Andrew Luck has finally opened up about what led to his abrupt retirement from the NFL and the regret he felt afterwards.
The former Colts quarterback sat down with ESPN’s Seth Wickersham for a thought piece that begins with the 2012 No. 1 overall pick in Indianapolis, where Luck lived even after hanging up his cleats. He also develops and recounts moments before, during and after his last shot.
The story goes that Luck visited Summit High School in Colorado in August, where a kid asked him what his biggest regret in the NFL was. Luck abruptly retired after a Colts preseason game in 2019 at the age of 29 and wishes he could start over.
“I regret the moment I retired,” he said.
Luck went on to say that he felt like he let people down, a fear that followed his career. He called it after a productive 2018 season in which he threw 39 touchdown passes, led the Colts to the playoffs and won NL Comeback Player of the Year. Even still, he suffered.
Midway through the season, his foot and ankle became an injury issue. Instead of retiring right after the 2018 playoffs, Luck waited until August to make the call. The burly quarterback felt the timing of his retirement was not the right time and insisted that previous injuries and other issues were starting to pile up.
After labrum surgery cost him the entire year of 2017, Luck still felt like his shoulder was weak. Rehab didn’t initially strengthen him, and after the Colts quarterback took a soul-searching trip to the Netherlands with coach Willem Kramer, he felt more disconnected from his career and life than ever. his wedding.
“There were certain things I didn’t like about myself when I looked in the mirror,” Luck told ESPN. “I was self-absorbed, withdrawn, in pain and feeling pressured.”
His injuries and his desire to be constantly there for his wife Nicole and daughter Lucy ultimately played into Luck’s decision to leave the grid – choosing to be a father and husband rather than an NFL QB. The pressure that comes with being a No. 1 pick has grown over time, but was apparent even before the Stanford product arrived in the NFL.
He said the media attention before the draft “made him want to break free from a story that felt like it was written.” Although no one knows how Luck’s full story will end, we now know that there came a time when his personal life became more important than football.
“To play quarterback, you’re not allowed to worry about anything other than the task at hand,” Luck said. “And that seeps into other areas of life. It’s not the healthiest way to live.
The four-time Pro Bowler retired with 171 touchdowns, 2,3,671 passing yards, a 60.8 career completion percentage and a 53-33 regular season record.
