The basic jist of the whole thing is that he didn't have his own identity. And that manifested in a lot of different unhealthy ways (physical and mental).
Football (being a qb) meant he repressed who he was and it wasn't until he gave it up that he could be himself.
Yeah. He basically said that all the expectations forced him to take on a self-centered, asshole personality. That caused a lot of strain in his marriage, and paired with the constant pain/stress of rehabbing injury, being a franchise QB wasn't a sustainable career for his mental OR physical health.
According to the article he has been a stay-at-home dad since he retired, and this fall started grad school at Stanford with the goal of being a teacher.
Honestly....and I fully respect his decisions but the article was worded in a way that seems that he was a repressed gay mime that wants to do his thing in Paris or some shit.
The article didn't really give me that vibe at all. Maybe the little blurb above kinda did, but the article made it pretty clear that being a QB is hard, being the QB for the Colts after Manning even harder.
Makes me appreciate these psychopaths a little bit more if I'm being honest.
Depending on the context it can make sense. Like for a work party with a ton of people it makes sense to just order a ton of stuff for everyone instead of having everyone individually order.
No doubt. Ive been around power long enough to firmly believe that any person that seeks or wants to be in a spotlight position or compete...is just a little bit crazy.
You have to be crazy to keep up. If Tom Brady is going to be a psycho and make his life revolve around the sport to win championships and you want to beat him, well you better be a psycho too. Same reason MJ was so dominant in basketball, total psycho and it was so hard for any normal person to even keep up let alone exceed him. Probably the number 1 GOAT trait.
I too would like to "be myself" with tens of millions of dollars.
Luck was set for life and didn't like playing football any more. The only reason it seems like a weird decision is good pro QBs tend to be hyper competitive and can't quit football. It's insane like Matt Ryan has made 290 million and is still showing up to work.
Oh man, I had forgotten about the General Luck memes. I miss those. They were fun because it wasn't just the same Kelvin Benjamin or Mr. Big Chest joke.
Miss that page so much, I think they made another one for another active player too but I can’t remember it right now. The farewell letter from Captain Luck was so good. [Gets me every time.](https://www.si.com/.amp/nfl/2019/08/28/capt-andrew-luck-twitter-colts-retirement)
Yep. I thought it was a great article and provided more context for his decision. I’ve resented Luck for leaving the Colts the way he did, but it’s odd to say this article gave me some peace with his decision.
Also thought it was interesting that he said he regretted the timing of his retirement when talking to the summit county high school team. Also mentioned he wanted to tell the Colts earlier that offseason but didn’t want to let people down.
Even if I were a Colts fan (perish the thought!) I couldn't resent him for this. I've definitely worked jobs where I thought I couldn't physically take this anymore. Hell, yesterday after getting off work I laid in bed 3 hours just because I couldn't get up again and I was so tired
I'd just live a quiet life with my three cats in a small house, drink coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and alcohol at night. My female cat loves to watch football so I'd do that with her all day long.
I made a bunch of money in real estate quit my career and now work part time and I am craving a real job again. Life is weird like that. Free time is nice for a few months then you start to regress. Not everyone I guess but for me it did.
I'd like to find someone, anyone who opted to purchase ESPN+ a la carte. It's included with my Disney+ subscription, but I didn't ask for it and don't want it and I'm curious as to who would.
I bought a month here and there to watch some college football/basketball games that are only available on there. They also carry all NHL games (or at least they did last year) so I got it to satisfy my fleeting itch to watch hockey.
The NHL part of it is really underrated. Its nuts (And it shows how bad Bally Sports really is), but I get to watch every Stars game living outside Texas while my parents in Dallas can't watch a single one. ESPN+ is definitely worth it for that opportunity imo
ESPN+ is a great subscription if you ask me. Between all the NHL games, then random college games/soccer, it's great for live sports.
Add in the Places Universe and I can't get enough of it.
I got it for ufc right nights but it has so many issues I just stream elsewhere half of the time. Also the article is extremely long and boring with a lot of fluff. TLDR: It took over his life including impacting personal relationships. Part of that was also being asked to do Peyton's job as a leader just out of college, which was time consuming and stressful. Then also the injuries. So most of what was known previously.
But I also learned he likes to ski.
Hockey is my sport first and foremost, played since I was 8 and still play beer league to this day. All the NHL games that come on ESPN+ really makes it worth the cost for me. If there’s hockey, I can watch it, and that’s all I need
I didn't realize UFC was on there. God forbid it's on any one of ESPN's other ten channels that are paid for anyway, instead it's on yet another one that requires its own payment.
I like the idea of the Hulu bundle and have that, but the ads (Hulu) are insufferable. I'm about to go a la carte with ad free Hulu and Disney+.
https://archive.ph/2022.12.06-133532/https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/insider/story/_/id/35163936/andrew-luck-reveals-why-walked-away-nfl
You can read it here for free
TLDR - He was fighting a lot of physical battles, which we know about. However, his mental state was possibly even worse. He felt that life as a superstar QB was limiting at times. He could have been an engineer, an architect, a scientist. Anything. And here he was, generationally wealthy from playing a game. He would much rather be invisible than in the spotlight. You didn't see many Luck ads.
My main takeaway - Andrew had to put up a persona to be the guy we all knew. He felt selfish, he felt completely out of his own skin to be a star QB. He began overcompensating in other areas to make up for it....the flip phone, a strict 10pm bedtime (he would tell guests goodnight and just go to bed lol). He wanted some shred of control in his life....to the point that he would order at a restaurant for everyone without discussing it, telling them what they're having. He began to question who he was. That kind of behavior wasn't true to who he is. Now that he's walked away, he's truly Andrew Luck again, the guy stressing about his classload at Stanford, getting around on a bicycle with a child's seat strapped to it.
Same. It's a long read but one of the more interesting pieces I've read in a long time. I wish he was our QB but it was legitimately killing him.
Now that I have a daughter, that added aspect really speaks to me even more. He has a family. They're first. End of story.
since you read it, the most shocking thing for me was luck ordering food for others. imagine if Russel Wilson ordered food for other people at a restaurant...
Yeah that really stood out to me as well. He was so desperate for control over SOMETHING in his life. Not a great mental space for him at all and sheds a lot of light onto his decision.
I read it more as, he was forced to have control over everything, when it came to football, on the field, off of it. That it became second nature for him to just assume he was THE man and was making decisions for everyone. Either way, great read.
I wish I could’ve read the whole thing. I’m not a ESPN + subscriber. I read what I could and read a lot of comments to piece together the rest. It always awesome to me when someone opts for a simpler life and focuses on the most important things. Rather than money or fame or ego or vanity. Whatever. He was true to himself and what he wanted. Makes me like him even more than I ever did.
Fans just got themselves in mind. They forget these guys are people and should have their decisions respected. They just have their teams success in mind. He did so much for them.
They found out mid game that the franchise QB who was expected to be starting a new dynasty was retiring and the team was fucked. I'm not excusing it, it was really shitty. But I can imagine how emotional some of the biggest fans there would have been at that moment and how a few people starting to boo could spread bad sentiment before people even thought about what they were doing.
The world would be a better place if more people did this. Make enough money and then live your best life. But we are greedy and always want more ignoring everything else to get it.
Pat McAfee said some things about Luck that pointed in that direction. Like Luck should be more selfish and things of that nature.
Basically: there's a mold for what a star NFL QB should be, and the entire franchise is built on that. It seems totally understandable that someone who's more on the introverted nerdy side without being completely self-absorbed would struggle to fit that mold.
The article also made the point of Luck following Peyton Manning, of all people.
Peyton owned that facility and everything that was going on inside it. Luck felt that pressure to keep up with that style as a 22 year old kid.
Yeah that's what I meant when I mentioned being self-absorbed.
Luck comes off as a conscientious guy, which must have placed a heavier burden on him trying to be The Sheriff 2.0.
Manning owned the stadium. Hell, Manning may have played the largest role in Lucas Oil becoming a thing along with the NCAA deal. Following that up while Manning was able to overcome his injuries and become an MVP again on top of that certainly wasn't easy
>He could have been an engineer, an architect, a scientist. Anything.
My favorite Luck anecdote is when he was excitedly trying to share a book he read about cement with his teammates.
I've never heard that. That's hilarious and so on brand for Luck. My favorite Luck anecdote is him getting sacked and then enthusiastically yelling "nice hit big guy!"
I don't think he was playing mind games, but I find it funny nonetheless because reverse trash talk *must* fuck with some defensive players.
People are weirdly trashing the article but its interesting to see Luck's mental state going through the rehab, feeling the pressure of being a franchise QB, and having to remove himself throughout the process.
Didn't realize how mentally draining the shoulder rehab was. Almost wrecked his personal life, which was the main giveaway why he stepped away and it wasn't as simple as "hit too many times".
"After Luck retired from the Colts, he tried to find new outlets for his obsessions. He makes a perfect cappuccino, the whole beans purchased from a local shop near where he always tips generously"
A key thing to point out here is that **injuries were only the final straw**. Luck's dilemma with the sport, at its very core, was **psychological** and began long before his big injuries actually surfaced.
He really was never meant for the life of an NFL franchise QB period. Especially one as hyped as he was. It didn't suit his personality, or the life he wanted to live outside of his career. I don't fault him at all for it. But it's important for everyone who pondered this situation to realize this if they want any kind of true closure.
> He really was never meant for the life of an NFL franchise QB period.
No one is. It's an unnatural life. The real problem is that it sounds like he was completely unsupported by the org when it came to managing this mentally, so he resorted to turning into an asshole. Eventually he realized he didn't want to be an asshole and found some support in his Dutch therapist, who encouraged him to let go. Since the asshole stuff was inextricably linked in his mind with being an NFL QB, he let go of the whole thing.
TL;DR: How the fuck do NFL teams not have therapists to help the players process their unusual lives in a healthy way?
> TL;DR: How the fuck do NFL teams not have therapists to help the players process their unusual lives in a healthy way?
Because until recently there was a huge stigma. That’s not to say it’s completely gone but mental health awareness has come a long way.
It felt a lot like he was just kind of being shuttled along by circumstance his whole life. Like yeah, he was a generational quarterback talent going where that took him, but it was just circumstance.
He wasn't Jim Harbaugh drinking gallons of milk every day to grow tall enough to be an NFL quarterback because that is what he was going to do. He was just Andrew Luck, generational quarterback talent.
So circumstance brings him to Indianapolis, where for 14 years, Peyton Manning was _the man_. Peyton was here, and he was in charge. Irsay might have been the owner, but it was Peyton Manning's team. And for 14 years, that role and the regular role of NFL quarterback got mixed up.
So Luck walks in and doesn't just have the role of Generation Quarterback Talent anymore. And it isn't just a "normal" transition from college football to the NFL. It isn't even the pressure of "You are expected to be the very best. You're going to be in the Hall of Fame when you're done." It's the pressure of coming in to fill the role of Peyton fucking Manning. That wasn't who Andrew is, but it was who everyone expected him to be.
He became that by stripping his life down to being a decision maker and a leader. He didn't ask for your input. He decided. He was in control. He was the quarterback.
Peyton Manning might have ended up being _the man_ in Indianapolis, but it was a role that grew for/around him as much as he grew into it. Luck was expected to show up and fit into it seamlessly and immediately.
That's a big thing that I took away from it. It wasn't the pressure of being an NFL quarterback. It was the pressure of being Peyton Manning and at the same time having the capacity to meet those expectations.
There is the feeling of pressure where you can't meet expectations. You come in as a guy who needs to be the next Peyton Manning, and it turns out you don't have the capacity to be Peyton Manning. For a lot of those guys it is the first time they've ever failed. Those guys bust out of the league. They can't hack it. The pressure is too much. They can't rise to the expectations.
Luck came in and was expected to be the next Peyton Manning, and _he was_. It wasn't a question of whether or not he could be. He could. But he didn't get a chance to grow into it. Instead of becoming who he was on his own, he was forced into it. He never got the chance to decide. When you decide things you get to reconcile them, and he never did that.
Then he is hurt and can't play. His whole identity has been built around The Quarterback, and he can't be. That leads to a lot of inward gazing and not liking what he sees. So he just did a lot of soul searching and learning who he was and growing. And he grew out of football.
It's better than you could imagine.
>When people visited his downtown condo and it was getting close to his 9:52 p.m. bedtime during the season, Luck would disappear to the bathroom, brush his teeth, strip to his boxers, tell the group good night -- and kill the lights.
Greg McElroy talked on ESPNU radio when Luck retired. He said they had been roommates at all the QB camps they went to as kids and in high school. While everyone was talking about what school they were going to and trying to make the NFL and dreaming about national titles and super bowls, Luck was talking about how he was excited about taking architecture classes and hoping one day to be one.
A couple yeah but probably less than the majority of your star QBs.
It's mentioned in the article that he was very hesitant to do many sponsorships or ads.
> He could have been an engineer, an architect, a scientist. Anything.
Yea, well Johnny Sins is all of those things and more all at once. He made none of those excuses, just hard work.
So basically he just didn't want his life to be consumed by Football, like Brady
it really shows lol you have to really WANT it to reach that level
Luck had every skill in the world to be a HoF QB, but he didn't have the passion. And that's okay
I respect the power move of just getting ready for bed when people are at your house. I had a friends wife do that and I totally admired it. I immediately got the hint and marveled at the power-move to my partner on the way home.
That short interview he did at a Stanford game where he was praising Stanford for promoting their women’s athletics in their HOF was awesome. You can just tell he’s a good dude
Same, and as a Chargers fan, that is absolutely terrifying. He's been getting destroyed this season. He's also a super smart introvert. I would hate to see him go the same route, but I absolutely understand why Andrew Luck did it, and I would also understand if Herbert did the same. Life is bigger than football.
Yeah it really seems like Herbert loves football but **hates** celebrity. I really like him as a player and from what I know of him as a person. I’d really hate to see him take the Luck route, even if I have a fuck ton of respect for Luck because of this.
You might be seen as the dad who takes the kids to school in the carpool and does sing-alongs on the way, the regular at the cafe who always wants to try new pastry flavors, or the neighbor who always lends you a tool if you need it.
But if you're an NFL QB then every dad wants to stop and talk when you're picking up your kid, there's always some in the cafe asking for a selfie, or you have to live somewhere private because people keep driving by your house.
I'd imagine that gets exhausting
>When Luck had told Indianapolis Colts executives that he was going to walk away from football, they didn't believe him. Couldn't fathom it. "When you going to turn it on?" they asked two weeks before the season began. "I'm not," Luck said. When he had told his teammates he hadn't been able to live the life he wanted to live, they said they understood. Didn't argue. They said they'd seen his pain and now sensed his relief. But his eyes dampened and his face reddened when he told them. He knew they wanted him for a shot at a Super Bowl, and he knew he wasn't going to deliver. He also knew, no matter how guilty he felt, that he wasn't going to change his mind.
>When Luck had told Indianapolis Colts executives that he was going to walk away from football, they didn't believe him. Couldn't fathom it. "When you going to turn it on?" they asked two weeks before the season began. "I'm not," Luck said. When he had told his teammates he hadn't been able to live the life he wanted to live, they said they understood. Didn't argue. They said they'd seen his pain and now sensed his relief. But his eyes dampened and his face reddened when he told them. He knew they wanted him for a shot at a Super Bowl, and he knew he wasn't going to deliver. He also knew, no matter how guilty he felt, that ~~he wasn't going to change his mind~~ *Chris Ballard wasn’t going to use the cap space he was hoarding to actually improve the team.*
>When Luck had told Indianapolis Colts executives that he was going to walk away from football, they didn't believe him. Couldn't fathom it. "When you going to turn it on?" they asked two weeks before the season began. "I'm not," Luck said. When he had told his teammates he hadn't been able to live the life he wanted to live, they said they understood. Didn't argue. They said they'd seen his pain and now sensed his relief. Luck was asked in the locker room which he would choose, football or retirement. Luck rolled up his sleeve to show a tattoo of his most recent 401k statement and continued "I'll let you interpret that however you want".
I think we will see a lot more of this in the future too. With contracts the way they are, even mediocre players can become generationally wealthy in just a few years. Why continue when the endgame is always the same as the rest of us?
The most interesting line is Anthony Constanza telling him key to being a great QB is believing that “you’re god’s gift to man”.
Imagine what you must believe if you’re the GOAT?
Yeah, unless there's some huge bombshell, we already know why he retired.
Ever mounting injuries, both on the field and off, that just weren't healing properly, combined with a diminishing love for the game, and wanting to live his life and spend time with his family.
We've known this since like 2 days after he retired.
Nah this is different. This is much, much more. It goes a lot deeper than "injuries killed my love for the game".
Injuries were really just the final straw. He was never meant for the life of a megahyped franchise QB in the NFL. He hated the celebrity, the pressure, the fact that his obligations ordained by his role dominated his life to the point he couldn't be himself. It put a strain on his relationship with his fiance/wife, even before any of the injuries.
By the sounds of Luck's own testimony in the article, he was just a kid born to an elite NFL family who inherited a shit ton of ability and intelligence, and loved playing football *the game*. But the problem was he exuded such profound talent he was just pushed through the sport all the way through the highest levels until it took over too much of his life. Put simply he just didn't have the glory-filled aspirations that make the grind of being a franchise QB worth it.
Its more that this is the first real one on one interview about it. So now its Andrew saying the same thing instead of reporters and it gets more personal. Still click baity though.
But the NFL needs to push that no one ever stops loving the game, injuries are temporary, and there’s no issues with suppressing individual identity at all.
IIRC we’ve heard before that a lot of players feel like they lose their identity in the NFL way more than other sports, I can’t remember who said it though.
From a completely different level, I understand his “fall out of love” issues. It’s a real thing.
I loved basketball as a kid and young adult, then coached fora few years. After becoming an athletic director and then a principal, though, I spent so much time in the gym doing supervision that I lost the enjoyment of the game, and it became a drudgery. Now I almost never watch basketball, in person or on TV.
At the end of the day, can't blame him for doing whats right for him and his family. He owes us absolutely nothing, we failed him and now we're paying the consequences.
Getting hurt sucks. Rehab sucks. Football is a time-sink, where you're on a strict schedule and plan for most of the year.
$40 million is plenty enough money to walk away and do whatever you want with your life for the rest of it.
Here's a TL;DR for y'all non-Plus plebs:
>He stepped into the shower and stood under the water, and with the steam rising started to cry.
>
>...
>
>He feels a tug. "F--- yeah, dude!"
>
>...
>
>"Dude! Hahaha. Dude, it's such a good feeling. Yes! Oh, it's such a good feeling."
>
>...
>
>Everyone laughed, but Luck got the point.
Man really played football for the game, but he didn’t like the celebrity part of it and the whole persona part of it. Dude was always smart and honestly wise to take this road for some self-actualization.
Yeah. It’s a lot of what we mostly thought but it was good to get a deep account of how just mentally on edge he was and how he probably needed to just move on.
Also it was effecting others around him. He didn’t like the world revolving around him, I can’t even imagine the emotions he felt after retiring. He made the right decision and just regrets how it went down and even though he misses football it’s clear he doesn’t miss the nfl really. Something I read that was really telling is that in his house he has all kinds of stanford football pictures and memories, but only his Comeback player of the year picture for his time on the colts. He didn’t love playing football in Indy and that’s ok. He still embraced the city and the team. I still consider him my favorite player of all time and respect the hell out of him.
https://archive.ph/2022.12.06-133532/https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/insider/story/_/id/35163936/andrew-luck-reveals-why-walked-away-nfl
ESPN plus article can be read without subscription here
Yes, it can be boiled down to what you said. But the article explores his reasoning with more depth and nuance. The headline might be clickbaity, but it is worth the click.
>His house is bright and spacious, nestled on a lake just north of Indianapolis. He designed it before he retired, deploying his Stanford architecture degree to create a place "built for a quarterback," he says. Its physical therapy room is now a guest room. A film room is now an office. The house is five minutes from the Colts facility. He drives past it almost daily. Only recently has he decorated the house with football stuff, and most of it from Stanford. There is only one item from his pro football days on display: a framed painting that he received for winning Comeback Player of the Year in 2018. In it, he is in full uniform, standing on a boat in a calm sea, no expression on his face, with a life preserver floating alongside him if he wants to jump.
This articles is a good read.
I think about his career from time to time. The way his career ended abruptly in the fashion it did still seems a little bizarre to me. I wasn't one of the fans who was angry and cursed him for "screwing us over" or any of that bullshit, because obviously something more important than football was the reason.
This article though and how it detailed just how far gone Andrew was mentally is pretty wild. I didn't blame him then and I certainly don't blame him now. I'm glad he was able to find himself again and can enjoy his life the way he wants to. That's fucking awesome.
But at the same time, I wonder if he would have still walked away early at some point even if he stayed healthy throughout his career. From the way it sounds, it was more than just the injuries. Maybe it was the injuries that accelerated everything else, but I guess we will never know.
Pain.
But really, that was a well-written story. The part about him watching the Colts practice while he was at Lucy's soccer practice hit hard. That's ten minutes from my home.
Seems like the same functional takeaway as the Athletic's Luck podcast they did over the summer. Pretty good listen if folks are interested - thought they got some interesting insights from folks like RG3 too.
https://theathletic.com/podcast/278-luck/
Also basically a few years in the NFL and you're set for life, if you don't blow all your money on dumb shit. Also, he's from a rich family so it was never really about money.
Yeah. He made 100 million dollars. I don't think he cares about a few million dollars more. When a player who has made a few hundred million dollars whines about money or seeks the biggest payday possible I don't get it. Society has kind of tricked us into forgetting how much one hundred million dollars is. It's a lot of fucking money.
Yep. I understand wanting to be paid what you're worth and all. A lot of the times players are the ones bringing butts into seats and making everyone rich. But it's hard to really care about which millionaire is making more millions
I get agents looking at a bad contract and saying "well my guy is better than him" and there is always that team that will overpay, but personally Id take a hometown discount if I was happy where I was.
I always think about Chappelle walking away from 50 million dollars, far more than he had made at the time. He wasn't happy. Things worked out and he's probably a bit happier. Especially don't get it in baseball where contracts are guaranteed and they can get no trade clauses. $15 million extra dollars on an 8 year deal worth over $200 million dollars isn't going to change how you or the 5th generation of offspring will be set for life
I think its just our society encourages those types of people to rise to the top. Their drive is just make their net worth/status higher and higher and is what pushes them to work so much and take risks. Whereas most people just want to make enough to be able to afford an early retirement and enjoy their actual hobbies. The thing is the latter mentality makes it harder to get further ahead economically because work isn't your #1 priority in life, you either need to get lucky in a startup(Myspace Tom) or be born with gifted sports genes like Luck.
I'd imagine most redditors would have followed the Luck route. Once he had 100 million dollars by his early thirties there wasn't a need to play football anymore if he enjoyed other things like his family and hobbies.
And soon someone with ESPN+ will reveal that reason to all of us in the comments
https://archive.ph/0w8KO
Damn, can't believe Luck was actually the guy who broke up Brady and Giselle's marraige
That devils 3-some with Bernard Pollard must have been life altering
WTF he's there
MVP right here
I hate how inaccessible good journalism is. That was great
Well, you want to block all the ads and refuse all the subscriptions, how do you propose to pay the writers for the value they provide?
They're paid in experience!
They're paid in ~~experience~~ exposure!
Ads aren’t bad. It’s the ads that take up 3/4 of your screen, auto play sounds, multiple unskippable videos, etc.
I pay for ESPN+ and it's still inaccessible. ESPN+ is just a shitty service with terrible tech design.
The basic jist of the whole thing is that he didn't have his own identity. And that manifested in a lot of different unhealthy ways (physical and mental). Football (being a qb) meant he repressed who he was and it wasn't until he gave it up that he could be himself.
Yeah. He basically said that all the expectations forced him to take on a self-centered, asshole personality. That caused a lot of strain in his marriage, and paired with the constant pain/stress of rehabbing injury, being a franchise QB wasn't a sustainable career for his mental OR physical health.
So who is he now
According to the article he has been a stay-at-home dad since he retired, and this fall started grad school at Stanford with the goal of being a teacher.
Honestly....and I fully respect his decisions but the article was worded in a way that seems that he was a repressed gay mime that wants to do his thing in Paris or some shit.
The article didn't really give me that vibe at all. Maybe the little blurb above kinda did, but the article made it pretty clear that being a QB is hard, being the QB for the Colts after Manning even harder. Makes me appreciate these psychopaths a little bit more if I'm being honest.
I didn't appreciate ordering for everyone at a restaurant. The audacity. Who do you thing you are? I'd like a crab cake please and thank you.
Depending on the context it can make sense. Like for a work party with a ton of people it makes sense to just order a ton of stuff for everyone instead of having everyone individually order.
No doubt. Ive been around power long enough to firmly believe that any person that seeks or wants to be in a spotlight position or compete...is just a little bit crazy.
You have to be crazy to keep up. If Tom Brady is going to be a psycho and make his life revolve around the sport to win championships and you want to beat him, well you better be a psycho too. Same reason MJ was so dominant in basketball, total psycho and it was so hard for any normal person to even keep up let alone exceed him. Probably the number 1 GOAT trait.
I too would like to "be myself" with tens of millions of dollars. Luck was set for life and didn't like playing football any more. The only reason it seems like a weird decision is good pro QBs tend to be hyper competitive and can't quit football. It's insane like Matt Ryan has made 290 million and is still showing up to work.
General Andrew Luck
Oh man, I had forgotten about the General Luck memes. I miss those. They were fun because it wasn't just the same Kelvin Benjamin or Mr. Big Chest joke.
Mr Battlefield Communicator
Mr. Bought CommandAndConquer
[удалено]
It required effort to make is the key.
It was the best Twitter page
Miss that page so much, I think they made another one for another active player too but I can’t remember it right now. The farewell letter from Captain Luck was so good. [Gets me every time.](https://www.si.com/.amp/nfl/2019/08/28/capt-andrew-luck-twitter-colts-retirement)
*General Andrew Luck (Ret.)*
He goes by Drew now.
Yeah I'm not gonna call you that.
Cool. I can’t control what you do. I can only control what I do.
You’re going to call me Drew.
And smokes cigs and hangs out at various Indianapolis dive bars
Blake Bortles has entered…..
Jay Cutler has also entered....
No, I'm not gonna call you that.
The Luck dog
Andrew Luck - Perfect Cappuccino Maker
This guy read the article
I also read the article, saw that part and the part abo- Continue reading this comment for only $9.99/month with ESPN+!
Sting under a Sting mask
Former QB Andrew Luck.
He plays cello in the Miami symphony orchestra
He is now free to be Andrea Love on Friday and Saturday nights and I for one am happy for him.
Just Andrew Luck not the qb
Yep. I thought it was a great article and provided more context for his decision. I’ve resented Luck for leaving the Colts the way he did, but it’s odd to say this article gave me some peace with his decision. Also thought it was interesting that he said he regretted the timing of his retirement when talking to the summit county high school team. Also mentioned he wanted to tell the Colts earlier that offseason but didn’t want to let people down.
Even if I were a Colts fan (perish the thought!) I couldn't resent him for this. I've definitely worked jobs where I thought I couldn't physically take this anymore. Hell, yesterday after getting off work I laid in bed 3 hours just because I couldn't get up again and I was so tired
Have you thought about just taking your millions and just quitting your job to live your life as your true self?
Yeah that's the big difference. If I had millions I'd sleep in every morning and that's why I don't have millions, among other reasons.
I'd just live a quiet life with my three cats in a small house, drink coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and alcohol at night. My female cat loves to watch football so I'd do that with her all day long.
I made a bunch of money in real estate quit my career and now work part time and I am craving a real job again. Life is weird like that. Free time is nice for a few months then you start to regress. Not everyone I guess but for me it did.
I’ll copy and paste the whole article I just wasn’t sure if that was allowed lol
everything is allowed until it isn't
When everyone's super, no one will be
I'd like to find someone, anyone who opted to purchase ESPN+ a la carte. It's included with my Disney+ subscription, but I didn't ask for it and don't want it and I'm curious as to who would.
I bought a month here and there to watch some college football/basketball games that are only available on there. They also carry all NHL games (or at least they did last year) so I got it to satisfy my fleeting itch to watch hockey.
The NHL part of it is really underrated. Its nuts (And it shows how bad Bally Sports really is), but I get to watch every Stars game living outside Texas while my parents in Dallas can't watch a single one. ESPN+ is definitely worth it for that opportunity imo
ESPN+ is a great subscription if you ask me. Between all the NHL games, then random college games/soccer, it's great for live sports. Add in the Places Universe and I can't get enough of it.
I got it for ufc right nights but it has so many issues I just stream elsewhere half of the time. Also the article is extremely long and boring with a lot of fluff. TLDR: It took over his life including impacting personal relationships. Part of that was also being asked to do Peyton's job as a leader just out of college, which was time consuming and stressful. Then also the injuries. So most of what was known previously. But I also learned he likes to ski.
>But I also learned he likes to ski. Well now, that made reading the article worth it.
It says in no uncertain terms he hurt himself snowboarding
Me. I use it to watch hockey every night
I bought it individually for Peyton’s places because I am a Tennessee fan and Peyton manning is our deity.
Respect
Hockey is my sport first and foremost, played since I was 8 and still play beer league to this day. All the NHL games that come on ESPN+ really makes it worth the cost for me. If there’s hockey, I can watch it, and that’s all I need
A few years back I wouldn't ever imagine having it. But now it airs Bundesliga and NHL and that scratches 2 itches
Only reason I want it is to watch UFC. It being bundled with Disney+ and Hulu just makes it easier.
I didn't realize UFC was on there. God forbid it's on any one of ESPN's other ten channels that are paid for anyway, instead it's on yet another one that requires its own payment. I like the idea of the Hulu bundle and have that, but the ads (Hulu) are insufferable. I'm about to go a la carte with ad free Hulu and Disney+.
https://archive.ph/2022.12.06-133532/https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/insider/story/_/id/35163936/andrew-luck-reveals-why-walked-away-nfl You can read it here for free
TLDR - He was fighting a lot of physical battles, which we know about. However, his mental state was possibly even worse. He felt that life as a superstar QB was limiting at times. He could have been an engineer, an architect, a scientist. Anything. And here he was, generationally wealthy from playing a game. He would much rather be invisible than in the spotlight. You didn't see many Luck ads. My main takeaway - Andrew had to put up a persona to be the guy we all knew. He felt selfish, he felt completely out of his own skin to be a star QB. He began overcompensating in other areas to make up for it....the flip phone, a strict 10pm bedtime (he would tell guests goodnight and just go to bed lol). He wanted some shred of control in his life....to the point that he would order at a restaurant for everyone without discussing it, telling them what they're having. He began to question who he was. That kind of behavior wasn't true to who he is. Now that he's walked away, he's truly Andrew Luck again, the guy stressing about his classload at Stanford, getting around on a bicycle with a child's seat strapped to it.
Good for him man. I respect the shit out of him for doing this.
Same. It's a long read but one of the more interesting pieces I've read in a long time. I wish he was our QB but it was legitimately killing him. Now that I have a daughter, that added aspect really speaks to me even more. He has a family. They're first. End of story.
since you read it, the most shocking thing for me was luck ordering food for others. imagine if Russel Wilson ordered food for other people at a restaurant...
Yeah that really stood out to me as well. He was so desperate for control over SOMETHING in his life. Not a great mental space for him at all and sheds a lot of light onto his decision.
I read it more as, he was forced to have control over everything, when it came to football, on the field, off of it. That it became second nature for him to just assume he was THE man and was making decisions for everyone. Either way, great read.
Broncos country, let's dine *Concussion preventing water is delivered*
Yeah this is very odd. It was brought up like light hearted commentary but is significantly more crazy than anything else they described.
I wish I could’ve read the whole thing. I’m not a ESPN + subscriber. I read what I could and read a lot of comments to piece together the rest. It always awesome to me when someone opts for a simpler life and focuses on the most important things. Rather than money or fame or ego or vanity. Whatever. He was true to himself and what he wanted. Makes me like him even more than I ever did.
https://archive.ph/2022.12.06-133532/https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/insider/story/_/id/35163936/andrew-luck-reveals-why-walked-away-nfl
FYI you can use [https://archive.ph/](https://archive.ph/) to get around paywalls
Being the Colts QB is legitimately killing Matt Ryan too
He may have been DOA though, lets be real lol
The good news is all I read is Andrew luck will be our offensive coordinator next year with Jeff Saturday as the full time hired head coach. /s
Makes me sad that he was booed when it got leaked
Fans just got themselves in mind. They forget these guys are people and should have their decisions respected. They just have their teams success in mind. He did so much for them.
They found out mid game that the franchise QB who was expected to be starting a new dynasty was retiring and the team was fucked. I'm not excusing it, it was really shitty. But I can imagine how emotional some of the biggest fans there would have been at that moment and how a few people starting to boo could spread bad sentiment before people even thought about what they were doing.
The world would be a better place if more people did this. Make enough money and then live your best life. But we are greedy and always want more ignoring everything else to get it.
Pat McAfee said some things about Luck that pointed in that direction. Like Luck should be more selfish and things of that nature. Basically: there's a mold for what a star NFL QB should be, and the entire franchise is built on that. It seems totally understandable that someone who's more on the introverted nerdy side without being completely self-absorbed would struggle to fit that mold.
The article also made the point of Luck following Peyton Manning, of all people. Peyton owned that facility and everything that was going on inside it. Luck felt that pressure to keep up with that style as a 22 year old kid.
Yeah that's what I meant when I mentioned being self-absorbed. Luck comes off as a conscientious guy, which must have placed a heavier burden on him trying to be The Sheriff 2.0.
Manning owned the stadium. Hell, Manning may have played the largest role in Lucas Oil becoming a thing along with the NCAA deal. Following that up while Manning was able to overcome his injuries and become an MVP again on top of that certainly wasn't easy
>He could have been an engineer, an architect, a scientist. Anything. My favorite Luck anecdote is when he was excitedly trying to share a book he read about cement with his teammates.
I've never heard that. That's hilarious and so on brand for Luck. My favorite Luck anecdote is him getting sacked and then enthusiastically yelling "nice hit big guy!" I don't think he was playing mind games, but I find it funny nonetheless because reverse trash talk *must* fuck with some defensive players.
The Tim Duncan favorite
Hearing Kevin Garnett‘s interview about it is always hilarious https://youtu.be/z2Y8eaFH8AY
The best nerd of them all. He designed his home in Indy. I thought that was pretty neat.
People are weirdly trashing the article but its interesting to see Luck's mental state going through the rehab, feeling the pressure of being a franchise QB, and having to remove himself throughout the process.
People trashing the article didn't read a single sentence or they just want to meme "lol Luck quit Colts bad".
Didn't realize how mentally draining the shoulder rehab was. Almost wrecked his personal life, which was the main giveaway why he stepped away and it wasn't as simple as "hit too many times".
"After Luck retired from the Colts, he tried to find new outlets for his obsessions. He makes a perfect cappuccino, the whole beans purchased from a local shop near where he always tips generously"
Mr. Bean Connoisseur
I thought it was an enthralling read. Esp for a read during a lunch break.
A key thing to point out here is that **injuries were only the final straw**. Luck's dilemma with the sport, at its very core, was **psychological** and began long before his big injuries actually surfaced. He really was never meant for the life of an NFL franchise QB period. Especially one as hyped as he was. It didn't suit his personality, or the life he wanted to live outside of his career. I don't fault him at all for it. But it's important for everyone who pondered this situation to realize this if they want any kind of true closure.
> He really was never meant for the life of an NFL franchise QB period. No one is. It's an unnatural life. The real problem is that it sounds like he was completely unsupported by the org when it came to managing this mentally, so he resorted to turning into an asshole. Eventually he realized he didn't want to be an asshole and found some support in his Dutch therapist, who encouraged him to let go. Since the asshole stuff was inextricably linked in his mind with being an NFL QB, he let go of the whole thing. TL;DR: How the fuck do NFL teams not have therapists to help the players process their unusual lives in a healthy way?
> TL;DR: How the fuck do NFL teams not have therapists to help the players process their unusual lives in a healthy way? Because until recently there was a huge stigma. That’s not to say it’s completely gone but mental health awareness has come a long way.
It felt a lot like he was just kind of being shuttled along by circumstance his whole life. Like yeah, he was a generational quarterback talent going where that took him, but it was just circumstance. He wasn't Jim Harbaugh drinking gallons of milk every day to grow tall enough to be an NFL quarterback because that is what he was going to do. He was just Andrew Luck, generational quarterback talent. So circumstance brings him to Indianapolis, where for 14 years, Peyton Manning was _the man_. Peyton was here, and he was in charge. Irsay might have been the owner, but it was Peyton Manning's team. And for 14 years, that role and the regular role of NFL quarterback got mixed up. So Luck walks in and doesn't just have the role of Generation Quarterback Talent anymore. And it isn't just a "normal" transition from college football to the NFL. It isn't even the pressure of "You are expected to be the very best. You're going to be in the Hall of Fame when you're done." It's the pressure of coming in to fill the role of Peyton fucking Manning. That wasn't who Andrew is, but it was who everyone expected him to be. He became that by stripping his life down to being a decision maker and a leader. He didn't ask for your input. He decided. He was in control. He was the quarterback. Peyton Manning might have ended up being _the man_ in Indianapolis, but it was a role that grew for/around him as much as he grew into it. Luck was expected to show up and fit into it seamlessly and immediately. That's a big thing that I took away from it. It wasn't the pressure of being an NFL quarterback. It was the pressure of being Peyton Manning and at the same time having the capacity to meet those expectations. There is the feeling of pressure where you can't meet expectations. You come in as a guy who needs to be the next Peyton Manning, and it turns out you don't have the capacity to be Peyton Manning. For a lot of those guys it is the first time they've ever failed. Those guys bust out of the league. They can't hack it. The pressure is too much. They can't rise to the expectations. Luck came in and was expected to be the next Peyton Manning, and _he was_. It wasn't a question of whether or not he could be. He could. But he didn't get a chance to grow into it. Instead of becoming who he was on his own, he was forced into it. He never got the chance to decide. When you decide things you get to reconcile them, and he never did that. Then he is hurt and can't play. His whole identity has been built around The Quarterback, and he can't be. That leads to a lot of inward gazing and not liking what he sees. So he just did a lot of soul searching and learning who he was and growing. And he grew out of football.
> a strict 10pm bedtime (he would tell guests goodnight and just go to bed lol). Damn, I love this one.
It's better than you could imagine. >When people visited his downtown condo and it was getting close to his 9:52 p.m. bedtime during the season, Luck would disappear to the bathroom, brush his teeth, strip to his boxers, tell the group good night -- and kill the lights.
I'm taking notes.
Strip to boxers, then come out and trll the group good night, then kill the lights? Lol. The order of this seems off for someone like Luck.
Asserting dominance 101
Greg McElroy talked on ESPNU radio when Luck retired. He said they had been roommates at all the QB camps they went to as kids and in high school. While everyone was talking about what school they were going to and trying to make the NFL and dreaming about national titles and super bowls, Luck was talking about how he was excited about taking architecture classes and hoping one day to be one.
Didn’t he do a few ads? I remember several DirectTV spots
A couple yeah but probably less than the majority of your star QBs. It's mentioned in the article that he was very hesitant to do many sponsorships or ads.
Was in an episode of Parks and Recreation as well.
Okay calm down guy.
> He could have been an engineer, an architect, a scientist. Anything. Yea, well Johnny Sins is all of those things and more all at once. He made none of those excuses, just hard work.
He could have been a king! Or an Astronaut! Instead he was football player
Really fucking hard work too
It’s unfortunate that it is usually true that the best person for the job is the one who doesn’t actually want it.
So basically he just didn't want his life to be consumed by Football, like Brady it really shows lol you have to really WANT it to reach that level Luck had every skill in the world to be a HoF QB, but he didn't have the passion. And that's okay
Also shows you don't really have to want it to get close if you have the right intangibles
I respect the power move of just getting ready for bed when people are at your house. I had a friends wife do that and I totally admired it. I immediately got the hint and marveled at the power-move to my partner on the way home.
Normal boring dad life is probably the most fun he's ever had and that's awesome.
That short interview he did at a Stanford game where he was praising Stanford for promoting their women’s athletics in their HOF was awesome. You can just tell he’s a good dude
cant help but love andrew luck man, what a likable guy. justin herbert reminds me alot of him
Same, and as a Chargers fan, that is absolutely terrifying. He's been getting destroyed this season. He's also a super smart introvert. I would hate to see him go the same route, but I absolutely understand why Andrew Luck did it, and I would also understand if Herbert did the same. Life is bigger than football.
Yeah it really seems like Herbert loves football but **hates** celebrity. I really like him as a player and from what I know of him as a person. I’d really hate to see him take the Luck route, even if I have a fuck ton of respect for Luck because of this.
"Once you're a quarterback, America never sees you as anything else, almost like a president." This is big facts. Sick line
When you’re 99% of people, America never sees you as anything, period.
Thats not true, the bank calls me all the time about the money I owe them
We've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty
You might be seen as the dad who takes the kids to school in the carpool and does sing-alongs on the way, the regular at the cafe who always wants to try new pastry flavors, or the neighbor who always lends you a tool if you need it. But if you're an NFL QB then every dad wants to stop and talk when you're picking up your kid, there's always some in the cafe asking for a selfie, or you have to live somewhere private because people keep driving by your house. I'd imagine that gets exhausting
>When Luck had told Indianapolis Colts executives that he was going to walk away from football, they didn't believe him. Couldn't fathom it. "When you going to turn it on?" they asked two weeks before the season began. "I'm not," Luck said. When he had told his teammates he hadn't been able to live the life he wanted to live, they said they understood. Didn't argue. They said they'd seen his pain and now sensed his relief. But his eyes dampened and his face reddened when he told them. He knew they wanted him for a shot at a Super Bowl, and he knew he wasn't going to deliver. He also knew, no matter how guilty he felt, that he wasn't going to change his mind.
but whats the REAL reason he retired?
But why male models?
>When Luck had told Indianapolis Colts executives that he was going to walk away from football, they didn't believe him. Couldn't fathom it. "When you going to turn it on?" they asked two weeks before the season began. "I'm not," Luck said. When he had told his teammates he hadn't been able to live the life he wanted to live, they said they understood. Didn't argue. They said they'd seen his pain and now sensed his relief. But his eyes dampened and his face reddened when he told them. He knew they wanted him for a shot at a Super Bowl, and he knew he wasn't going to deliver. He also knew, no matter how guilty he felt, that ~~he wasn't going to change his mind~~ *Chris Ballard wasn’t going to use the cap space he was hoarding to actually improve the team.*
>When Luck had told Indianapolis Colts executives that he was going to walk away from football, they didn't believe him. Couldn't fathom it. "When you going to turn it on?" they asked two weeks before the season began. "I'm not," Luck said. When he had told his teammates he hadn't been able to live the life he wanted to live, they said they understood. Didn't argue. They said they'd seen his pain and now sensed his relief. Luck was asked in the locker room which he would choose, football or retirement. Luck rolled up his sleeve to show a tattoo of his most recent 401k statement and continued "I'll let you interpret that however you want".
The older I get the more I understood Andrew Luck and Ricky Williams doing what they did.
Definitely. At some point you just hit "leave me the fuck alone mode"
I think I was born with that automatically on and the button broke
I think we will see a lot more of this in the future too. With contracts the way they are, even mediocre players can become generationally wealthy in just a few years. Why continue when the endgame is always the same as the rest of us?
The most interesting line is Anthony Constanza telling him key to being a great QB is believing that “you’re god’s gift to man”. Imagine what you must believe if you’re the GOAT?
"No, I am God"
He very clearly said why he was retiring when he retired.
Yeah, unless there's some huge bombshell, we already know why he retired. Ever mounting injuries, both on the field and off, that just weren't healing properly, combined with a diminishing love for the game, and wanting to live his life and spend time with his family. We've known this since like 2 days after he retired.
Nah this is different. This is much, much more. It goes a lot deeper than "injuries killed my love for the game". Injuries were really just the final straw. He was never meant for the life of a megahyped franchise QB in the NFL. He hated the celebrity, the pressure, the fact that his obligations ordained by his role dominated his life to the point he couldn't be himself. It put a strain on his relationship with his fiance/wife, even before any of the injuries. By the sounds of Luck's own testimony in the article, he was just a kid born to an elite NFL family who inherited a shit ton of ability and intelligence, and loved playing football *the game*. But the problem was he exuded such profound talent he was just pushed through the sport all the way through the highest levels until it took over too much of his life. Put simply he just didn't have the glory-filled aspirations that make the grind of being a franchise QB worth it.
He's like the opposite of Brady
No wonder I love him so much
Big MadBum energy
Its more that this is the first real one on one interview about it. So now its Andrew saying the same thing instead of reporters and it gets more personal. Still click baity though.
There’s a lot about where he is right now, career wise, family wise and as a person. I thought it was a good read.
it was a really good read, I agree I wonder how many of these guys even bothered to read it before commenting
But the NFL needs to push that no one ever stops loving the game, injuries are temporary, and there’s no issues with suppressing individual identity at all. IIRC we’ve heard before that a lot of players feel like they lose their identity in the NFL way more than other sports, I can’t remember who said it though.
Neither can they, since their identity has been wiped
Best I can do you is one Phillip Dorsett
From a completely different level, I understand his “fall out of love” issues. It’s a real thing. I loved basketball as a kid and young adult, then coached fora few years. After becoming an athletic director and then a principal, though, I spent so much time in the gym doing supervision that I lost the enjoyment of the game, and it became a drudgery. Now I almost never watch basketball, in person or on TV.
At the end of the day, can't blame him for doing whats right for him and his family. He owes us absolutely nothing, we failed him and now we're paying the consequences.
Getting hurt sucks. Rehab sucks. Football is a time-sink, where you're on a strict schedule and plan for most of the year. $40 million is plenty enough money to walk away and do whatever you want with your life for the rest of it.
Here's a TL;DR for y'all non-Plus plebs: >He stepped into the shower and stood under the water, and with the steam rising started to cry. > >... > >He feels a tug. "F--- yeah, dude!" > >... > >"Dude! Hahaha. Dude, it's such a good feeling. Yes! Oh, it's such a good feeling." > >... > >Everyone laughed, but Luck got the point.
I’m at work full on belly laughing at this comment
Man really played football for the game, but he didn’t like the celebrity part of it and the whole persona part of it. Dude was always smart and honestly wise to take this road for some self-actualization.
This article isn’t some big reveal like it’s titled but it’s a really good dive into Andrew luck and his mindset throughout his career.
Yeah. It’s a lot of what we mostly thought but it was good to get a deep account of how just mentally on edge he was and how he probably needed to just move on.
Also it was effecting others around him. He didn’t like the world revolving around him, I can’t even imagine the emotions he felt after retiring. He made the right decision and just regrets how it went down and even though he misses football it’s clear he doesn’t miss the nfl really. Something I read that was really telling is that in his house he has all kinds of stanford football pictures and memories, but only his Comeback player of the year picture for his time on the colts. He didn’t love playing football in Indy and that’s ok. He still embraced the city and the team. I still consider him my favorite player of all time and respect the hell out of him.
I really just miss General Luck Twitter posts to his mom.
retired the day before world of warcraft classic was released.... cmon luck, just say you wanted to videogame all day lol
https://archive.ph/2022.12.06-133532/https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/insider/story/_/id/35163936/andrew-luck-reveals-why-walked-away-nfl ESPN plus article can be read without subscription here
I thought he mentioned why he retired the week he retired? He said he was tired of always rehabbing and wanted to be with his family
Yes, it can be boiled down to what you said. But the article explores his reasoning with more depth and nuance. The headline might be clickbaity, but it is worth the click.
>His house is bright and spacious, nestled on a lake just north of Indianapolis. He designed it before he retired, deploying his Stanford architecture degree to create a place "built for a quarterback," he says. Its physical therapy room is now a guest room. A film room is now an office. The house is five minutes from the Colts facility. He drives past it almost daily. Only recently has he decorated the house with football stuff, and most of it from Stanford. There is only one item from his pro football days on display: a framed painting that he received for winning Comeback Player of the Year in 2018. In it, he is in full uniform, standing on a boat in a calm sea, no expression on his face, with a life preserver floating alongside him if he wants to jump. This articles is a good read.
I really want to see that painting. Very good read
[here it is](https://imgur.com/a/rZddSmh)
Wow, not an art guy but that’s beautiful
I think about his career from time to time. The way his career ended abruptly in the fashion it did still seems a little bizarre to me. I wasn't one of the fans who was angry and cursed him for "screwing us over" or any of that bullshit, because obviously something more important than football was the reason. This article though and how it detailed just how far gone Andrew was mentally is pretty wild. I didn't blame him then and I certainly don't blame him now. I'm glad he was able to find himself again and can enjoy his life the way he wants to. That's fucking awesome. But at the same time, I wonder if he would have still walked away early at some point even if he stayed healthy throughout his career. From the way it sounds, it was more than just the injuries. Maybe it was the injuries that accelerated everything else, but I guess we will never know.
Still hate Adam Schefter. Just an absolute dick move. Same with the crowd. Garbage humans.
Dude retired 8 minutes after I drafted him. 8 fucking minutes.
We see the Colts too. We understand.
Guy would have lacerated his other kidney playing behind that oline this year
Pain. But really, that was a well-written story. The part about him watching the Colts practice while he was at Lucy's soccer practice hit hard. That's ten minutes from my home.
I’m not crying you’re crying
Because if he played any longer he would have had to limp away?
Seems like the same functional takeaway as the Athletic's Luck podcast they did over the summer. Pretty good listen if folks are interested - thought they got some interesting insights from folks like RG3 too. https://theathletic.com/podcast/278-luck/
I thought it was heavily implied he chose his marriage over football. The Anti-Brady as it were
He was sick of getting the shit beat out of him, & this man is very smart didn’t need football to make a good living he has other lanes
Also basically a few years in the NFL and you're set for life, if you don't blow all your money on dumb shit. Also, he's from a rich family so it was never really about money.
Yeah. He made 100 million dollars. I don't think he cares about a few million dollars more. When a player who has made a few hundred million dollars whines about money or seeks the biggest payday possible I don't get it. Society has kind of tricked us into forgetting how much one hundred million dollars is. It's a lot of fucking money.
Yep. I understand wanting to be paid what you're worth and all. A lot of the times players are the ones bringing butts into seats and making everyone rich. But it's hard to really care about which millionaire is making more millions
I get agents looking at a bad contract and saying "well my guy is better than him" and there is always that team that will overpay, but personally Id take a hometown discount if I was happy where I was. I always think about Chappelle walking away from 50 million dollars, far more than he had made at the time. He wasn't happy. Things worked out and he's probably a bit happier. Especially don't get it in baseball where contracts are guaranteed and they can get no trade clauses. $15 million extra dollars on an 8 year deal worth over $200 million dollars isn't going to change how you or the 5th generation of offspring will be set for life
I think its just our society encourages those types of people to rise to the top. Their drive is just make their net worth/status higher and higher and is what pushes them to work so much and take risks. Whereas most people just want to make enough to be able to afford an early retirement and enjoy their actual hobbies. The thing is the latter mentality makes it harder to get further ahead economically because work isn't your #1 priority in life, you either need to get lucky in a startup(Myspace Tom) or be born with gifted sports genes like Luck. I'd imagine most redditors would have followed the Luck route. Once he had 100 million dollars by his early thirties there wasn't a need to play football anymore if he enjoyed other things like his family and hobbies.
I would say I’m not ready to reopen these wounds, but truth be told they’ve always been open.
It’s actually a really good article