Andrew Luck: Why Stanford Star Will Live Up to Considerable Hype

Andrew Luck’s big day is about to arrive this week at the NFL draft, then the real heavy-lifting begins.

The Stanford star is all but a lock to be selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the top pick, and there is no question the expectations are going to be sky-high.

He is already being compared to the likes of John Elway and the guy he’ll be replacing, Peyton Manning. Typically young guys crumble under such lofty expectations, but Luck is different. Luck is built to be an incredible quarterback at the NFL level and has all of the tools to do so.

Arm Strength

While he may not have the strongest arm of all-time, his sound mechanics and release point give him the ability to make every throw in the NFL.

In college Luck was able to throw 50-yard bombs with defenders grabbing him as well as the deep out on the opposite hash mark without having to elongate his throw.

There is no question he has the cannon necessary to succeed at the NFL level.

Size

Can’t teach height and you want your quarterback to be able to see over big, burly linemen. At 6’4’’ and 234 pounds, that’s not a problem at all.

This guy can take a take a crushing hit and live to tell about it.

Pedigree

Luck’s father Oliver was a QB in the NFL and history tells us that having an NFL pedigree can be incredibly beneficial for such a cerebral and pressure-packed position. Just ask Peyton and Eli Manning, whose dad Archie was a huge reason the brothers were prepared for the NFL from the moment they stepped foot onto the field.

Luck is going to handle himself incredibly well even when he’s struggling. Considering the pressure-cooker that is being a quarterback in the NFL, that’s an essential trait.

Incredible Decision Making Skills

Stanford felt comfortable enough with Luck to give him full discretion in the play-calling duties. Luck was able to call audibles at the line of scrimmage after reading the defense. This is almost unheard of in college and just another reason to love Luck.

He only threw 18 interceptions in his last two years of college in 776 attempts. Now that’s what I call valuing the ball.

It’s going to be a struggle for Luck at first as he adjusts to the speed of the game with a team that is short on experienced talent. But there is no question that every part of Luck’s game projects him to be a star and barring some sort of catastrophic injury, will be going to multiple Pro Bowl’s and perhaps even a Super Bowl or two.

The sky’s the limit. 

Follow Eric Ball on Twitter.