By now you know the name Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterback that each NFL team would love to have on their roster next season. Entering week 12 of the 2011 season, the 0-11 Indianapolis Colts are the heavy favorites for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.
Or the SuckForLuck campaign, whatever you want to call it.
The Colts have to and will draft Luck with the No. 1 pick in April’s NFL Draft. Whether or not Peyton Manning has a few good years left in him, they cannot pass up their quarterback for the next decade. Manning lead the Colts to the most wins of any NFL team last decade.
But have you seen the Colts this season? They’re not just bad and losing. They’re terrible.
Many NFL fans point to the Green Bay Packers and how it worked for Rodgers to sit behind Brett Favre for a three years. Most other cases, teams suffer big setbacks when their hall-of-fame quarterback retires. Like the Dolphins and Broncos. Think they would have liked to continue their good fortune in the arms of a unique talent like Andrew Luck? Absolutely.
In this Heisman Campaign video, seen below, Luck’s best skills are obviously highlighted like his IQ, ability to change the play at the line, and versatility both passing and running.
“Andrew Luck is the best college quarterback I’ve seen since Peyton Manning,” longtime sports broadcaster Brent Musberger said during a game this season. “This young man can do it all.”
More interesting tidbits noted in the video: Luck is undefeated against USC and Notre Dame, and he has zero turnovers in the red zone this season.
There’s no doubt the Colts future relies on drafting Andrew Luck, surrounding him with quality talent and the right coaching staff. This dreadful season for Indianapolis has proven just how reliant the team was on Peyton, and how many flaws he has covered up for the team all these years.
It’s not reasonable to keep both, because it’ll cost about $35 million next year alone. No way you can pay both of them and still field a quality team to surround Manning or Luck. Meantime, Luck may be willing to sit a few games but I have a hard time to believe the most ready NFL player in college football today is going to sit for a year or more. Not a chance.
The best players currently on the Colts are aging like Jeff Saturday, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark for example. Despite how much Peyton Manning has given to this franchise in his career, the NFL is a business and Indy’s long-term success outweighs a possible final year or two under the first ballot hall-of-famer.
Below is the Heisman Campaign video from Stanford on Andrew Luck.
The preso definitely highlights the stellar QB…though I missed the one handed catch. A final slide or two hitting Luck’s character highlights: GPA/Degree from Top Univ/Leadership off the field, admiration of peers/professors, returning to Stanford for “love of college football” and leading the impressive turn around of Stanford Football in 2 years….. aligning those to the Heisman Mission Statement would have been the perfect punctuation mark!
FYI, The ABC “After the Game” highlight reel created by ABC Exec Producer shown Saturday evening (post Stanford vsNotre Dame) was terrific at catching our hero in a variety of great moments from 2010 and 2011. A fitting farewell!
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