Top 20 NFL Players: #14

Top 20 NFL Players: #14

20. Jalen Ramsey, 19. Quenton Nelson, 18. Julio Jones, 17. Ezekiel Elliott, 16. Stephon Gilmore, 15. Odell Beckham Jr.

14. Andrew Luck

Height and Weight: 6’4”, 240 lbs

Position: QB

Team: Indianapolis Colts

College: Stanford

If you thought you were going to see a player in the Top 20 that was not going to be playing the upcoming season, I would call you crazy. Well, Andrew Luck has proved to us that football, or even life for that matter, is a crazy game. On Saturday evening, breaking news stormed across the league that Andrew Luck had informed the Colts that he was going to retire. The news came as a shock to everyone, as Luck was coming off a year where he won Comeback Player of the Year, threw 39 TD’s, which was second in the NFL (Mahomes), and led the Colts to a playoff win over the Houston Texans. According to Luck, his reasoning for retiring is that he was “mentally tired”. Luck’s career was derailed with injuries but let’s not forget about how special this man was, is, and forever will be on the football field.

Good enough to be drafted number one overall, Andrew Luck was a special quarterback when he was healthy and often overlooked. In six seasons since 2012, Luck has played in 86 games, threw for 171 touchdowns and 83 interceptions. His gunslinger mentality gave him an opportunity to rack up yards and create big plays. He had 23,671 yards in his career to go along with the touchdowns. What separated Luck from being good to being great is his leadership qualities and skills. While often joked that he was “too nice”, Luck quickly became one of the most respected players in football. 

The reason I kept Andrew Luck on this list is that even though he is not playing, Luck’s swagger, demeanor, determination, and skills can help in more ways than just throwing and catching a football. The big concern for the Colts now is who there starting QB is going to be. Luck’s value is sticking out like a sore thumb right now, which is what made Luck get talked about as one of the game's top quarterbacks. For now, Jacoby Brissett will be the starter, but he is still a question mark in the NFL. To sum it up, Andrew Luck is one of the most gifted athletes to play the sport and is an even better person that the NFL is losing way too soon.

-By: Richie Dordas

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