It comes as no surprise that as Stanford Football has risen to the highest ranks in college football, the NFL has taken notice. While it wasn't long ago that the program was completely ignored by NFL scouts (not a single Stanford player was selected in either 2008 or '09 draft), things have changed in recent years.
Andrew Luck (Round 1, Pick #1, Indianapolis Colts)
Taken in the spot he would've occupied had he left college a year ago, Luck fell in the laps of the Indianapolis Colts. How eager were they to get started on the Luck Era? They jettisoned Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL. You know all that, of course. Robert Griffin III was the second pick, and Luck and RG3 will be forever linked. After finishing one and two in the Heisman balloting four months ago, it was no surprise that they were the top two picks in this draft. There were some voices calling for the Colts to choose RG3 over Luck, but most rational minds saw this as nonsense. Even so, the two will be compared constantly, beginning with the first preseason games in August and extending for the duration of their careers. Griffin, however, will likely see more success this year, as his Washington Redskins are a much better team right now. When Luck stands in the huddle this fall, most of the faces looking back at him will be first- and second-year players. One face, however, will be familiar -- but more on that later.
Stanford sources have confirmed what few thought possible even as recently as forty-eight hours ago. In a move that has sent ripples through the entire football world, from Palo Alto, Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, and Eugene in the NCAA to Indianapolis, Washington, and Denver in the NFL, Andrew Luck has announced that he will be returning for a fourth season at quarterback for the Stanford Cardinal.
In a brief press release issued through Stanford University's Athletic Department, Luck made his intentions clear: "I love Stanford University, and I'm not ready to leave. I know this decision comes as a surprise. I also know that many people have made plans based on my assumed departure to the NFL, and I regret that. But I have to do what I believe is best for me, and right now nothing could be better than playing quarterback for the Stanford Cardinal."
