Luck The Athletic Audio+

Welcome to LUCK, the new podcast series on Andrew Luck, one of the great what-ifs in NFL history. The series explores a fundamental question: How did one of the greatest quarterback prospects of all-time end up walking away from the game before he turned 30 years old?
In Episode 1, host Zak Keefer — a longtime Colts beat writer who covered Luck’s pro career — traces Luck’s path from his unique upbringing in Europe to Heisman contender at Stanford. Voices in the episode include Stanford coach David Shaw, former Stanford QB Tavita Pritchard, Heisman winner Robert Griffin III, Tony Dungy and more.

In Episode 2 of LUCK, host Zak Keefer explores the historic decision the Indianapolis Colts faced in the winter of 2012: whether to move on from the franchise’s greatest player, Peyton Manning, for the chance to draft another generational talent at quarterback — Stanford’s Andrew Luck.
Keefer details the Colts’ internal struggles — including Manning’s covert plan to force his way back onto the field, and Jim Irsay’s guilt over having to release an all-time great. Voices in the episode include Irsay, Bill Polian, Chuck Pagano, Bruce Arians, Daniel Jeremiah, Peter King, Bob Kravitz and more.

In Episode 3 of LUCK, host Zak Keefer explores the early years of Andrew Luck’s NFL career — and what made him such a singular personality in NFL history. A quarterback who led seven fourth-quarter comebacks as a rookie? Who read books on Nelson Mandela in his free time? Who complimented defensive linemen after they’d driven him into the turf? Who tore up the Colts’ defense in practice so badly that Bruce Arians wore all black the next day to bust their chops because Luck had, as Arians put it, “killed them”? Voices include Arians, Chuck Pagano, D’Qwell Jackson, Robert Mays, Mike Sando and more.

When did it start to go wrong? In Episode 4 of LUCK, host Zak Keefer dives into the darkest years of Andrew Luck’s NFL career. Somewhere, in between the broken ribs, the lacerated kidney, the torn abdomen muscle and the wrecked throwing shoulder, he lost his football innocence. A game that had once been so much fun was now a living hell. Was there a way out? And how bad did it get? As we hear, much worse than we all thought. Voices include Chuck Pagano, Bruce Arians, Bill Polian, Tony Dungy, Robert Mays, Peter King and more.

“Am I ever gonna be great again?” That’s the question Andrew Luck asked his throwing coach, Tom House, at one point during his rehab. In episode 5 of LUCK, host Zak Keefer examines the most rewarding season — both personally and professionally — of Andrew Luck’s career. It’s an intimate look inside Luck’s return from shoulder hell and how he did it. Voices include House, Chris Ballard, Jacoby Brissett, Robert Griffin III and more.

Wait ... what?!? That was a common reaction to the stunning news that came down the night of August 24, 2019. Andrew Luck — just 29 years old, coming off his most efficient season ever — was walking way from football, broken down and battered, his love of the game gone. How? Why?
In Episode 6 of LUCK, host Zak Keefer examines in detail one of the most shocking retirements in NFL history: the lead-up, the clues, the scene, the reaction then and now. Voices include Jim Irsay, Chris Ballard, Jacoby Brissett, Robert Griffin III, David Shaw and more.