cause I put things aside just to finish a book.”
Then he gets into uniform and, in the
course of playing the one position that pri-
oritizes avoiding contact, he pulverizes
people. Some smash-mouth devotees think
the hardest hit in the Pac- 10 last season
was the one he unloaded on Southern Cal
defensive back Shareece Wright, who ap-
peared to be en route to the end zone with
a Stanford fumble until Luck drove him to
the turf so hard that Wright bounced. In
that instance, Luck’s ferocity was ignited
by necessity. But he has been known to seek
trouble and relish it.
‘He doesn’t necessarily enjoy being the poster boy for all the good things for college sports.’
marked by composure—“always steady
Eddie,” declares former teammate James
McGillicuddy, ’09, MA ’ 10. It all adds up
to a polished and imaginative player with
a streak of useful savagery.
THERE ARE LOTS of interesting facts
about Luck. He spent his early childhood
in Europe, where his father, Oliver, worked
for the NFL as it tried to establish a league
outside the United States. As a result, Luck
is a huge soccer fan and still follows that
other version of football.
When his family returned to the United
States and he began playing Pop Warner
football in Texas, Luck’s first position was
defensive end. He was a co-valedictorian at
Stratford High in Houston, where his quarterback talent drew national attention. One of
his three siblings, Mary Ellen, joined him
at Stanford and is a sophomore playing on
the volleyball team.
But facts are not enough when you’re
touted as the best player in college football
and, according to some analysts, the best
NFL quarterback prospect since John Elway,
’83. (See sidebar on page 52 for more com-
parisons to former Stanford greats.) Like
statistics, such pronouncements lack
personality. What the world wants is stories.
