Sounds like a tough decision… I guess it actually was, because Stanford QB Andrew Luck has made the decision to return to college for his redshirt-Junior year (I've been corrected, good research sir) and get his degree.
Although it seems like the right decision in a world where athletes tend to make the wrong decisions, I definitely see it differently… IT MAKES NO SENSE.
Hear me out, okay!
Everyone is gawking over Andrew Luck like you’re pig roast in Arkansas. Your stock is literally as high as it’s ever going to be while at Stanford. You declare yourself eligible for the draft and go as the #1 pick to the Carolina Panthers, sign a contract somewhere in the thin Bel-Air range of $55 million, and probably play as a rookie in ahead of Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen.
Instead you stay in Palo Alto, go to the tutors for a 4th year and graduate. Learn an entirely new system under a new coach. Go to the NFL, maybe, if there isn’t a lockout already happening or you got hurt like Sam Bradford did. Then your future is up in the air.
PROS>CONS. Isn’t that what we learn in college, especially at a prestigious university like Stanford, is how to make the right/logical/rational/smart/I’m just using the thesaurus now/wise/coherent/keen decisions in life??
[This makes absolutely no sense to me. Jim Harbaugh is undoubtedly leaving, so you put the extra work of learning a new system and new leadership. You just broke every single record in the Stanford record book, including team records. (This is the first year ever Stanford has won 11 games) So you put the bar ridiculously high for your expectations. And finally you go back to get your degree. When will that come in handy? After college, when you are looking for employment? I don’t think you’ll have to worry about retiring to a stress free life with that $55 million in the bank, possibly.
I don’t want to say it, but maybe he knows something we don’t. Something he isn’t telling us….]
Thanks to Peter, for making these crazy ideas come out of me.
Well it doesn't happen often, but here is something in which we completely disagree. And it is for a few different reasons.
ReplyDelete1. He cares about his education. You said it yourself, athletes these days seem only to care about money and it is rare that you see people go back for a senior year. This guy realizes a couple of things. The first is he is a role model. There are kids all over this country who think of football stars and only see guys that left school for fame and fortune. Luck got into Stanford, and he is telling people that look up to him, education is more important than a game. Yes that game is a business, but it can end at any time to any player. Ask Joe Theismann, Steve Young or the myriad of other guys that were forced to leave the NFL because of an unforeseen circumstance or injury. The second thing he realizes is that he is at Stanford University. As you said, that is not a run of the mill school. If something should happen to him and he can’t play anymore, then he has the education to fall back on.
2. You mentioned Sam Bradford and his injury. Sam Bradford’s stock in the draft was not at all hurt by his decision to stay another year. And now, he is on the way to becoming rookie of the year, and has a very bright future in the NFL.
3. Andrew Luck cares about his school and his teammates. And I guarantee that one of the reasons that he is staying is that he wants Jim Harbaugh to come back as well. I know that it is unlikely, especially seeing what a hot commodity he has become. But Jim Harbaugh has a strong connection with the Stanford program and his players. If he sees that his star quarterback is coming back for another year, the temptation to stay and finish what he started will be very strong indeed.
I think it was a very hard decision for Andrew Luck to make, but being in his position, I would have made the same decision. It took guts for him to turn down the sure thing when he was unsure of what will happen. I like him better now than I ever have.
Luck be the Lady
ReplyDeleteAndrew Luck
Reasons for staying in school
Finish his education for a potential $60k per annum job (not being critical of an architectural designer, but this decision HAS to be done with facts).
Support his current teammates.
Stay close to his girl friend (not sure about this one, but it could be a reason).
Stay with Harbaugh (we now know that is done).
Be a “role model”. The kid has actually been in school for 3 years. At Stanford.
Pretend that he is Not “mentally” ready for the NFL because he is definitely “physically” ready (did anyone see him during or after the bowl game?).
Luck probably has a $1MM or $2MM insurance policy, so it isn’t like he is risking everything due to injury to stay in the college game.
Reasons for going to NFL
Could get hurt next year or even in spring practice and NOT heal like Bradford.
Harbaugh gone.
#1 Pick in NFL next year and REAL LARGE “contract”.
Can actually do more as a “role model” with the guaranteed resources of the LARGE contract.
And, for all the logic in the “stay in school” camp – he better darn sure graduate in the fall of 2011 and stay in school until he does actually graduate. Because , the “stay in school” logic can’t be “massaged” if he does stay another year, doesn’t graduate, and then goes to the NFL. And, what about the team mates that he has at then end of his actual senior year. And, he can NOT declare for the draft, then leave school early to come out to train for the NFL draft. The “stay in school” logic only works IF HE STAYS IN SCHOOL until he actually graduates. Because, he is definitely physically ready and he sure sounds like mentally he can work with other 22 to 28 year old folks in the NFL.
Let’s say that Luck gets hurt and has to “rely on his education”. I like that – “can fall back on his education” vs. the “potential he could do with the large (not a $500k contract either) NFL contract”. So, he becomes the architect and he really wants to design houses – maybe he has his own architectural firm and he can make ends meet doing architect work on single family dwellings “his life’s dream (for hypothetical purposes)”. Then, a request comes in to design a big building for a lucrative contract that could really allow him to expand his firm, employ more draftsmen, and help his family financially. He isn’t compromising his morals by opting for the lucrative contract – in fact, he is maximizing his benefits of his efforts. BUT, he really wants to be happy and just design single family dwellings. So, really, at every stage in his life, he has to decide what path to take. And, as long as he isn’t doing something immoral, then the decision should be to maximize the benefit to himself and for others.
He isn’t influencing anyone by staying in school after 3 years at Stanford.