Legacies Never Die

Ladies and gentlemen, Andrew Luck, one of the best quarterbacks to have ever walked the planet, has retired. It was a subtle yet surprising announcement that occurred in a press conference on August 24, 2019. In Luck’s exact statement, “I will be retiring,” he tries to make it seem like it's not a big deal, but it is! It really really is.

Some may think that what caused Luck to retire was his age, however, that is actually not the case. In fact, Luck is only 29-years-old. Usually, this would allow him to have a good seven or eight years left in his career. However, Andrew Luck underwent many injuries throughout his NFL career that paved the road to his retirement. . He suffered torn cartilage, two broken ribs, a lacerated kidney that left blood in his urine, one concussion, a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, and a mysterious calf and ankle issue.  Wow, that’s a lot of damage, right?

Luck went to the University of Stanford, stands at 6 feet 4 inches tall, and was the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. He played for the Indianapolis Colts for all seven years of his career. During his short career, he led his team to an American Football Conference (AFC) championship, but then lost. For the entirety of his career, Luck showed a great passion for the game.

In the press conference where he declared his retirement, Luck stated that “injuries took the joy out of the game.” .. Despite the sadness that Luck’s fans most definitely feel when they think about him walking off the football field for good, many have expressed  respect and support at his decision to retire.

Colts owner Jim Irsay stated after Luck’s announcement that he could have earned an additional $450 million in future salary money in addition to the $97 million he made throughout his seven years.

The shock surrounding Andrew Luck’s retirement was in part due to the timing of his announcement.  Luck released the information to the world about two weeks before the 2019-2020 NFL season, meaning he gave them two weeks to find a new starting quarterback. Jacoby Brissett will start at the position in Luck’s absence.

Andrew Luck’s retirement will be difficult to watch, but at least he gave the game of football everything he had. While he will be missed, many are grateful, myself included, for getting to  witness such a legend play the game.

By Dylan Steinfeld