Profile: Andrew Luck
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- 9/3/2011 |
- 10:00 am
College football season gets underway this week, so what better time to focus our attention on the consensus best player in the country?
You might wonder why Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck would be of interest to The Big Brain Club. Then again, if you visit our site frequently you'll know that we like to highlight famous celebs who embody the notion that Smart is Cool. In the past we've looked at a world-famous musician, an Olympic figure skater, and two of the biggest movie stars in the world, among others.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please welcome Andrew Luck into the world of The Big Brain Club.
Luck plays one of the most difficult positions in any sport, and he regularly faces off against some of the most elite athletes in the world. And yet he was widely considered last season to be the best player in college football. He was eligible to walk away from school and become a sure-fire bet to be the first overall selection in the NFL draft. In other words, he had a lottery ticket in his hand, and all he had to do was leave school and declare himself eligible for the NFL.
But he didn't. He chose to stay at Stanford and complete his degree. And by the way, not just any degree. Luck is on track to graduate with a degree in Architectural Engineering. In fewer than four years. From one of the top academic colleges in the country. While also playing full-time collegiate athletics.
In a recent article from the San Francisco Chronicle, Luck was asked how he felt about being labeled a nerd. His response?
He laughed and said, "It's fine. There could be worse things than being a nerd. Maybe I'm proud of being a nerd."
He should be proud. Like so many other young people, Luck seems to understand that being a nerd is not something to shy away from, it's something to embrace. Getting your nerd on isn't just a popular t-shirt, it's a way of life.
It's worth pointing out that the man who wound up as the top pick in last year's draft received a guaranteed contract worth $22 million. But that doesn't matter to Luck, who likely could have earned at least that much had he made himself eligible. He's working on making himself a better player on the football field, and a better person off of it.
Never mind that he's been on the cover of Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine. Never mind that he is looked upon as a savior for Stanford athletics. Never mind that he's got a big time football career awaiting him. For the rest of this year, Andrew Luck is just another nerd walking the halls at Stanford -- except that when he's not studying for finals, he's busy studying for a way to beat the Oregon Ducks.
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If you liked this post, you should also read:
Seth MacFarlane is a Total Science Nerd
An Unlikely Education Superstar
