Andrew Luck’s NFL career was relatively brief, but he made a lasting impression on those who worked with him. Bruce Arians says the former Colts quarterback had a remarkable ability that even some all-time greats lacked.
During an interview with NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Arians looked back on coaching Luck in 2012. He was Indianapolis’ offensive coordinator and later served as interim head coach while Chuck Pagano received treatment for leukemia.
Luck’s rookie season was when Arians first noticed how quickly the Stanford quarterback absorbed information. Unlike Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, who kept extensive notebooks, Luck didn’t seem to need one.
“Andrew was like, ‘I got it; let’s roll,’” Arians recalled. “Andrew Luck had a photographic memory because he didn’t take any notes. Peyton had notebooks. Tom had a notebook on top of a notebook on top of a notebook.”
Arians said he once asked Luck why he wasn’t writing anything down. Luck told him he didn’t need to, and, according to Arians, he could repeat the material back word for word.
Arians also remembered how prepared Luck was during the Colts’ dramatic late-game wins. In one practice, the team worked through a particular scenario. When it unfolded during a game that Sunday, Luck was already moving into position before Arians could call for him.
“And Andrew’s not even waiting for me; he’s already on the field,” Arians said.
Luck and his exceptional memory helped the Colts carry out the plan, and they went on to win with a late field goal.
Luck is now the general manager of Stanford’s football program. Arians later coached the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay.
In the same interview, Arians said he might consider returning to coaching after dealing with health problems. “Now that I’m all healthy again, I’ve got the itch again, so we’ll see,” he said.
