Andrew Luck has rejoined the world of football in his own way and on his own time. It’s a surprising career choice after his rough stint in the NFL, but he is kindly gracing the sport with his presence once again.
What Has Andrew Luck Been Up To?
Besides entering the football coaching world, what has Luck been up to? Fortunately, his life has gone much better than his NFL career did. The former NFL quarterback is heading back to school in more ways than one.
Besides his coaching gig, he is also returning to college to get his master of arts in education at Stanford University.
Luck is also happily married to his wife, Nicole, and the couple recently had their second child.
Luck Back In Football?
Luck is back in football in a surprising way. He has a part-time gig with the Palo Alto High School football team in California. It’s not a tough commute from his grad school — it’s right across the street from Stanford University.
He has already received high praise from the team, according to the senior quarterback at Palo Alto. In an interview with the Mercury News, QB Declan Parker was quoted as saying:
“The first week he got here, we have our whole playbook and he walks in not knowing any of our plays. The next day he comes, he knew every single play. It was crazy — he knows everything about football.”
Luck is currently coaching two practices a week for coach Dave DeGeronimo’s junior varsity team.
In the same Mercury News article, DeGeromino was quoted as saying:
“It’s great to have someone of that caliber on your staff, the kids love it.”
Andrew Luck is working as a high school coach while pursuing his master’s degree https://t.co/A1aTRlFFOn
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 14, 2023
Talk about a great asset for the coaching team.
MORE: PFN Life — Off-the-Field Content
How does the former quarterback navigate being a husband, father, grad student, and high school football coach? It’s a lot of tough work, dedication, and just a pinch of luck.
Luck’s Tragic NFL Story
Why is it so surprising to see Luck rejoin the world of football? It dates back to his NFL days.
The former quarterback stunned us all when the news broke during a preseason game against the Bears in 2019, with fans booing him off the field at the end.
The news came on the heels of his winning the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2018 after missing the entire 2017 season with a shoulder injury. Since he returned, he had been struggling with a high ankle injury throughout the 2018 year.
Andrew Luck got choked up thanking his family and friends ❤️pic.twitter.com/pQOF2Brec5
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 25, 2019
In his retirement speech after the fateful 2019 preseason game, Luck said:
“(The injuries have) taken my joy of this game away. I’ve been stuck in this process, haven’t been able to live the life I want to live. After 2016, I played in pain and was unable to practice, I said I wouldn’t go through that again.”
Luck retired at age 29 after being drafted No. 1 in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Colts.
The former quarterback becoming a Colt signified the end of Peyton Manning as the team’s QB, and Luck was forced to live in his shadow and face the fan base’s ire.
That frustration seemed to boil under the surface because his abrupt retirement upset fans once again. The timing was poor.
No matter what perspective someone is coming from, we can all agree that the NFL lost what could have been a Hall of Fame-worthy player far too soon.
Andrew Luck: "After a ton of injuries, I just don't want to play football anymore."
Everyone: "Hey, the Jets should call Andrew Luck!"
— Bruce Irons – Packers FTW (@BruceIronsNFL) September 15, 2023
It’s good to see Luck is still part of the game in some capacity. Hopefully, he will slowly begin to find joy again in the game he once loved so much.