How Andrew Luck will play a major role in the future of Stanford athletics

Andrew Luck is one of the biggest names to have ever come out of Stanford. On a list that includes athletes like Jim Plunkett, Tiger Woods and John McEnroe, Luck is right up there amongst the greats.

Luck retired from NFL football at 29, which many felt was incredibly early for a quarterback who seemed to still be in his prime. His Stanford education perhaps helped him realize that life is more than football, though, and he had taken quite a beating in his six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.

He took some time away from the game, but he's back at Stanford now as the general manager of the Cardinal football program. That's a newer role in college football, but a massively important one as NIL deals, transfer portal and roster construction and retention have become vital for success. 

Luck is perhaps the perfect person for the job, given his history at Stanford and his experiences in the NFL. He's so on top of it, in fact, that reports coming out of Stanford suggest that he'll play a major role in helping the Cardinal pick their next athletic director.

This is according to reporter John Wilner, who is reporting that Luck's "stamp of approval" will be important to the decision.