Andrew Luck is back.
Former Stanford quarterback becomes general manager of Luck, his alma mater's football program He told ESPN's Pete Thamel..
The reporter added that this new role “puts him above the entire program and is a clear evolution from a traditional college GM.”
At Stanford, Luck is the bridge between football operations and the business side.
He will work with the coaching staff and be involved in recruiting, roster development and the “student-athlete experience,” as well as fundraising, sponsorship sales and ticket sales, according to ESPN.
“I'm excited,” Luck told ESPN. “I think Stanford University is taking aggressive and innovative steps. We are, without a doubt, the best athletic department in college sports. We need to prove that again in football and the challenge is to… I'm excited to be a part of it.”
Luck, 35, played at Stanford from 2009 to 2011 and led the Pac-12 in yards per pass attempt in all three seasons as a starter.
The quarterback was selected No. 1 overall by the Colts in the 2012 NFL Draft.
In six healthy seasons, Luck made four Pro Bowls and amassed a 53-33 record as a starting QB.
He missed the entire 2017 NFL season with a shoulder injury and was often hit behind poor offensive lines throughout his career.
Luck abruptly retired from the NFL after a 2019 preseason game at just 29 years old.
He will now oversee a Stanford program that has lost six consecutive seasons, but went 2-6 in the conference in his first season in the ACC and 3-9 this year.
The role of the general manager in college football and basketball has taken on new meaning in the era of the NIL and frenetic transfer portal.
Recently, star NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski shockingly left his career at ESPN to become GM of his alma mater St. Bonaventure's basketball program.
In an interview with ESPN's Seth Wickersham, reflecting on his successful retirement from pro football in 2022, Luck said he regretted one aspect of that decision.
“I regret the timing of my retirement,'' he said.
Nevertheless, the combination of pain and pressure was eating away at the person he wanted to be.
“To play quarterback, you can't afford to worry about anything other than the job at hand,” Luck said. “And it permeates into other areas of life. It's not the healthiest way to live.”
