Thank You Andrew Luck

Dear Mr. Andrew Luck,

Thank you very much for your excellent play at the quarterback position and your upstanding citizenship for the Stanford Cardinal over the last three years. It’s been a true pleasure watching you turn our football program from a laughingstock into a national powerhouse, as well as watching your maturation from a highly touted recruit out of Texas into the clear-cut #1 overall pick in next year’s NFL draft.

I will forever cherish the memories of Stanford’s success because they came during my last three years of high school, a pivotal time in my life. You and the Stanford football team gave me something I could be a part of during the teenage years.

I’ll never forget Stanford’s 56-48 victory over USC in triple overtime this season. Hands down, it was the most exciting football game I’ve ever seen. My friends and I watched in disbelief as you threw a pick-six that nearly lost the game, but then bounced right back from the interception and led a game-tying touchdown drive to send the game into overtime. Your finals stats (330 yards, 4 total TDs), were of course, amazing, but I was most impressed with the poise you displayed after nearly losing the game for Stanford. Other top memories include the diving, one-handed catch against UCLA and the huge hits you laid on Cal and USC defenders.

I’m 18 years old and past the days of blind adulation for sports heroes, but I can see that you are the real deal. Back in the day, my role model was San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds. Now, with much sadness, I recognize that Barry was not the person I should have looked up to. You, on the other hand, combine ungodly talent with the respectability off the field that Barry never possessed.

Your football prowess is undeniable: good decision-making, accurate throws and surprising speed when the pocket breaks down. Whether you win the Heisman trophy is irrelevant; people call you the best QB prospect since Peyton Manning and you’ve thrown 30+ TDs and completed 70% of your passes over the last two seasons.

Besides being the best college football prospect in fifteen years, a great role model, and a stellar student, Stanford QB Andrew Luck also has a killer beard. (The Big Lead)

But Andrew, what truly sets you apart from other great athletes doesn’t have anything to do with your play on the field. You are a shining light when college football’s ethics are at an all-time low. Fans are disillusioned by reports of the rape of juveniles by an ex-Penn State coach, the cover up of tattoo scandals at Ohio State and rampant recruiting violations. Your decision to stay in school, which meant foregoing the enormous contract that you would have received as the top pick in the NFL draft, was a breath of fresh air in an age when the main goal of the NCAA and its players seems to be about money. Despite the attention and praise you have received this season, you have remained humble and down-to-earth. You don’t preen after touchdowns or sulk if you don’t put up big stats because you are the ultimate team player. All that matters to you is that the cardinal and white gets the victory. You also define what it means to be a student-athlete. You aren’t just some bimbo that can throw a football well; from what I’ve read about, you are a talented architecture major.

Lastly, I respect the hell out of you for the beard you’ve rocked the whole season. Man, that bad boy is nasty, and I love it. Most big-time quarterbacks are total pretty boys (Tom Brady, Mark Sanchez), but you refuse to conform. When you take the field you look like a lumberjack that just happened to be blessed with a golden arm, and it’s totally awesome.

Andrew, thanks again for all the memories. You were an integral part to the Stanford football program and my high school experience. I’ll be rooting for you in the NFL, no matter what team you end up on. Good Luck.

Sincerely,

James