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Sep 30, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal and NFL former quarterback Andrew Luck stands on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Stanford GM Andrew Luck Discusses Upcoming Season

Originally posted on Stanford Cardinal on SI
By Dylan Grausz | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 5:08 PM ET

This weekend, the Stanford Cardinal begin their 2025 campaign with a Week Zero matchup against Hawaii, where the program will look to get things started on a high note with a win and begin their quest to get over the hump after enduring four straight 3-9 seasons.

Hiring former Stanford and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to be the program's general manager, Stanford went all-in on setting themselves up for success in the current era of college football, hoping to maximize their NIL and transfer portal opportunities.

Luck, a Stanford legend, returns to the place he once called home in order to turn Stanford back into a national powerhouse. Earlier this week, Luck took to NBC Bay Area News and did a one-on-one sit-down with anchor, Raj Mathai, to discuss his new role and what it means to be back on campus leading his alma mater.

"Being on this campus, it's sort of not to just sort of blink and look around and say, ah, what a lucky guy I am," Luck said.

After the 2011 season in which Luck led the Cardinal to an 11-2 record and a Fiesta Bowl appearance, he left for the NFL Draft and was picked No. 1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts, replacing another legend in Peyton Manning.

And from 2012-18, Luck dominated the NFL despite enduring some injury plagued seasons. He earned four Pro Bowl trips, the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 and guided the Colts to an AFC championship appearance in 2014. But through it all, Luck's injuries were too much and he abruptly retired from football in the 2019 preseason at the age of 29.

In the years that followed, Luck remained away from the game and out of the spotlight, even revealing that at times, he felt guilty for retiring and did not know how to handle it. But Luck never fully lost his connection with the game, returning to the field as a volunteer coach with Palo Alto High School in 2023 while he was working on his master's degree at Stanford.

"I miss football. I wouldn't be in this job if I didn't miss parts of football," Luck said. "Different than missing playing quarterback, right? More than anything, time has been one of gratitude, appreciation, you know, for the opportunities, the people."

Luck's undying love for the game eventually led him back to the Cardinal, who hired him to be the team's GM in November 2024 following the season finale against San Jose State. In today's era of college football where NIL, the transfer portal and revenue sharing are big factors, bringing in a football specific general manager became a top priority for the school--who made Luck the most high profile general manager in college sports at the time of his hiring.

Within his first few months on the job, Luck already had a lot to take care of. Firing Troy Taylor right before spring practice and replacing him with interim Frank Reich, the Cardinal also experienced a massive roster exodus while needing to find a new athletic director, with former AD Bernard Muir stepping down at the end of the last school year.

Despite Luck needing to deal with all that, he is happy with how everyone was able to adjust so well to all of the changes.

"I certainly didn't have a few of these things on my bingo card when I started the job, but look, we adjusted in many ways," Luck said. "I know certainly we adjusted, and coach Reich's here for the year, which has been incredible for our young men and incredible for me. We plug away, and we keep getting better as a program."

At one point, college football was a true amateur's game, with each and every student-athlete eager to represent their school and create a legacy for themselves on campus that lasts long after they leave.

But today, the college landscape is way different, with players making big money and often times entering the transfer portal because of financials--a far cry from the era that Luck played in. When asked about his concerns with the current makeup of college football, Luck did not shy away from giving an honest answer.

"I don't want too much of the soul of college football to get lost, right?," Luck said to Mathai. "Look, to a certain degree, it's always been a business, right. And it's, you know, players getting paid. It's about time. Too much money has been made on the sport. But we need some more rigor. I don't mean this in a patronizing way, but we gotta protect players, you know, and I'd love some rigor around agents and representation and help to make sure where everybody's on the same page."

Now, Luck's focus is helping Stanford put together a resurgent season, and while he can't predict exactly how good this year's team will be, Luck promises that he will give 110% to his job all year long.

"I'm bringing all of me. I can tell you that," Luck said. "This is going to be a team we can all be very proud of."

This article first appeared on Stanford Cardinal on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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