Luck Better leave if he knows whats good for him

Luck better leave if he knows whats good for him.  You want to think that Andrew Luck is a smart kid.  It takes a smart person to both run an offense as a quarterback in major college football and go to Stanford.  That is why, if Luck knows whats good for him, he will flee Stanford like he just got in a bar fight with a member of “Hell’s Angels.”

Luck’s status is never going to be higher with NFL scouts and why should it?  He was a top quarterback in his red-shirt freshman year and widely considered the second best QB prospect this year coming into the season, just behind Jake Locker of Washington.  Well Locker has fallen dramatically and Luck has done nothing but impress.

In his most recent victory, a BCS Orange Bowl win over #13 Virginia Tech 40-12, Luck threw for 287 yards, four TD’s, and one pick.  What does this say?  It says that Luck plays big in big games under pressure.

What did his counterpart Locker do against Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl?  5-16 passing for 56 yards and no touchdowns or picks.  Now fairness in conversation act Nebraska has a much better pass defense than Virginia Tech, but it just shows that Locker may struggle in bigger games.

Luck just has to look at history and realize how other quarterbacks have fared when they decide to stick out one more year at school instead of going to the NFL.  Take USC’s Matt Leinart.  After a Heisman trophy season and a national championship, Leinart decided to stay for his senior year in an attempt to go for a two-peat.  If it wasn’t for someone called Vince Young he would have succeeded.

Had Leinart committed to the draft he would have been the first overall pick instead of Alex Smith and made his millions quickly.  Instead he was the 10 overall pick behind Young who was picked third. Don’t get me wrong I get it.  He still got his millions and he still was a first round pick, but as the first overall pick you command so much more than money.  I also get Leinart wanting to stay in college.  God knows I didn’t want to leave NDSU as I loved my time there, but I accomplished all I could, graduated and moved on.  Had someone offered to throw millions of dollars my way to leave my junior year I would have taken it in a heart beat!

Another guy, more recently than Leinart, is Locker who could have went out for the 2010 NFL draft and battled to be the first overall pick with the now St. Louis Ram Sam Bradford.  Instead Locker stayed at Washington and after an injury plauged season, with less than impressive numbers, Locker will be lucky to be picked in the second round.

There are two reasons Luck may stay in college that I can see as legit.  First off, this draft has the potential to be a very deep draft with quarterbacks, especially underclassmen.  Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert has already declared for the draft, Locker will be there (even if he is a second round pick) Arkansas’ Ryan Mallet may go early, Auburn’s Cam Newton may make an even bigger name for himself with a great National Championship.

Other names include Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi, Idaho’s Nathan Enderle, Florida State’s Christian Ponder and T.C.U’s Andy Dalton.  Don’t forget Boise State’s Kellen Moore could forgo his senior year and enter, or Houston’s Case Keenum could have a huge combine after a senior season lost to injury.

The point is there appears to be over a dozen candidates who could realistically go in the first three rounds.

The other reason I could see Luck staying in school would be if he feels that he is not ready for the NFL.  He only has two years of starting under his belt, but I think he can get over that hump (see Mark Sanchez).

Long story longer, Luck needs to get out while the gettings good, or risk losing tons of money.  People seem to like Stanford quarterbacks if for the only reason John Elway was once a Cardinal.

- Adam St. Paul

Advertisement