Andrew Luck arrived from California late
Wednesday night. He was scheduled to fly home less than 24 hours
later. But he’ll be back to Indy, no doubt about that. Luck, the
Stanford University quarterback expected to go No.1 in April’s NFL
Draft, barely got a taste of his possible future home.
Andrew Luck arrived from California late Wednesday night. He was scheduled to fly home less than 24 hours later. But he’ll be back to Indy, no doubt about that.
Luck, the Stanford University quarterback expected to go No.1 in April’s NFL Draft, barely got a taste of his possible future home.
But he spent two hours as part of a Gatorade Super Bowl XLVI promotion, talking with some media outlets and making sure to tactfully avoid the topic on everyone’s mind: Will he be the next quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts?
Most of us believe the answer is yes, if qualified by “sooner or later,” depending on the status of Peyton Manning. So Luck should get used to the flight to Indy.
“I haven’t really been down any city streets,” Luck said in an interview Thursday with Indy’s Fox 59, which the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel attended. “That’s so far down the road. I’m focused on the next step. That’s the Combine. I haven’t given thought to where I’m going to be living and that stuff.”
Of course, the NFL Combine is also in Indianapolis, starting on Feb. 22. So that will be Luck’s next trip here. After the draft, he could be house shopping.
The idea that the Colts would consider any other player for the No.1 pick in the draft seems far-fetched at best. You could make a case for Baylor’s Robert Griffin III, and the Colts will investigate that option, but short of some major uncovered flaw in Luck, he seems like a lock for the Colts.
Luck said all the right things – which is to say nothing controversial – during his Thursday media rounds. He’s clean-shaven now, looking younger and, dare I say it, more endorsement-friendly than during his last few games at Stanford.
He told the Indianapolis Star that no one could replace Manning.
“From what I understand, he means so much to this city,” Luck told the Star. “Not just for the football stuff, but what he’s done off the field. Obviously he’s a great guy from a great family. You don’t ever replace guys like that.”
Those kinds of statements tell me that Luck gets it, that he understands how he’ll have to approach the next stage of his career if he does land in Indy.
No one knows for sure when or if Manning’s record-setting career as Colts quarterback will end. It might be over now. It was interesting to hear Eli Manning say on Thursday morning that his older brother wants to “continue to play football, if that’s an option.” On the other hand, Peyton Manning and Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald were apparently making dinner plans. (Perhaps to talk about the future?)
Sooner or later, however, Luck will surely be the Colts’ quarterback.
The post-Stanford glimpses of Luck on Thursday showed a young man confident in where he’s going, but not overly brash about it.
“I’m training hard, working hard, getting physically in shape for it,” Luck said in Fox 59 interview. “(I’m) doing drills as well as mentally preparing for NFL defenses and offense.”
Luck said he has not decided whether to throw at the Combine. Most top-ranked quarterbacks pass on throwing, preferring to show those skills at their own “Pro Days” in the comforts of their college campuses.
“I haven’t made any decisions on that,” Luck said. “I’ll talk to people around me and formulate a plan.”
Luck pointed to the fact his father, Oliver, played in the NFL as being a huge help in preparing for the next step. He calls his father a “great resource” to fall back on. Luck understands how extreme the scrutiny will be for a quarterback of his caliber.
“I think I had a little taste of it this year with Stanford, coming back, having been to two Heisman ceremonies in two years,” he said. “I understand it’s part of the position and if you have a little bit of success, you’re under a little bit of a microscope.”
Luck demonstrated some humor and humility when asked if he was a celebrity on the Stanford campus.
“The great thing about Stanford is, ‘Who cares about the jock walking around?’” Luck said. “You’ve got president’s daughters, princes and princesses, people curing cancer. No one bothers the football player walking around, which is great.”
Luck’s brief visit to Indy didn’t allow him time to tour the city, nor to judge the reaction he might generate if he were to walk around without offensive-line protection. It’s safe to say he’d draw a crowd.
I was unable to get a one-on-one interview with Luck, although his representative introduced us for a minute of small talk. “He’ll be back later this month,” she said.
Luck will be back. In the meantime, Colts fans must keep waiting to see if and when Luck (and luck) is here to stay.
