Andrew Luck

Andrew Austen Luck is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. One of the most highly touted amateur prospects during his college football career at Stanford, Luck won every major award, including the Maxwell, Walter Camp, and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards as a senior. He was selected first overall by the Colts in the 2012 NFL Draft and unfortunately, might have one of the most promising careers in history that were cut short due to injuries.

Andrew Luck’s Early Life and Background

Born in Washington, D.C. to Kathy and Oliver Luck, Andrew was raised as a Roman Catholic and was involved in his church’s youth group. Oliver spent a large part of his childhood traveling through London and Germany, where he attended Frankfurt International School. He is older than his sisters, Emily, and Mary Ellen, and his brother Addison. Mary and Emily are from Stanford, while Addison lived in Morgantown before moving to the Indianapolis area. Andrew became a soccer fan during his time in London, attending The American School. The Lucks returned to Texas when Oliver was named CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. In Houston, Andrew attended Stratford High School, where he threw for 7,139 yards and 53 touchdowns through the course of his career, and rushed for an additional 2,085 yards. Luck was also co-valedictorian of his graduating class. After playing in the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he chose to go to Stanford over offers from Oklahoma State, and Purdue, among others.

Andrew Luck Collegiate Career

After redshirting his freshman year, Luck earned the starting quarterback position in 2009, becoming the first Stanford freshman to earn the role since 1996. Luck led the Cardinal to a 2009 Sun Bowl berth while throwing for 2,575 yards. Luck had a total of 2,929 yards on offense, a mark that was fifth in Stanford history. He missed the Sun Bowl due to an injury to his finger on his throwing hand during the final regular season game. 2010 was the year that Andrew finally took off, being named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the All-Pac-10 First Team. Luck led the team to a 12-1 record, and a victory in the Orange Bowl, where he was named the Orange Bowl MVP for his four-touchdown passes. He had a quarterback 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. His 453 rushing yards were a Stanford quarterback record, and so were his 32 touchdowns. Luck finished the 2010 season with two years of college eligibility remaining. He was eligible to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft, but announced on January 6, 2011, that he would remain at Stanford to complete his degree.

In 2011, Luck won the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. He was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy for the second consecutive year. He was named a First Team All-America. He was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, becoming only the fifth player to win the award twice. 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, breaking Steve 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.

Who Drafted Andrew Luck?

Luck was already considered one of the premier quarterbacks prior to his sophomore season. After a stellar sophomore season, Luck was widely considered the No.1 pick for the 2011 NFL Draft but then decided to return for his junior year. He was unanimously considered the top prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft, with historical comparisons to the likes of Peyton Manning and John Elway. His status was so overwhelming that fans called for their teams to try to lose their remaining games (or “Suck for Luck”) in order to have a better shot at drafting the generational quarterback. The Colts won the “Luck sweepstakes” and ended speculation on the 24th of April, as general manager Ryan Grigson announced that the team would be drafting Luck. The decision became official on draft day, April 26, 2012. Luck became the fourth Stanford quarterback to be selected first overall, after Bobby Garrett, Jim Plunkett, and John Elway.

Andrew Luck’s NFL Journey

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 Colts team that went 2–14 the previous year to an 11–5 record and a playoff berth. Establishing himself as a dual-threat quarterback, he guided Indianapolis to consecutive division titles in his following two seasons. In the postseason, Luck oversaw the NFL's second-largest playoff comeback during the 2013 playoffs and helped the Colts reach the 2014 AFC Championship Game. He earned Pro 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 eventually sidelined him for the entirety of 2017. 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 named Comeback Player of the Year and voted to a fourth Pro Bowl. However, citing the injuries he sustained, Luck retired ahead of the 2019 season. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

Andrew Luck's teams

Indianapolis Colts (2012-2018)

On July 19, 2012, Luck signed a four-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts worth $22 million, becoming the fourth starting quarterback for the Colts in two seasons. In Week 9, Luck threw for 433 yards, a new record for most yards in a game by a rookie quarterback. In Week 13, Luck won his eighth game of the season, most by a rookie quarterback drafted first overall. He eventually finished the season with 11 wins. In the playoffs, Luck broke the record for most passing yards in a season by a rookie with 205 and a total of 4,183. In Week 16 of the 2013 season, Luck threw for 241 yards, passing Peyton Manning for second place on the quarterback passing yards through 2 seasons list, and later broke the record in Week 17, with 8,196 yards. In his first home playoff game, Luck completed the second-biggest comeback in NFL playoff history and the largest comeback to end in regulation, after winning 45-44 while being down 28 points at one point. Luck was named to his second Pro Bowl on January 19, 2014. In Week 4 of the 2015 season, Luck became the first quarterback in history to throw for 370 yards or more, 4 touchdowns, and a completion percentage upwards of 70 percent in consecutive games. In Week 13, he became the first quarterback with 4,000 yards in the calendar year. In Week 14, Luck passed Peyton Manning to record the most passing yards through 3 seasons, then broke Manning’s franchise record for passing yards in a single season in Week 17.

On April 9, the Colts announced they had picked up the fifth-year option on Luck's contract, which will pay him a guaranteed $16.55 million in 2016. However, the injury bug caught Luck and he ended up playing in just 7 games for the season. 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. n the 2016 season, Luck threw for 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns, and a career-high 63.5 completion percentage, despite missing one game due to a concussion. Shortly after the season ended, Luck underwent surgery to repair an issue with his throwing shoulder. The recovery from the surgery progressed slower than anticipated and caused Luck to sit out for the entirety of the 2017 season. Luck returned for the 2018 season with a hungry mindset, and set a new record in single-season completions, passing his previous mark of 380. He finished his comeback season with 4,593 passing yards, 39 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. The Colts upset the Texans in the Wild Card Round before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in what ended up as the final game of Luck’s career. At the completion of the season, Luck was named to his fourth Pro Bowl, as well as given the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

On August 24, 2019, after seven seasons and at the age of 29, Luck abruptly 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. Due to retiring at the age of 29, Luck is considered by some to be among the best professional athletes to end their careers during their prime. Very little was known about his decision due to limited public appearances and no interviews. However, an ESPN article in December 2022 shed some more light on the matter, with Luck clarifying that while injuries had played a role in his decision, it was ultimately habits that he picked up as a quarterback that were causing issues in his marriage and he eventually decided to choose his marriage over his career.

Andrew Luck Awards and Honours

Andrew Luck NFL Records

• Most passing yards in a single game by a rookie quarterback: 433 (11/4/12)

• Most passing yards by a rookie in a single season (4,374)

• Most game-winning drives by a rookie quarterback (7)

• Most passing yards for a quarterback through his first 5 postseason games (1,703)

• Most consecutive 350-yard passing games on the road (5)

• First quarterback to throw for more than 350 yards in five consecutive road games

• First quarterback to throw for 370 yards or more, 4 touchdowns, and have a completion percentage 70 percent or above in consecutive games

• Third player to throw for 3,000 yards in the first nine games, alongside Peyton Manning and Drew Brees (twice)

Colts franchise records

• Most passing yards in a single season (4,761, 2014)

• Most passing yards by a rookie quarterback in a single season (4,374)

• Most passing yards by a rookie quarterback in a single game (433)

• Most pass attempts by a rookie quarterback in a single season (627)

• Most pass completions by a rookie quarterback in a single season (339)

• Most pass completions by a rookie quarterback in a single game (31)

• Most passing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in a single game (4)

• Highest passer rating by a rookie quarterback with a minimum of 100 attempts (76.5)

• Highest interception percentage by a rookie quarterback with a minimum of 100 attempts (2.87)

College Legacy

• Stanford had never won more than 10 games in a season (three times, twice before WWII) when Luck's 2010 team won 12.

• Its best 2-year win total had been 18 wins (four times, last in 1991–92); Luck's teams won 23 in 2010–2011.

• When Luck arrived, Stanford had enjoyed only three weeks in the AP top ten since 1971. It spent 24 weeks in the top ten in 2010 and 2011.

• Stanford earned its first-ever BCS bowl berth in 2010, and a second in 2011.

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."

Luck was announced as a 2022 inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame on January 10.

Andrew Luck Net Worth

As of 2022, Andrew Luck’s net worth is a whopping $40 million. A major source of his income comes from his NFL career earnings. Investments in ventures and endorsements with the likes of Nike also helped shape this huge net worth. To find out more, click here.

Andrew Luck family

Luck was born in Washington, D.C. to Kathy (née Wilson) and Oliver Luck, who was the commissioner of the XFL, former executive vice president for regulatory affairs at the NCAA, former quarterback (as well as athletic director) at West Virginia University, and a former NFL quarterback for the Houston Oilers. Oliver Luck was general manager of two World League of American Football teams before becoming president of the league. The Lucks returned to Texas when Oliver Luck was named CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.

On March 31, 2019, Luck married his longtime girlfriend Nicole Pechanec. He announced on June 14, 2019, that they were expecting their first child. The couple's first child, a daughter named Lucy, was born in November 2019.