 41 | 246 | 10 | 5 |
| 2013 | IND | 16 | 16 | 11–5 | 343 | 570 | 60.2 | 3,822 | 6.7 | 73 | 23 | 9 | 87.0 | 63 | 377 | 6.0 | 29 | 4 | 32 | 227 | 6 | 2 |
| 2014 | IND | 16 | 16 | 11–5 | 380 | 616 | 61.7 | 4,761 | 7.7 | 80 | 40 | 16 | 96.5 | 64 | 273 | 4.3 | 20 | 3 | 27 | 161 | 13 | 6 |
| 2015 | IND | 7 | 7 | 2–5 | 162 | 293 | 55.3 | 1,881 | 6.4 | 87 | 15 | 12 | 74.9 | 33 | 196 | 5.9 | 25 | 0 | 15 | 88 | 3 | 1 |
| 2016 | IND | 15 | 15 | 8–7 | 346 | 545 | 63.5 | 4,240 | 7.8 | 64 | 31 | 13 | 96.4 | 64 | 341 | 5.3 | 33 | 2 | 41 | 268 | 6 | 5 |
| 2017 | IND | 0 | 0 | did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | IND | 16 | 16 | 10–6 | 430 | 639 | 67.3 | 4,593 | 7.2 | 68 | 39 | 15 | 98.7 | 46 | 148 | 3.2 | 33 | 0 | 18 | 134 | 6 | 1 |
| Career | 86 | 86 | 53–33 | 2,000 | 3,290 | 60.8 | 23,671 | 7.2 | 87 | 171 | 83 | 89.5 | 332 | 1,590 | 4.8 | 33 | 14 | 174 | 1,124 | 44 | 20 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacked | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2012 | IND | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 28 | 54 | 51.9 | 288 | 5.3 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 59.8 | 4 | 35 | 8.8 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| 2013 | IND | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 49 | 86 | 57.0 | 774 | 9.0 | 64 | 6 | 7 | 76.4 | 8 | 50 | 6.3 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | IND | 3 | 3 | 2–1 | 70 | 120 | 58.3 | 767 | 6.4 | 45 | 3 | 4 | 71.8 | 8 | 57 | 6.5 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | IND | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 38 | 68 | 55.9 | 425 | 6.3 | 38 | 3 | 1 | 83.3 | 10 | 46 | 4.6 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 1 | 1 |
| Career | 8 | 8 | 4–4 | 185 | 328 | 56.4 | 2,254 | 6.9 | 64 | 12 | 13 | 73.4 | 30 | 188 | 6.3 | 21 | 0 | 11 | 77 | 2 | 2 | |
In March 2012,Nike, Inc. signed Luck to its roster of athletes.[155]
In September 2013, Luck became a partner and investor in BodyArmor SuperDrink.[156]
On June 17, 2012, Luck graduated from Stanford with a bachelor's degree in architectural design and received the Al Masters Award, an honor given to an athlete each year, "for the highest standards of athletic performance, leadership and academic achievement."[157]
He has stated that his favorite musician isBruce Springsteen.[158] An avid reader, Luck became known as "the Colts' very own librarian", giving and suggesting books for his teammates; in 2012, he said his favorite book wasHenri Charrière'sPapillon, and he is a fan ofBernard Cornwell's historical fiction.[159]
On the field, Luck perplexed his opponents with unusual comments: when knocked down, he was in the habit of congratulating his opponent on the hit. After a hit by linebackerRyan Kerrigan that caused a fumble and sent Luck scrambling for the ball, he was not able to congratulate Kerrigan right away and had to wait until later in the game "to tell Kerrigan how great he was doing". Kerrigan's reaction was later captured, "You want to say thank you but then you say 'wait a second—I'm not supposed to like you!'"[160]
On March 31, 2019, Luck married longtime girlfriend Nicole Pechanec.[161] He announced on June 14, 2019, that they were expecting their first child.[162] The couple's first child, a daughter named Lucy, was born in November 2019.[163]
After his retirement, Luck continued to reside in Indianapolis with his family, but moved to theBay Area in 2022 when he returned to Stanford.[164] Until some time after his retirement, he used a flip phone. He is known to be very private, and has no social media presence. He enjoys cycling.[165][148]
In August 2022, Luck re-enrolled at Stanford as a graduate student, pursuing amaster's degree in education.[166][148] In 2023, Luck began serving as a part-time volunteer coach at nearbyPalo Alto High School, working with the school's junior varsity team.[167] He became Stanford's general manager in November 2024.[168]
In 2013, Luck appeared on the comedy seriesParks and Recreation as himself alongside teammatesReggie Wayne,Anthony Castonzo,Robert Mathis, andAdam Vinatieri during the show'sfifth season.[169]
Starting in 2015, a parodyTwitter account portrays Luck as anAmerican Civil War-like soldier commenting on his career. Known as "Capt. Andrew Luck," thisinternet meme culminated in Luck appearing on the post-game broadcast dressed as the persona following a September 21, 2023, game between theSan Francisco 49ers and theNew York Giants.[170] Luck praised the account in 2024, saying he wished he "had the humor and wit to pull off a social media account (like that)."[171]
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