Andrew Luck: 10 Reasons Returning to Stanford Isn't All That Dumb
Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck announced today that he will be returning for his redshirt junior season at Stanford.
Luck was considered to be a lock for the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL draft, but Stanford's signal caller insisted that he wanted to finish school and earn his degree before taking the next step in his football career.
Here are 10 reasons why Luck made the right choice to return to Stanford next season.
10. He Avoids Playing for Carolina
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The Carolina Panthers were the laughingstock of the NFL this season and made it clear that if Luck were to enter the draft this year, they would select him with the No. 1 overall pick.
That's not to say that the team with the No. 1 pick isn't traditionally a bad football team, but at no point this season did Carolina show that they were headed in the right direction. John Fox is out as head coach, and the Panthers lone big-play threat, wide-out Steve Smith, has made it clear that he wants out of Carolina as well.
With Luck staying in school, he is preventing himself from going to a franchise that has a lot of problems at the moment, and signs don't point to them permanently fixing those problems anytime soon.
9. New NFL Rookie Wage Scale
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The NFL players union have purposed the idea of a new rookie wage scale in the 2011 NFL season, and it is something that very well could have effected Luck.
The union's plan would have a cap for how much rookies would be paid, and the 32 NFL teams would use the money saved from those contracts on established players. The proposed deal would also include a three-year maximum on rookie deals.
Maybe this deal goes through, maybe it doesn't. But chances are if it does, it would be reconstructed over the years. With Luck choosing to stay in college, he avoids this wage scale if it does pass...at least for now.
8. Living the College Life
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Luck just turned 21 years old. He is in his third year at Stanford (Redshirt sophomore) living the college lifestyle in Palo Alto, California.
Yes, the NFL life certainly has its perks, but Luck has it pretty darn good with where he is at right now. Many say that college is the most fun part of your life, and Luck knows that he will be in the NFL sooner or later. So, why not finish out college, have some fun, and then make the trip to the real world, which will be the NFL for this guy.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Heisman Hopeful
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Luck was the runner up for the 2010 Heisman Trophy this year. With this year's winner, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, likely going to apply for the NFL draft, Luck will be the favorite to win college footballs most prestigious award in 2011.
Luck sat there in the crowd and got to watch Newton accept the award, which had to drive him to be the one to accept that award next season. He has all the makings to be the next Heisman winner, and with his decision to stay, he can be just that.
6. Harbaugh More Likely To Stay Now
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Stanford is still awaiting the final word from coach Jim Harbaugh on whether he will return next season.
With Luck returning for his junior season, those chances just went up a little bit. While the chances are in favor of him taking a job in the NFL, Harbaugh did say on record that if he does stay in college, he will likely stay with Stanford.
Harbaugh has called Luck the greatest player he has ever been around and has helped mold him into one of the top players in the country. Staying in California to coach the best signal caller in college football wouldn't be such a bad thing, right?
5. Potential NFL Lockout
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The NFL collective bargaining agreement is set to expire in March, and word around the NFL is that a potential lock out could be in store.
With that being said, Luck declaring for the NFL draft could potentially lead to him not even getting a chance to play in the NFL in 2011. This had to be one of his top reasons for steering clear of this year's draft.
This way, he can wait until everything is settled and agreed upon, and then make his debut into the NFL.
4. Continue To Build His Legacy
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In two seasons as Stanford's starting quarterback, Luck has led the program to a 20-5 record, including a victory over Virginia Tech in this year's Discover Orange Bowl.
He was the top quarterback in the Pac-10, finished second in the Heisman trophy voting, and is already being mentioned alongside John Elway and other Standford greats.
If he stays at least one more season, Luck will be the biggest thing not only at Stanford, but in all of college football. He has the chance to cement his name all over the Stanford record books, which is not easy to do with the great quarterbacks they have had there in the past.
3. Stanford Will Remain Good
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The Cardinal finished the regular season as the No. 4 ranked team in the nation, and now, with the return of Luck, have the chance to be even better next season.
Stanford should have an abundance of talent returning, including leading rusher Stepfan Taylor and three top defensive players in Delano Howell, Chase Thomas and Shayne Skov.
With Luck returning, it is not like he is coming back to a program that will be looking to build. They have the pieces in place to be a contender next season, and with Luck back, a lot of national championship talk will be floating around Palo Alto come next fall.
2. Earn That Degree
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"I am committed to earning my degree in architectural design from Stanford University and am on track to accomplish this at the completion of the spring quarter of 2012."
That was Luck's official statement released when he announced that he was going to return next season.
It is no secret that Luck is a smart kid with a good head on his shoulders. If he wants to stay in school and earn his college degree, then let it be. Odds are that Luck will be successful whenever he chooses to take that next step.
1. National Championship
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When Andrew Luck announced that he will be returning next season, everyone involved with Stanford football had to have one thing come to mind: National Championship.
Stanford had one of the best teams in college football this year and they return a lot of talent from this year's club. The Cardinal defense proved that they are on the verge of greatness, holding Virginia Tech and multifaceted quarterback Tyrod Taylor to just 12 points in an Orange Bowl victory.
With Luck coming back, Stanford very well could be the No. 1 ranked team in the country heading into the 2011 season and a certain favorite to bring home the National Championship trophy. Luck was so close to getting to the game next year, and now, he will have his shot.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
