INDIANAPOLIS – The look on Andrew Luck’s face and the glistening in his eyes revealed the depth of his relationship with the city he called home and the team that brought him into the NFL.
“We love this place,’’ he said Friday, serving as the unquestioned spokesman for wife Nicole and daughters Lucy and Penelope.
That was just the beginning.
Luck was perched on a chair in an auditorium at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, surrounded by the media. He was in town for the 12th annual – No. 12, get it? – ChuckStrong Tailgate Gala, a Chuck Pagano-driven event that has raised more than $14 million for cancer research at the I.U. Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center.
It was Luck’s first extended sit-down with the media in a public setting since he shook the city and the NFL to its very core by announcing his retirement on Aug. 25, 2019.
Speaking of that seminal moment at Lucas Oil Stadium just weeks before the start of the ’19 season, Luck knew at the time a career caught in a cycle of injury and rehab was over. Period.
From then to now, he’s never felt the urge to scratch that itch again. This from a generational quarterback whose abbreviated six-year career included a 53-33 record as a starter, four playoff appearances, one trip to the AFC Championship game, four Pro Bowl selections and being named the NFL’s 2018 Comeback Player of the Year.
“I think when I retired, that part of it was put to bed in my mind in a very simple, direct way,’’ he said, adding he clearly was “tormented inside, as you guys saw that night. But that part of it has been stowed away.’’
He found much-needed inner peace that evening and quickly transitioned to attentive husband and doting father. Lucy is 4 and Penelope is 20 months.
Luck, who earned roughly $109 million during his career, also felt a responsibility to pay it forward. He’s an international ambassador for the NFL, in particular, and football, in general, and a part-time prep coach.
“Probably lower-case coaching,’’ Luck insisted with a laugh. “I volunteer two days a week at Palo Alto High School. I think part of me realized that I needed to re-integrate football in a way because . . . I love the game still and I enjoyed it and . . . I don’t mean this in a cheesy way, but part of me feels like, you know, it’s my turn to give back to this game. And it works with family and life and me.’’
As Luck bounced from one topic to the next, his affinity for Indy was undeniable. The family lives a short distance from the Stanford campus in Palo Alto, Calif.
His daughters were born here.
His brother-in-law, who’s finishing up his residency at St. Vincent Hospital, and sister-in-law live here.
He maintains tickets for the Indy 500, although his schedule won’t allow him to attend this May.
“We were here for Christmas,’’ Luck said. “Whenever we fly anywhere, my daughter, first thing is like, ‘Indianapolis, is that where we’re going?’’’
Luck cherishes the relationships that developed from the day the Colts made him the first overall pick in the 2012 draft. He remains close with Pagano, owner Jim Irsay, T.Y. Hilton, Reggie Wayne, Adam Vinatieri, Jack Doyle, Anthony Castonzo, Ryan Kelly and so many others.
“I certainly feel like Indianapolis is a massive part of the fabric of who I am and where life has gone and the highs and the lows and everything feels very real,’’ he said. “I certainly feel the love, in a sense, from the city. And I hope people know it’s reciprocal. The relationships very much endure no matter where we go. I get excited coming back to this building. I get excited seeing Colts stuff and the horseshoe and seeing familiar faces.’’
The turn off West 56th Street into the complex rekindled memories.
Luck didn’t hesitate when Pagano called and asked him to be a part of ChuckStrong Part 12.
“We have a great relationship,’’ he said. “He was a massive influence in my life in a positive way. When I do think about my rookie year here – in T.Y.’s rookie year, Chuck’s rookie year as a head coach and what he went through – I don’t think I understood the gravity of the situation. With time, you realize, ‘Whoa, how special that year was in many ways.’ Most importantly that Chuck made it back. And just to see how his legacy in this way continues in the city and the Simon Cancer Center.’’
It’s only natural to consider What Might Have Been?
What if the injuries – the balky calf/ankle proved to be a bridge too far in 2019 – hadn’t worn down Andrew Luck? What if he’s still playing – he’s 34 and 2024 would have been his 12th season – and general manager Chris Ballard could have built the roster around Luck as Bill Polian did with Peyton Manning?
Since Luck’s retirement, the Colts have bounced from Jacoby Brissett to Philip Rivers to Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan to Anthony Richardson. Nine different quarterbacks have started at least one game. The Colts are 40-42-1 post-Luck, have reached the playoffs just once and still are looking for a postseason win.
“I know we're not perfect. I know I was not perfect,’’ Luck said. “I almost wish we’d had multiple Super Bowls and had sort of vanquished some of those enemies. But we tried our best. We tried our hardest. I hope we gave folks something to cheer about and something to be proud of.’’
Pagano opted not to go there.
“I just like to think about the good that happened,’’ he said. “Shared a lot. Lot of great times. Lot of great moments. The guy was one of the fiercest competitors. Warrior, great teammate, great player. We all know the skillset. Generational talent. The guy gave everything that he had, day in and day out.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.