For the Love of the...Books?
January 7th 2011 14:41
Andrew Luck is returning to Stanford University to complete his degree in architectural design. Someone please tell him the only thing he needs to build is an NFL career, and the only thing that needs designing is the Carolina Panthers offense.
Why would he do this? What's going through his mind? What in the world is he thinking? Many sports fans are probably asking these questions this morning, why wouldn't they? The top player on every team's draft board just decided to hit the books instead. First of all, I have amazing respect for Luck, so this is more weighing pros and cons than bashing him, because I believe whatever decision he made, he thinks it's the right one. But was it, really?
We all know that Carolina was said to be wanting to take Luck first overall. If they hadn't of done that, they would of most likely traded back for more picks. Either way, it was probably going to be Luck standing beside Roger Goodel first on draft day. That's the first thing. The second is the obvious thing that comes with being the first overall pick, which is the money, the doh, the cash flow, the paper, the moo-la, whatever you want to call it, he was going to get loads of it. But even if he is the first pick in the 2012 draft, if the NFL has a new bargaining agreement, it could include the new rookie cap that Goodel wants to put in place to stop erratic spending on top picks. That's practically flushing money down the drain for Luck.
Another fact is that the last two big quarterbacks to come back to school despite being near the top, or at the top, of draft boards, didn't have near the production the next season. Sam Bradford came back and hurt his shoulder, only played in four games, and may have not been taken first had he not had a good pro day. Jake Locker on the other hand, has fallen way down draft boards after his production fell off this season, and now I'm sure he wishes he had went out early. So there's two things there. The fact Luck's production could fall off, but the more worry comes in the case that, you never know when you could get a bad injury. True, Sam Bradford came in and has done a solid job in St.Louis this year, but he made it tougher on himself.
Luck did fine this season without his star runningback Toby Gerhart, but what if he doesn't have his coach next year. I mean let's face it, Luck could probably coach this team, and I'm not saying Jim Harbaugh hasn't done a fantastic job, I'm just saying that's how smart Luck is. But with Harbaugh, the best prepared NFL, and maybe the best college coach there is, there would definitely be a void there. Luck's production could fall-off if Harbagh does leave for the NFL. After the Dolphins played the game of "trying to make the old girlfriend jealous of another" with Tony Sparano, they decided to retain him for 2011. Supposedly that is. Carolina won't get Luck, so they probably won't get Harbaugh, which leaves San Francisco. If not, Luck could get back his coach, but I think Harbaugh goes to the 49ers.
There are also plenty of values to going back to school, other than the guy playing beer pong in his toga screaming "you only get to live college once, man!" There's the obvious of wanting to win a national championship, which would complete the amazing turnaround of the Stanford football program. There's the heisman, but I doubt that Luck cares too much about that. The fact that there's an 100 percent chance he plays may factor in, seeing that the lockout could run through atleast part of the NFL season. Besides that, the degree is a great thing to get, especially at Stanford. And as they all say, you have to have a plan after football, so maybe that's it. Either way Luck is the smartest cookie in the jar, and it's a good change from the "money-first" way of thinking by most of today's athletes, and people for that matter.
With all this said, I've probably came to the same conclusion everyone else has: I don't think he should of passed up this chance, but it's Andrew Luck, and whatever he choses, he knows what he's doing, and he thinks he'll still be the top pick come 2012. Until then, back to hitting the books.
Why would he do this? What's going through his mind? What in the world is he thinking? Many sports fans are probably asking these questions this morning, why wouldn't they? The top player on every team's draft board just decided to hit the books instead. First of all, I have amazing respect for Luck, so this is more weighing pros and cons than bashing him, because I believe whatever decision he made, he thinks it's the right one. But was it, really?
We all know that Carolina was said to be wanting to take Luck first overall. If they hadn't of done that, they would of most likely traded back for more picks. Either way, it was probably going to be Luck standing beside Roger Goodel first on draft day. That's the first thing. The second is the obvious thing that comes with being the first overall pick, which is the money, the doh, the cash flow, the paper, the moo-la, whatever you want to call it, he was going to get loads of it. But even if he is the first pick in the 2012 draft, if the NFL has a new bargaining agreement, it could include the new rookie cap that Goodel wants to put in place to stop erratic spending on top picks. That's practically flushing money down the drain for Luck.
Another fact is that the last two big quarterbacks to come back to school despite being near the top, or at the top, of draft boards, didn't have near the production the next season. Sam Bradford came back and hurt his shoulder, only played in four games, and may have not been taken first had he not had a good pro day. Jake Locker on the other hand, has fallen way down draft boards after his production fell off this season, and now I'm sure he wishes he had went out early. So there's two things there. The fact Luck's production could fall off, but the more worry comes in the case that, you never know when you could get a bad injury. True, Sam Bradford came in and has done a solid job in St.Louis this year, but he made it tougher on himself.
Luck did fine this season without his star runningback Toby Gerhart, but what if he doesn't have his coach next year. I mean let's face it, Luck could probably coach this team, and I'm not saying Jim Harbaugh hasn't done a fantastic job, I'm just saying that's how smart Luck is. But with Harbaugh, the best prepared NFL, and maybe the best college coach there is, there would definitely be a void there. Luck's production could fall-off if Harbagh does leave for the NFL. After the Dolphins played the game of "trying to make the old girlfriend jealous of another" with Tony Sparano, they decided to retain him for 2011. Supposedly that is. Carolina won't get Luck, so they probably won't get Harbaugh, which leaves San Francisco. If not, Luck could get back his coach, but I think Harbaugh goes to the 49ers.
There are also plenty of values to going back to school, other than the guy playing beer pong in his toga screaming "you only get to live college once, man!" There's the obvious of wanting to win a national championship, which would complete the amazing turnaround of the Stanford football program. There's the heisman, but I doubt that Luck cares too much about that. The fact that there's an 100 percent chance he plays may factor in, seeing that the lockout could run through atleast part of the NFL season. Besides that, the degree is a great thing to get, especially at Stanford. And as they all say, you have to have a plan after football, so maybe that's it. Either way Luck is the smartest cookie in the jar, and it's a good change from the "money-first" way of thinking by most of today's athletes, and people for that matter.
With all this said, I've probably came to the same conclusion everyone else has: I don't think he should of passed up this chance, but it's Andrew Luck, and whatever he choses, he knows what he's doing, and he thinks he'll still be the top pick come 2012. Until then, back to hitting the books.
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Comment by Joe Soriano
Pro Sports Wrap
Orble Sport Blog
Comment by Dustin Hull
Football Times
Diamond Press
Comment by Joe Soriano
Pro Sports Wrap
Orble Sport Blog
Comment by Dustin Hull
Football Times
Diamond Press