Andrew Luck becomes Stanford Football GM five years after stunning NFL retirement

On By Littum

Andrew Luck is coming home again.

The former Stanford quarterback will become the general manager of his alma mater’s football program, Luck told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The reporter added that the new role “will place him over the entire program and is a distinct evolution from the traditional college GM.”

At Stanford, Luck will bridge the gap between football operations and the business side.

Andrew Luck will be the GM of Stanford football. Getty Images

He will have a hand in working with the coaching staff, recruiting, roster construction and the “student-athlete experience,” according to ESPN, while also being involved in fundraising, sponsorship sales and ticket sales.

“I’m excited,” Luck told ESPN. “I think Stanford is taking an assertive and innovative step. We’re arguably the best athletic department in college sports. We have to prove that again in football, and we’re excited to be a part of that challenge.”

Luck, now 35, starred at Stanford from 2009-11 and led the Pac-12 in yards per carry. pass attempts in all three of his seasons as a starter.

The quarterback was selected first overall in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Colts.

In six healthy seasons, Luck made it to four Pro Bowls and compiled a 53-33 record as the starting quarterback.

He missed the entire 2017 NFL season with a shoulder injury and was generally beaten behind a beleaguered offensive line throughout his career.

Luck abruptly retired from the NFL after one preseason game in 2019 at just 29 years old.

He will now oversee a Stanford program that has had six consecutive losing seasons, going 3-9 this year with a 2-6 conference record in its first season of ACC play.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck speaks during a news conference following the team’s NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, in Indianapolis after retiring at age 29. AP

The general manager role in college football and basketball has taken on new meaning in the age of the NIL and a frenetic transfer portal.

Recently, NBA star Adrian Wojnarowski shockingly stepped away from his career at ESPN to become the GM of the basketball program for his alma mater, Saint Bonaventure.

Looking back on his stunning exit from pro football in an interview with ESPN’s Seth Wickersham in 2022, Luck regretted one aspect of the decision.

“I regret the timing of my retirement,” he said.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck (12) passes against Oregon in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011. AP

Nevertheless, the combination of pain and pressure was eating away at the man he wanted to be.

“To play quarterback, you don’t have to worry about anything but the job,” Luck said. “And it seeps into other areas of life. It is not the healthiest way to live.”