Andrew Luck: Why NFL Labor Mess Guarantees Stanford QB Enters Draft

Andrew Luck’s stock couldn’t be higher right now.

The quarterback finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy to Cam Newton and led Stanford to a beatdown of Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. In the game, he showed everyone why he would be the top pick in the NFL Draft if he chose to enter.

Luck went 18-of-23 for 287 yards, throwing four touchdowns and only one interception in the 40-12 victory over the Hokies, sealing his status as the top prospect in the college ranks. There’s been a lot of debate on if he should go pro, and looking at the looming NFL labor dispute, it makes it an easier decision.

As the NFL is currently constructed, first-round picks make more money than some veterans, For example, Sam Bradford signed a contract for a whopping $78 million, with 50 of it guaranteed.

That’s the amount of money that locks up financial security for you, your kids and their kids. If Luck waits a year, he’s going to be slotted into a contract that won’t bring nearly that much money.

While he wants the degree from Stanford, and he should be applauded for that in an age where athletes see universities as stepping-stones instead of institutions of higher leaning, he can always go back. Luck can go pro, get his money and then get his degree after his playing days and go into the next stage of his life.

The quarterback wouldn’t be the first athlete to go back to school and get a diploma.

Mark Murphy, the president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, wrote in the Washington Post about the idea that a first overall pick could get a five-year contract worth $15 million with five of it guaranteed.

Based on those projections, Luck would lose 10s of millions of dollars that would be impossible to get back. Since he was smart enough to get into Stanford, he knows the economics of the situation and he has to strike now.

He has to look at guys like Jake Locker and Matt Leinart. These were guys who were sure-fire first-round draft picks, and now Luck will be picked over Locker while Leinart sits as a backup.

Luck must decide by January 15, and when he makes his decision, he’ll be leaving the Cardinal to head to the NFL and no one could blame him. Even John Elway, a Stanford alum, who would love to see him stay and take the Cardinal to the top of college football, was quoted as saying he should leave for the pros.

When you throw in the fact that his coach, Jim Harbaugh, might be headed elsewhere after this season, the decision becomes easier. Losing Harbaugh could hurt Luck next year and damage his draft stock.

Sure, Luck could return and try and get the Heisman Trophy and a national championship, but he’s already proven himself at the college level. It’s time to move on and do what’s right for himself and his family’s future. Luck needs to lock up his status and the paycheck that comes with it.

There aren’t many people out there who would give this chance up, but Luck isn’t a normal collegiate athlete.

He’s studying architectural design at Stanford, when some athletes are taking fluff majors just to pass NCAA requirements for eligibility. He’s expressed his desire to get that degree and it’s one of the more noble things expressed by a major college athlete in a long time.

However, Luck will make the jump to the NFL, and Roger Goodell will have a Carolina Panthers hat with his name written all over it, and Jerry Richardson will have a big, fat check with his name on it.

When considering all of the facts, Luck’s choice is clear.