words // Brennan Hiro Williams
Today Nike announced the signing of two-time All-American quarterback Andrew Luck to its roster of athletes.
The former Stanford star will enter the April 26 NFL Draft as one of the most heralded quarterback prospects in decades. The two-time Heisman Trophy finalist led the resurgence of the Cardinal football program, helping his team to a 23-3 record over the past two seasons. Widely regarded as the likely first pick of the 2011 draft, Luck returned to school for his redshirt junior season, completing a record-breaking career as Stanford’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (82), total yards (10,387) and passing efficiency rating (162.8). Luck excelled as a scholar-athlete as well, as the architectural design major earned three straight Academic All-America honors during his time on The Farm.
“I’m excited to be part of the Nike team,” said Luck. “And I look forward to pursuing the next chapter of my career with such an innovative company supporting me.”
The Indianapolis Colts are expected to take Luck with the first pick, hoping that the 22-year-old signal caller can successfully step into the newly vacant starting role. The Colts released their all-world quarterback, Peyton Manning, last week after 14 years under center.
