Where Andrew Luck Ranks Among Other Quarterbacks to Wear #12

Andrew Luck is playing up to all the hype surrounding his name.

He is still the Heisman trophy leader and is still poised to be the #1 overall draft pick if he were to declare this year.

Wearing #12 as your jersey number basically is telling everyone that you are the quarterback. However, it now seems that there should be an application process to be allowed to wear it so that no one can sully its great reputation. 

Luck is among many great Hall of Famers and a future Hall of Famer in wearing #12

7. Andrew Luck

That's right, Andrew Luck is at the bottom of the list. While it may not seem fair, the numbers do not lie. There are Super Bowl champions on this list and he has yet to throw a pass in the NFL.

I have no doubt that his time will come, but until then he is at the bottom.

His career stats at Stanford are 8,131 yards passing with 68 passing touchdowns.

6. Bob Griese

Griese was the #4 overall pick in 1967 common draft by the Miami Dolphins and there he led the Dolphins to two  Super Bowls wins, VII and VIII.

In his career he threw for 25,092 yards and 192 touchdowns while rushing for 994 yards and 7 rushing touchdowns.

While many call Dan Marino the best Dolphins quarterback of all time, lets not forget that Griese is the only Dolphins quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

5. Terry Bradshaw

Yes we all know Terry Bradshaw the analyst, but some people may not realize that he was one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game as well.

Bradshaw was the #1 overall pick by the Steelers in 1970. While playing his entire career in Pittsburgh, Bradshaw lead the Steelers to 8 straight AFC titles and 4 Super Bowl titles, while earning two Super Bowl MVPs in XIII and XIV.

In his career he passed for 27,989 yards and 212 touchdowns, along with 2,257 career rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns.

4. Roger Staubach

Never again will we not only see a ten round draft, but we will also never see a Heisman Trophy winner drafted that low. That was the case however for the 1963 Heisman Trophy winner from Navy, Roger Staubach.

The reason that he was drafted so low in the first place was because he was to be shipped over seas to do his required service, but the Dallas Cowboys took a chance and boy did it pay off.

Staubach does not have the stats that some of the others on this list may have (22,700 passing yards with 153 touchdowns and 2,264 rushing yards with 20 touchdowns throughout his career), but he sure has the wins. 

He led the Cowboys to wins in Super Bowl VI and XII. In Super Bowl VI he was named game MVP, and became the first of only four players ever to win the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP.

3. Jim Kelly

Jim Kelly was the #14 overall pick in 1983 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills but chose not to play with them right away since they were not that popular with the fans. Instead, he decided to play for the Houston Gamblers in the USFL. 

After the USFL crumbled, Kelly was back in Buffalo to take his first NFL snap in 1986. 

Even with missing three seasons that he could have added to his stat list, Kelly still earned 35,467 passing yards and 237 touchdowns in his career. Also during his ten year career with the Bills, he led them to an unheard of four straight Super Bowls.

The tragedy of which is that he did not win a single one.

2. Joe Namath

Joe Namath was selected #12 overall in the 1965 NFL draft by the New York Jets. Easily one of the most charismatic players to ever play the game, "Broadway Joe" talked a big game, but almost always delivered.

One of the most noted things that Namath ever did was tell the press that the Jets, who were underdogs in the game, were going to beat the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl. "We're gonna win the game. I guarantee it."

And he did exactly that. Not only did he lead the Jets to a 16-7 upset, but he also became the first quarterback to ever win a National Championship in college and a Super Bowl. Plus on top of that, he was named MVP for Super Bowl III.

In his career Namath passed for 27,663 yards with 173 touchdowns and was first quarterback to ever throw for more than 4,000 yards in a single season.

1. Tom Brady

Love him or hate him, there is no denying Tom Brady's greatness. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 draft, Brady has been nothing but productive since he stepped onto the field.

In 2001 when starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe got injured, Brady came in and never lost the starting job again.

Brady has won Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX, earning MVP in XXXVI and XXXVIII.

While his numbers are always increasing, Brady has thrown for 37,105 passing yards and 279 touchdowns in his career (including this season).

One of the best underdog stories currently in the NFL, Brady is always hungry for more while still staying very humble. As long as he is behind center, Patriot fans can not only expect a playoff birth, but can always count on being in the conversation of Super Bowl contenders every year.