Page 21 - ARUBA TODAY

A21
SPORTS Monday 26 august 2019

Luck announces retirement following Colts loss to Bears

By MICHAEL MAROT and completion rate (67.3
Associated Press percent), throwing for 4,593
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An- yards with 39 touchdowns
drew Luck watched one and 15 interceptions as he
last game from the sideline led the Colts back to the
Saturday. playoffs, earned his fourth
Then he said goodbye to Pro Bowl selection and was
the NFL. the runaway winner of the
The Indianapolis Colts quar- league's Comeback Player
terback heard boos as of the Year award.
he walked away from the Then came the mysterious
field, then walked to the calf-ankle injury that again
podium and made the sur- never felt quite right.
prise decision official. The So after marrying his long-
oft-injured star is retiring at time girlfriend this spring
age 29. and now awaiting the birth
"I'm in pain, I'm still in pain. of his first child, Luck called
It's been four years of this it quits.
pain, rehab cycle," Luck "I am going to retire," he
said. "It's a myriad of is- said. "This is not an easy de-
sues — calf strain, posterior cision. It's the hardest deci-
ankle impingement, high sion of my life. But it is the
ankle sprain. Part of my Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck speaks during a news conference following the right decision for me."
journey going forward will team's NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019, in In- Players around the league
be figuring out how to feel dianapolis. were just as stunned as the
better." Associated Press Colts.
Luck wasn't planning to "It was mind-blowing,"
make the announcement quired in a cutdown week- member of the Colts team," his promise. Houston Texans quarter-
following Saturday's 27-17 end trade two years ago Luck said. "And I wanted to He led the Colts to the play- back Deshaun Watson
loss to the Chicago Bears. who has been practicing make sure I could go out offs in each of his first three said. "It's something that of
But when ESPN first reported with the starters since April. and enjoy it." seasons and to the AFC course caught everyone
the news during the fourth He went 4-11 as a starter in It wasn't just the leg, though. championship game after off guard. He can control
quarter, Luck changed the the 2017 season after tak- He played with shoulder the 2014 season — without his own future. He's a great
plan for a Sunday after- ing over for opening day pain for most of 2015 and missing a start. But a subpar player. He's a great quar-
noon announcement. starter Scott Tolzien. 2016, and his 2015 season offensive line struggled to terback. One of the top
Instead, he held a 25-min- But the Colts had already ended when he suffered keep Luck upright and in five quarterbacks in the
ute impromptu news con- been preparing for the pos- a lacerated kidney. He 2015, the shoulder and kid- league. He's doing it for the
ference. sibility Luck might not be missed all of 2017 following ney injuries forced him to right reasons for himself."
At times he sounded wistful. ready for the Sept. 8 season shoulder surgery and then miss nine games. The Colts Kansas City quarterback
At others, his voice cracked opener against the Los An- the happy-go-lucky former finished 8-8 and missed the Patrick Mahomes, the
with emotion. geles Chargers. Luck was Stanford star dealt with playoffs. reigning MVP, said: "Know-
One thing was clear: The diagnosed with a strained more pain and more end- In 2016, after Luck opted ing Andrew he's a great
endless barrage of injuries left calf in March and team less months of rehab. not to have shoulder sur- football player, of course,
stripped away his joy for the officials kept him out of all The Colts bet big on Luck in gery, then coach Chuck but he's also a great hu-
game and prompted him of the team's offseason 2012. Pagano gave Luck extra man being — I know that
to walk away so he could workouts. They cut an injured Peyton days off to try and keep he's going to make the right
enjoy the life he wants. He returned to limited ac- Manning to take Luck with him healthy. Luck made 15 decision for himself and his
"There's no doubt when you tion when training camp the top overall pick, fully starts that season though family."
hear him talk about the cy- opened in late July. After believing he would be their the Colts again finished 8-8 Reich had said he hoped
cle of pain and injury and three practices, though, franchise quarterback for and missed the playoffs. to have an answer about
rehab, you can hear that," the lingering pain near his the next 10 to 15 years. While Luck had surgery for Luck's availability for the
coach Frank Reich said. ankle forced him back into Team owner Jim Irsay called a partially torn labrum in Sept. 8 season opener after
"There's a saying in football rehab. He hadn't prac- it a "no-brainer" because January 2017, he never felt the third preseason game.
that everyone knows and ticed with the team since, his aging team needed to right and after throwing for This might not have been
everybody lives by, it's next though he did throw passes rebuild. two weeks in the fall was the one he wanted — and
man up and even though in pregame warmups be- "I never felt that he (Luck) shut down for the rest of the certainly didn't expect.
this situation is unique, no fore last week's preseason owed me to play until he's season. "Teams win, don't write the
one is exempt." game. 40 or until he's 36 or what- Last year, Luck looked like end of the story yet," Colts
That task now falls to Ja- "I had a thought that it ever," Irsay said. "I mean, his old self. He established general manager Chris Bal-
coby Brissett, a fourth-year might be my last time throw- this is an unusual situation." career highs in attempts lard said. "I'm telling you the
player whom the Colts ac- ing at Lucas Oil as a current Luck delivered quickly on (639), completions (430) story's not over yet."q