Andrew Luck

Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American former 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 with the Stanford Cardinal, Luck won the Maxwell, Walter Camp, and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards as a senior.

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, Purdue, Rice, and Virginia, after being recruited by Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh.

After accepting an athletic scholarship to attend Stanford University, Luck played for coaches Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw with the Cardinal from 2008 to 2011.

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 and USC teams and a berth in the 2009 Sun Bowl.

Playing in a run-oriented offense featuring Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart, 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 and did not play in the game.

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.

Luck was named the Orange Bowl MVP after throwing four touchdown passes in Stanford's 40–12 win over Virginia Tech.

Luck led the Pac-10 in pass efficiency for the second straight year with a quarterback rating of 170.2.

He was selected first overall by the Colts in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Luck made an impact within his first year by setting the rookie records for most passing yards in a season and game, while leading a team that went 2–14 the previous year to an 11–5 record and playoff berth.

Establishing himself as a dual-threat quarterback, 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.

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 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.

He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

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.

Luck was raised as a Roman Catholic and was involved in his church's youth group.

Oliver Luck was general manager of two World League of American Football teams before becoming president of the league, so Andrew spent his early childhood in London and Frankfurt, Germany, where he attended Frankfurt International School.

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 there, Emily also graduated from Stanford, and Addison attended Yale, where he played soccer.

In London, Andrew attended The American School in London.

As a result of his childhood in London, he is a fan of soccer.

Although supporters of London clubs Arsenal and Tottenham have reached out to him believing he was a fellow fan, Luck said, "I try to support as many of the American fellows playing [in the Premier League] as possible."

Luck said the Houston Dynamo 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 of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.

In Houston, Andrew attended Stratford High School, where he threw for 7,139 yards and 53 touchdowns in his high school career, and rushed for another 2,085 yards.