Andrew Luck will not enter 2011 NFL Draft
Andrew Luck would have been the number one overall draft pick if he decided to enter the 2011 NFL Draft.
The Carolina Panthers had said that they would have surely picked Luck if he decided to make himself eligible.
But the Stanford sophomore announced on Thursday that he’s not going to enter the draft and is instead going to stay in school.
"I am committed to earning my degree in architectural design from Stanford University and am on track to accomplish this at the completion of the spring quarter of 2012," Luck said in a statement.
The school said that Luck would not be available for comments about his decision.
His father Oliver Luck, former NFL quarterback said that "This is a win-win for him. He gets to spend another year at Stanford, be part of a team that will be highly ranked again next year, finish his degree and enjoy Palo Alto.
"It's not like the NFL is going anywhere, it's one of the best run leagues in the world. It will still be there when he graduates."
Oliver is the athletic director at West Virginia and says that the chance of being selected by the Panthers or the NFL lockout did not affect Andrew’s decision.
"Call him old school," Oliver said. "He comes from a faction of people who believe you go to college to pursue your degree."
Andrew announced his decision as Stanford Cardinals coach Jim Harbaugh is being pushed to abandon his post as head coach for Stanford and come join the professional league as head coach. He met with officials from the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins
while the Denver Broncos are trying to schedule a meeting with him.
It is not clear whether Andrew’s decision to stay at school will affect Harbaugh’s decision but if he does then other coaches will be lining up for the opportunity to coach Andrew.
Andrew played very well in Monday’s Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech. He completed 18 of his 23 passing attempts for 287 yards and four touchdowns in their 40-12 victory. The win extended the school’s record to 12-1 and may be in the top five teams of the
AP poll for the first time since 1940 when they came in second place.
However, the NFL will just have to wait until next year to try and get their hands on Andrew. And even then, he might decide to complete his senior year in Stanford as well. Only time will tell.
Stay tuned!
Tags: