Andrew Luck on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
After redshirting 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 since Chad Hutchinson in 1996. In his first season, Luck led the Cardinal to victories over top-10
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 the
On July 19, 2012, Luck signed a four-year contract with the
In 2013, Luck was reunited with offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, who was his offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Stanford. In week 1 against the
Opening the season with his second game against his predecessor, 
Luck continued his excellent play in Week 7 against the
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. Backup
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, saying:
*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
Stanford Cardinal executive profile
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Luck, Andrew 1989 births Living people American Conference Pro Bowl players American expatriates in England American expatriates in Germany American football quarterbacks Catholics from Indiana Catholics from Texas Catholics from Washington, D.C. Coaches of American football from Washington, D.C. College football general managers College Football Hall of Fame inductees First overall NFL draft picks High school football coaches in California Indianapolis Colts players Maxwell Award winners NFL Comeback Player of the Year winners Players of American football from Houston Players of American football from Indianapolis Players of American football from Washington, D.C. Sportspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area Stanford Cardinal football players Stanford Graduate School of Education alumni Unconferenced Pro Bowl players Walter Camp Award winners
Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American
of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. In Houston, Andrew attended football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
executive and former professional quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
who is the general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
of the Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal are the college athletics in the United States, athletic teams that represent Stanford University. Stanford's program has won 138 National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA team championships, the List of NCAA schools ...
. He previously played in the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
. One of the most highly touted amateur prospects during his collegiate playing career with Stanford, Luck won the Maxwell
Maxwell may refer to:
People
* Maxwell (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
** James Clerk Maxwell, mathematician and physicist
* Justice Maxwell (disambiguation)
* Maxwell baronets, in the Baronetage of N ...
, Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American college football player and coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage a ...
, and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards as a senior before being selected by the Colts first overall in the 2012 NFL draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
.
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 a dual-threat quarterback
In gridiron football, a dual-threat quarterback is a quarterback (QB) who is adept at both passing and running with the ball. With the rise of several blitz-heavy defensive schemes and faster defensive players, the importance of a mobile quarter ...
, 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 and helped the Colts reach the 2014 AFC Championship Game
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal NFL playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football lea ...
. He earned Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
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 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. In 2024, he returned to Stanford as the Cardinal's general manager. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
in 2022.
Early life and family
Luck was born in Washington, D.C., to Kathy (née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
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
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...
, and a former NFL quarterback for the Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...
. Luck was raised as a Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
and was involved in his church's youth group.
Oliver Luck was general manager of two World League of American Football
NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa) was a professional American football league that functioned as the List of developmental and minor sports leagues, developmental minor league of the Nati ...
teams before becoming president of the league, so Andrew spent his early childhood in London and Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
, Germany, where he attended Frankfurt International School
}
The Frankfurt International School e.V. (FIS) is an English-language World IB day school founded in 1961 in Frankfurt, but located in Oberursel (Taunus), Oberursel, Germany.
The main campus in Oberursel consists of a Primary School campus for ...
. He is the oldest of four children, including sisters Mary Ellen and Emily and brother Addison. Mary Ellen is a Stanford graduate who played volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
there, Emily also graduated from Stanford, and Addison attended Yale, where he played soccer. In London, Andrew attended The American School in London
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
. As a result of his childhood in London, he is a fan of soccer. Although supporters of London clubs Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and Tottenham
Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
have reached out to him believing he was a fellow fan, Luck said, "I try to support as many of the American fellows playing n the Premier_League.html" ;"title="n the Premier League">n the Premier Leagueas possible." Luck said the Houston Dynamo FC">Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their fo ...
was the "number one team in my heart" because his father was the club's founding president and general manager.
The Lucks returned to Texas when Oliver Luck was named CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...Stratford High School, where he threw for 7,139 yards and 53 touchdowns in his high school football">high school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
career, and rushed for another 2,085 yards. Luck was also co-valedictorian of his graduating class in 2008. Regarded as a four-star recruit by ''Rivals.com'', Luck was listed as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2008. He played in the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. A highly rated high school recruiting target, he chose Stanford over offers from Northwestern, Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...
, Purdue
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...
, Rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
, and Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, after being recruited by Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph Harbaugh ( ; born December 23, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at ...
.
College career
After accepting an athletic scholarship to attendStanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
, Luck played for coaches Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph Harbaugh ( ; born December 23, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at ...
and David Shaw with the Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to
* Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae
***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
from 2008 to 2011.
2009 season
After redshirting 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 since Chad Hutchinson in 1996. In his first season, Luck led the Cardinal to victories over top-10 Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
and USC USC may refer to:
Education
United States
* Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico
* University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina
* ...
teams and a berth in the 2009 Sun Bowl. Playing in a run-oriented offense featuring Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart
Tobin Bo Gunnar Gerhart (born March 28, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning unanimous All-American ...
, Luck threw for 2,575 yards. 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.
Luck injured a finger on his throwing hand in the Cardinal's final regular season game against Notre Dame. He had surgery prior to the Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl. ...
and did not play in the game.
2010 season
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 the Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...
. Luck was named the Orange Bowl MVP after throwing four touchdown passes in Stanford's 40–12 win over Virginia Tech
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
. Luck led the Pac-10 in pass efficiency for the second straight year with 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. Luck rushed for 453 yards, a record for Stanford quarterbacks, with three runs of over 50 yards. Luck's 32 touchdown passes are a new Stanford record, breaking the old record of 27 held by John Elway
John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 1 ...
and Steve 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 against Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
and California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
Luck finished the 2010 season with two years of college eligibility remaining. He was eligible to declare for the 2011 NFL draft
The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...
, but announced on January 6, 2011, that he would remain at Stanford to complete his degree. He was viewed by many TV sportscasters and ESPN writers as the top pro quarterback prospect in college football. In December 2010, ''Sporting News
''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' projected Luck as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, had he entered.
2011 season
In 2011, Luck led Stanford to a record of 11–2, a berth in a BCS bowl, the 2012 Fiesta Bowl againstOklahoma State
Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...
, and a #7 ranking in the final AP Poll. He won the Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. He was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
for the second consecutive year, becoming the fourth player to finish second in the Heisman voting twice. He was named a First Team All America ( AFCA, Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American college football player and coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage a ...
, ESPN.com, Pro Football Weekly
''Pro Football Weekly'' (sometimes shortened to ''PFW'') is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, and website that covers the National Football League (NFL). It was owned by Pro Football Weekly LLC and headquartered in Riverwoods, Illin ...
). He was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year
Coaches of the Pac-12 Conference bestow the following awards at the end of each football season. The conference was founded in its current form as the Athletic Association of Western Universities in 1959, but traces its roots to the Pacific Coast C ...
, 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, 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. 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 against Washington State
Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...
. He earned the 2011 Academic All-America of the Year award.
College statistics
Awards and honors
2011 season * First-team All American ( AFCA,Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American college football player and coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage a ...
, ESPN.com, PFW)
* Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
* Walter Camp Player of the Year Award
* Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's top upperclassman quarterback in college football. Candidates are judged on accomplishments on the field as well as on their character, scholastic achievem ...
* Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
runner-up
* Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National C ...
finalist
* Manning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States. It is the only quarterback award that inc ...
finalist
* Academic All-America of the Year ( CoSIDA)
* Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year
Coaches of the Pac-12 Conference bestow the following awards at the end of each football season. The conference was founded in its current form as the Athletic Association of Western Universities in 1959, but traces its roots to the Pacific Coast C ...
* First-team All-Pac-12
* Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, October 17, 2011
Legacy
For Stanford fans, though, Luck's individual honors were secondary to his transformative impact on the program: * Stanford had never won more than 10 games in a season (three times, twice before WWII) until it won 12 with Luck as its quarterback in 2010. * Its best 2-year win total had been 18 wins (four times, last in 1991–92); it won 23 with Luck 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 theCollege Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
on January 10. He was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.
Professional career
Pre-draft
In September 2010, before Luck's sophomore season, ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' Tony Pauline considered him "the most NFL-ready of all the draft-eligible quarterback prospects." After a stellar sophomore year, Luck was widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL draft
The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...
, but decided to return for his junior year. In May 2011, he was unanimously projected as the top prospect for the 2012 NFL draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
. By midseason, Pauline described him as "the best quarterback since Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
" in 1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, while ''ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
'' Mel Kiper Jr. went even further, calling Luck the best quarterback prospect since John Elway
John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 1 ...
in 1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
. Despite Robert Griffin III's impressive Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
-winning season, Luck's status as the No. 1 draft prospect was never questioned.
Throughout the 2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season was the 92nd regular season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 46th of the Super Bowl era. It began on Thursday, September 8, 2011, with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the Super Bowl XLI ...
, 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. By midseason the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
were believed to be the "frontrunners" for the No. 1 pick and drew criticism from their former franchise quarterback Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. ( ; born September 15, 1961) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He played college f ...
. The Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, who were without starting quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
, won the "Luck sweepstakes" with a 2–14 record.
Ending speculations on April 24, Colts general manager Ryan Grigson announced the team would take Luck as the first pick. The decision became official on draft day, April 26, 2012. Luck was the fourth Stanford quarterback to be selected first, after Bobby Garrett in 1954
Events
January
* January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting.
* January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
, Jim Plunkett in 1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
, and Elway in 1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
. Luck was also the second Stanford quarterback taken first by the Colts after Elway, although Elway did not play for the Colts.
2012 season
On July 19, 2012, Luck signed a four-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
worth $22 million. The deal made Luck the fourth starting quarterback for the Colts in the past two NFL seasons, following Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins (born December 30, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panth ...
, Curtis Painter, and Dan Orlovsky
Dan Orlovsky (born August 18, 1983) is an American American football, football analyst for ESPN and former professional football player. He played as a quarterback for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily as a backup.
Or ...
. In his debut, a preseason game against the St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
, Luck's first pass was a 63-yard touchdown to running back Donald Brown. He also threw a touchdown pass to receiver Austin Collie. In his second preseason game, a 26–24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
, Luck played the first half and ran for one touchdown, with two interceptions.
In his regular-season debut, Luck threw his first career interception to Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
cornerback Tim Jennings and his first career touchdown pass to Donnie Avery
Donnie Dion Avery (born June 12, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars and was selected by the St. Louis Rams ...
. Ultimately, Luck completed 23 of 45 passes for 309 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions, as the Colts lost 41–21. The next week against the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
, 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. Luck won his first career road and overtime game during a week 8 game against the division rival Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
. A touchdown pass to running back Vick Ballard on the first drive of overtime gave the Colts a 19–13 victory. In a Week 9 win against the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, Luck threw for 433 yards, a then record for most yards in a game by a rookie quarterback (surpassing Cam Newton
Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...
's 432 against the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
in 2011). He later sent his jersey from the Dolphins game to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
. Through Week 9, Luck had thrown for the same number of yards as his predecessor, Peyton Manning. In Week 13 against the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, Luck and the Colts were trailing 33–21 with 2:39 left. After throwing a touchdown to fellow rookie LaVon Brazill
LaVon Brazill (born March 15, 1989) is an American former professional gridiron football, football player who was a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio Bobcats ...
, 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. 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, tying Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Young was selected by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in th ...
and Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
for the most by a rookie quarterback.
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 the Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
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
Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...
held the previous record with 4,051 yards.
2013 season
In 2013, Luck was reunited with offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, who was his offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Stanford. In week 1 against the Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
, Luck capped off another comeback win by scoring a 20-yard rushing touchdown in a 21–17 win. After a Week 2 loss to the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, Luck defeated his former Stanford
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
coach Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph Harbaugh ( ; born December 23, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at ...
in a 27–7 win against the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
in Week 3. After falling behind early to the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
in Week 4, Luck and the Colts scored 37 unanswered points to win 37–3. The win gave Luck a 14–6 record through his first 20 games, tying him with John Elway
John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 1 ...
for the best record through 20 games for a quarterback selected first.
On October 6, Luck led the Colts to a 34–28 win over the then-undefeated Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
in his first game against fellow sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson
Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...
. Luck also recorded his ninth career fourth-quarter comeback in the win, handing Seattle their first regular-season loss since November 25, 2012. The Colts traveled to San Diego to face the Chargers for a Week 6 ''Monday Night Football
''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
'' match, the first of Luck's career. Indianapolis was dominated in time of possession and lost 19–9. In week 7, Peyton Manning made his return to Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Indianapolis, downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). It opened on August ...
to face Luck on ''NBC Sunday Night Football''. The Colts led at halftime 26–14 and survived a near comeback by the previously undefeated Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
to win 39–33, going into a bye week. The win also snapped Denver's 17-game regular-season winning streak. 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. After a Week 8 bye, Luck engineered his tenth career fourth-quarter comeback, scoring 15 points in the quarter to defeat the Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
by a score of 27–24. He threw three touchdowns, all to fellow sophomore Colt T. 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. The next week, Luck threw for 2 touchdowns in a 25–3 victory over the Houston Texans in their second divisional matchup.
During a Week 16 23–7 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
, 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). In week 17, Luck broke Cam Newton
Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...
'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.
Luck played his first NFL home playoff game on January 4, 2014, against the fifth-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card Round. After the Colts fell back by 28 points, he led a historic comeback, capping the game with a 64-yard touchdown pass to T. Y. Hilton to take the lead for the first time, 45–44. The Colts defense would then deny Alex 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 and the largest comeback to end in regulation. That game was ranked #1 on NFL.com's Top Games of 2013. The Colts lost to the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
43–22 in the Divisional Round of the playoffs the following week. Luck threw for 331 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Luck was named to his second Pro Bowl on January 19, 2014, replacing Russell Wilson
Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...
due to Wilson's participation in Super Bowl XLVIII
Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2013 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2013 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks to ...
. He went on to be taken first by Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders Sr. (born August 9, 1967) is an American American football, football coach with the Colorado Buffaloes football, Colorado Buffaloes. Sanders is also a former professional football and baseball player, having played in the N ...
. He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.
2014 season
Opening the season with his second game against his predecessor, Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
, 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 the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
31–24. In a Week 2 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
, Luck threw for 3 touchdowns, passing Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph Harbaugh ( ; born December 23, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at ...
for fourth on the Colts' all-time list. 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 the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
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.
In a Week 4 win against the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
, 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. He would continue his winning ways in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
, throwing 312 yards with a touchdown pass, as well as a rushing touchdown, to win 20–13. Luck would record his fourth-consecutive 300 yard game against the Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
. Indianapolis jumped out to a 24–0 lead after 1 quarter, and would hold on to beat the Texans 33–28. 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.
Luck continued his excellent play in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, 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 the Bengals, 27–0. The shutout victory was the first for Indianapolis since a 23–0 win over the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
in December 2008. Luck broke his single-season touchdown mark in the Colts Week 9 game against the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, throwing four to bring his total to 26. He also became the first quarterback in 2014 to reach 3,000 passing yards.
In Week 13, Luck threw a career-high 5 touchdown passes in a 49–27 win over the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
. 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. Entering a Week 14 matchup with the Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
, Luck needed only 81 yards to surpass Peyton Manning for the most passing yards by a quarterback in their first 3 seasons. 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.
After a Week 15 win against the Texans, Luck successfully led the Colts to the playoffs for the third straight year. Along with the division title, Luck also earned his third straight Pro Bowl berth. 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. 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. 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 AFC Divisional Round. In the AFC Championship
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the wo ...
, infamously dubbed Deflategate, Luck and the Colts fell to the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, 45–7. Luck was also the league's leader in passing touchdowns for the first time in his career. He was ranked seventh by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.
2015 season
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. Backup Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck (born September 25, 1975) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Seattle Seahawks. He played college football for t ...
played in his place and led the team to a 16–13 overtime win over the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
, followed by a 27–20 ''Thursday Night Football'' victory over the Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
. Luck returned to the lineup on October 18 in a 34–27 loss to the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. On November 2, Luck led the Colts back from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime against the Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
, but his third interception of the game helped lead to the Panthers' 29–26 win. 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 undefeated Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
two days prior. 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. He was ranked 92nd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.
2016 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. In a 41–10 win over theNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
in Week 13, Luck passed for 278 yards and four touchdowns, which earned him the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award. 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. He was also ranked 51st by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017. Shortly following the 2016 season, Luck underwent surgery to repair an issue with his right (throwing) shoulder that had been lingering since 2015.
2017 season: Lost season with shoulder injury
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. Scott Tolzien started for the season opener against theLos Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
, and the newly acquired Jacoby Brissett took over as the starter in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
. Following the Colts' Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, Colts' general manager Chris Ballard stated that Luck would begin practicing but was not ready to fully return to games. On November 2, the Colts placed Luck on injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
, meaning that he was ruled out for the 2017 season. On November 11, it was revealed that Luck was traveling to Europe to seek additional treatment for his previously injured shoulder. 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.
2018 season: Final season
Luck started Week 1 on September 9, 2018, against theCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, 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. In Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
, 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 backup Jacoby Brissett to attempt a Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with a very small chance of achieving a completion (American football), completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes r ...
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 coach Frank Reich
Frank Michael Reich (; ; born December 4, 1961) is an American football coach and former player who is the interim head coach at Stanford University. He played 14 seasons as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He became a coac ...
and Luck both said it was purely because Brissett had a stronger throwing arm. The following week against the Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
, 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. In Week 5, on ''Thursday Night Football'' against the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, he was 38-of-59 for 365 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions as the Colts fell 38–24. Luck's 121 passing attempts in Weeks 4–5 were the most over a two-game span in NFL history. In Week 6, against the New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
, he had 301 passing yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions in the 42–34 loss.
After the 1–5 start to the season, Luck and the Colts went on a five-game winning streak. In Week 7, he passed for 156 yards and four touchdowns in a 37–5 victory over the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
. In the next two games, victories over the Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
and Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
, he passed for three touchdowns in both games. 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. In a Week 12 27–24 victory over the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, Luck had his eight consecutive game with at least three passing touchdowns. In Week 16, Luck led a double-digit comeback against the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, the 21st fourth quarter comeback of his career, throwing a go-ahead score to Chester 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. Luck also set a new record in single-season completions in the game, passing his previous mark of 380 in 2014. The Colts defeated the Titans, earning a Wild Card berth and ending the season winning nine of ten games. Luck finished his first season back from injury with 4,593 passing yards, 39 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Luck and the Colts upset the AFC South division champion Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round by a score of 21–7. In the victory, Luck passed for 222 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. In the Divisional Round, the Colts faced off against the AFC West
The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, ...
champion Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
. 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.
At the end of the season, Luck was named to the fourth Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
of his career, as well as being given the National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award
A number of NFL Comeback Player of the Year awards are given to National Football League (NFL) players who have demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led them to miss p ...
by the Pro Football Writers Association
The Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), sometimes known as Pro Football Writers Association, is an organization that purports to be " heofficial voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve ...
. He was ranked 20th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2019 was the ninth season in the series. It premiered on July 22, 2019 and the final episode aired on July 31, 2019. It started later in the year, and the show was shown in 10 consecutive days instead. Los Angeles Rams d ...
.
Retirement
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, 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.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. After very few public appearances and no interviews following his retirement, an
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
article written by Seth 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.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
In the 2013 Wildcard Round, Luck recovered a teammate's fumble for a two-yard touchdown.Awards and highlights
* 4×Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
(2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, 2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, 2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, 2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
)
* NFL passing touchdowns leader (2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
)
* NFL Comeback Player of the Year
A number of NFL Comeback Player of the Year awards are given to National Football League (NFL) players who have demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led them to miss p ...
(2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
)
* 2× AFC Offensive Player of the Month (November 2014, November 2018)
* 5× AFC Offensive Player of the Week (Week 9, 2012; Week 7, 2013; Week 3, 2014; Week 13, 2016; Week 11, 2018)
* 3× Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week (Week 3, 2012; Week 5, 2012; Week 8, 2012)
Records and achievements
*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
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
and Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
(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)Endorsements
In March 2012,Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. (stylized as ''NIKE'') is an American athletic footwear and apparel corporation headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon. It is the world's largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment, ...
signed Luck to its roster of athletes.
In September 2013, Luck became a partner and investor in BodyArmor SuperDrink.
Administrative career
After returning to school and completing his Master's degree, Luck became Stanford's general manager in November 2024. As one of his first acts as GM, Luck fired head football coach Troy Taylor on March 25, 2025, after two investigations into the latter's conduct towards female staffers. He then brought inFrank Reich
Frank Michael Reich (; ; born December 4, 1961) is an American football coach and former player who is the interim head coach at Stanford University. He played 14 seasons as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He became a coac ...
, who had coached him in Indianapolis in his final year in the NFL, to replace Taylor as Stanford's new coach on an interim basis.
Personal life
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." He has stated that his favorite musician isBruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
. 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 was Henri Charrière
Henri Charrière (; 16 November 1906 – 29 July 1973) was a French writer, convicted of murder in 1931 by the French courts and pardoned in 1970. He wrote the 1969 novel '' Papillon'', a memoir of his incarceration in and escape from a p ...
's ''Papillon'', and he is a fan of Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell (born 23 February 1944) is an English author of historical novels and a history of the Waterloo Campaign. He is best known for his long-running series of novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe. He has also writ ...
's historical fiction.
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 linebacker Ryan 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!'"
On March 31, 2019, Luck married 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.
After his retirement, Luck continued to reside in Indianapolis with his family, but moved to the Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...
in 2022 when he returned to Stanford. 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.
In August 2022, Luck re-enrolled at Stanford as a graduate student, pursuing a master's degree in education. In 2023, Luck began serving as a part-time volunteer coach at nearby Palo Alto High School
Palo Alto Senior High School (commonly referred to locally as "Paly") is a comprehensive public high school in Palo Alto, California. Operated by the Palo Alto Unified School District, the school is one of two high schools in the district, the ...
, working with the school's junior varsity team.
In the media
Luck appeared on the comedy series '' Parks and Recreation'' as himself alongside teammatesReggie Wayne
Reginald Wayne (born November 17, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football f ...
, Anthony Castonzo, Robert Mathis, and Adam Vinatieri
Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 24 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Vinatieri is the ...
during the show's fifth season in 2013. In 2025, Luck, Blake Griffin
Blake Austin Griffin (born March 16, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. Griffin primarily played with the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and played college basketball for the Oklahoma ...
, and Megan Rapinoe
Megan Anna Rapinoe (; born July 5, 1985) is an American former professional Association football, soccer player who played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger. She spent most of her career playing for Seattle Reign FC, OL Reign of the National Wom ...
voiced themselves in ''The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
''s "Full Heart, Empty Pool", as a trio of retired athletes competing in Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is the main protagonist of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' who is part of the titular family. Homer made his television debut in the short " Good Night" on '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' on April 19, ...
's "noodleball" tournament.
Starting in 2015, a parody Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account portrays Luck as an American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
-like soldier commenting on his career. Known as "Capt. Andrew Luck," this internet meme
An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...
culminated in Luck appearing on the post-game broadcast dressed as the persona following a September 21, 2023, game between the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
and the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. Luck praised the account in 2024, saying he wished he "had the humor and wit to pull off a social media account (like that)."
See also
*List of first overall National Football League draft picks
The NFL draft is an annual sports draft in which National Football League (NFL) teams select newly eligible players for their rosters. To be eligible for the NFL draft, a player must be at least three years removed from High school football, high ...
References
External links
Stanford Cardinal executive profile
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Luck, Andrew 1989 births Living people American Conference Pro Bowl players American expatriates in England American expatriates in Germany American football quarterbacks Catholics from Indiana Catholics from Texas Catholics from Washington, D.C. Coaches of American football from Washington, D.C. College football general managers College Football Hall of Fame inductees First overall NFL draft picks High school football coaches in California Indianapolis Colts players Maxwell Award winners NFL Comeback Player of the Year winners Players of American football from Houston Players of American football from Indianapolis Players of American football from Washington, D.C. Sportspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area Stanford Cardinal football players Stanford Graduate School of Education alumni Unconferenced Pro Bowl players Walter Camp Award winners