Andrew Luck shed light on his retirement at 29 years old.
It's been more than three years since Andrew Luck abruptly retired from the NFL
The former No. 1 pick shared details surrounding his decision to step away from the NFL when he was just 29 years old and was on a path that would likely have taken him to the Hall of Fame.
Luck spoke with ESPN and finally revealed why he left the game he loved in the midst of his prime.
"I understood myself best as a quarterback," Luck explained to Wickersham. "I felt no understanding of other parts of myself at all."
The former Pro Bowler felt as if his entire existence was tied to meeting expectations in Indianapolis, as the No. 1 overall draft pick, successor to Peyton Manning, etc. When he battled persistent injuries, he believed he was failing to meet those expectations. In the end, all of that pressure took a huge toll on life outside of football, especially with his girlfriend and future wife, Nicole Pechanec.
"To play quarterback, you're not allowed to worry about anything except the task at hand," Luck said. "And that seeps into other areas of life. It's not the healthiest way to live."
As for the Indianapolis Colts, Luck's retirement has steered them into quarterback purgatory. In fact, they've had four different starting quarterbacks since Luck's retirement in 2019 and the organization hasn't won a playoff game since Luck stepped away from the game of football.
