The Indianapolis Colts and the NFL lost one of its brightest stars on Saturday night. To the surprise of everyone, former Stanford quarterback and Colts hope for life Andrew Luck announced he was retiring after the team's third preseason game.
The Luck retirement came as a surprise to everyone. He apparently met with Jim Irsay to inform him beforehand, but decided to announce the decision before Sunday because it had leaked to the media.
"I've been stuck in this process," Luck said, stopping several times to gather his emotions. "I haven't been able to live the life I want to live. It's taken the joy out of this game ... the only way forward for me is to remove myself from football. "This is not an easy decision. It's the hardest decision of my life. But it is the right decision for me.''
"I'm in pain; I'm still in pain," he said. "It's been four years of this pain, rehab cycle. It's a myriad of issues -- calf strain, posterior ankle impingement, high ankle sprain. Part of my journey going forward will be figuring out how to feel better.''
ESPN
When the news popped, I expected the reports to consist that Luck was having some head-related injuries and problems. It seems like Lucks decision to retire is purely because of his injury history and how frustrating the process has become.
The NFL is losing one of its premier young stars in his prime. Luck was an MVP candidate last year and proving out his talent on a weekly basis. At the end of the day, you have to be happy that Luck feels comfortable making this decision and listening to his body. The Colts, just have to move on and hope they can recover this close to the season.