Saturday, January 1, 2011

Andrew Luck's biggest hit




Watch the above clip to see Andrew Luck delivers one of the hardest hits you will ever see a quarterback dish out.

I wrote a long piece on Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck for Sunday's newspaper and online that you can see here, trying to give Carolina Panther fans an inside look at the quarterback and his background in case he does end up declaring early for the NFL draft and becoming the Panthers' No.1 pick.

The piece mentions in a couple of places some punishing hits that Luck doled out -- one while he had the ball and was running and one when he tackled an opposing cornerback who had recovered a fumble. The first one is at the top of this blog -- the second one is here and also well worth a look as Luck runs over a California safety.

And if you're really wanting a deep look at Luck highlights, here's an 8-minute video Stanford put together about him as part of his Heisman Trophy candidacy (he finished second, to Auburn's Cam Newton).

Luck says that "99.999 percent" of the time quarterbacks are the ones who are taking the hits so he "relishes" the opportunity to give them out.

Of course, Luck is ultra-smart, too -- he has 350 variations of plays on the wristband he wears, and knows them all very well, his coaches say. He's 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, has a rocket arm... I could go on and on, and many people do. Everyone who comes to watch him says he's about as NFL-ready as they come.

But those hits? To me, they don't just mean Luck is big. They mean he's a football player, and the sort of leader that his teammates will follow anywhere. Some NFL team -- and I hope it is the Panthers, because it would be so darn interesting -- is going to be very lucky to get him.

Note to readers: I'm still in Florida, where I'm working on a story on Jim Harbaugh (a future candidate for the Panthers' coaching job?) that will come out in Monday's newspaper and online. I will not be blogging during the Panthers-Falcons game -- however, I will contribute a "5 things" blog at some point after the game.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Scott scott scott.Please do your homework.We all know you have to make space for a big story,but andrew luck is only fodder for the space filler.HE IS NOT....I REPEAT....NOT COMING OUT!!! A good reporter has factual information,not guess work.I guess your next story will be who else the panthers are going to take with the top pick....oops!! I am not a writer....duh!!,but have better resources than you.The panthers will most likely trade their #1 pick for several others.I have yet to see in any of your articles that the panthers DO NOT HAVE a 2nd round pick.....that goes to N.E. The panthers need several top players,so when luck tells the world he is not coming out,the only other option for the panthers is to trade down and rebuild.Come on scott...am i that smart,or do you not have any inside info?

Unknown said...

It's called "Scott's Opinions," this is a blog smart Anonymous guy. Funny that you are yelling about Scott not using "factual information" with your entire rant using what??? Oh that's right, guess work.

Anonymous said...

Luck has 2 more yrs of college. Sign a good veteran free agent QB and NOT a rookie.

Can JR cough up enuff to pay Peyton to come?


2011 Free Agent QB's

*Peyton Manning, IND
Kyle Orton, DEN
Matt Hasselbeck, SEA
Troy Smith, BAL
Trent Edwards, BUF
JT O'Sullivan, CIN
Seneca Wallace, CLE
Shaun Hill, DET
Brodie Croyle, KC
Chad Pennington, MIA
Tyler Thigpen, MIA
Tarvaris Jackson, MIN
Jim Sorgi, NYG
Kellen Clemens, NYJ
Bruce Gradkowski, OAK
Dennis Dixon, PIT
Billy Volek, SD
Kerry Collins, TEN
Chris Simms, TEN
Rex Grossman, WAS

Anonymous said...

Wow!!!! What a hit! Not!!!! That's not a big deal. Besides, when (and if) he's signed to a multi-million dollar contract, do you want your "franchise" QB taking or making hits like these? I don't think so!

Anonymous said...

wow, a great QB that hits like a linebacker.soon i hope to be placing my order for autographed panthers jersey,football,and helmet plus a game day jersey with "luck" on the back. how cool would that be.

Anonymous said...

Harbaugh is leaving - Most of his OL is leaving -

Andrew Luck is going to be our QB for 12-15 yrs unless Hurney stubbornly wants to prove he was right about The Idiot, Jimmy Clausen

Anonymous said...

Pathetic. Over reaching. Dislusional. That is one simple hit where he had the easy angle. No big deal.
Maybe he was a LB in Pop Warner? Insanity. Delirious distraught fans grasping at straws. Real fantazy football.

Take a deep breath. The economy will recover quicker than the Panthers. 5 years min.

Anonymous said...

Wow I think most of you people need to calm down and just breath. It's just football..

1.) Nobody knows if he is or isn't coming out. If he is, he is right now the consensus number 1, so naturally having the first pick our local newspaper will cover him. I would cover him also, he is clearly a big draw for panther fans (such as myself) who believe this could be our next big time player and we want to absorb as much info as possible.

2.) Yes, it is a big deal he slammed him that hard. What QB does that? Are we saying that makes him an elite NFL player someday? No, we are just saying it's not something you see everyday. Again. Just breath, its okay.

3.) Seriously the guy who put all those QBs do you really think Peyton won't be resigned? And even if he wasn't, Peyton isn't coming to the worst team in the NFL for any amount of money. Also, look at that list. That is a gosh awful list of quarterbacks, why would we even wanna waste time on one of them. At best we get who? Hasselbeck? He can't even get 8 wins this season and all the hawk fans can't wait for him to be gone.

4.) As for the guys talking about it taking 5 years lol what? You have no idea how long it will take. The Bucs turned it around in just one season. I'm not saying we WILL, I'm saying you DONT HAVE ANY IDEA. And quite frankly, the fan base is better off if most of you leave. Not saying you can't be unhappy, but some of you just take all of this way too seriously.

Lastly, there is always a risk of Luck being a bust. There is always a risk of EVERY player being a bust. I like the guys saying "he could be a bust, therefore lets draft AJ Green or Fairley" as if they won't be busts also. At the end of the day if you can draft a franchise QB that can get you to the playoffs EVERY season like Peyton and Brady ect, you draft the QB. EVERY TIME.

carolinaz3 said...

Scott. Several NFL media outlets are saying Richardson is going to continue his cheap ways and sign a cheap Head Coach and not pay for a big time coach like Harbaugh. Any words from inside the organization of if Richardon's cheap ways ended in 2010?

Anonymous said...

Luck will leave if his coach leaves....and his coach will have a new gig next gig....

Anonymous said...

How about somebody actually give an example of Richardson being cheap......

Offered to make that fool Jooyus highest paid def player in league / ok'd huge contract ext for idiot Jake / all draft picks have gotten proper $$$ / john fox finished as one of highest pd coaches this year....

This calling him cheap is a bunch of crap --

Was Pittsburgh or New Orleans cheap for hiring coordinators? --

THIS WAS AN UNCAPPED YEAR AND IT WAS VERY SMART TO USE IT TO CUT ALL THE BAD CONTRACTS IN ORDER TO REBUILD

Many of you are pathetic idiots and simply parrot what you hear on ESPN by so;called reporters who do not follow any one team closely unless they are in the northeast

Fire Hurney! said...

Hurney blows Richardson on a daily basis.

Anonymous said...

Richardson has never been cheap and even if he ever was it would be his business.

Fact is with a bad economy and rising prices plus gas going to 5 bucks a gallon thanks to Obama cutting new oil well drilling plus a 15 trillion debt this is killing America.

These overpaid cocky bloated glut pro sport pigs need to cut 50% across the board yet their union wants more and crying about 18 games.
Hogs get butchered. Its past time.

Anonymous said...

PLEASE EXPLAIN why Hurney isn't FIRED?!?
I'm not sure if someone (Marty Hurney) who started as a Journalist is qualified to be an NFL GM. That's right, the Panthers have a former Journalist as their General Manager!
Anyone who traded away a 2nd Round pick to MOVE UP to pick A. Edwards should be FIRED!!!
Anyone who couldn't recognize WHY ALL those team passed over J. Clausen should be FIRED!!!
Was E. Brown worth trading away a pick?!?
Sure, Hurney made some decent picks over the past few years...anyone can get lucky. But trading away those draft picks over the past are the most boneheaded moves EVER. The Patriots really don't need to reload this offseason, but they'll be licking their chops in this year's Draft.
HURNEY needs to go NOW!