Remember those Suck for Luck threads on the PI Forum?

[Feez]

Boy does it look like we got the better end of that draft now doesnt it ? On a side not geno Smith is looking pretty competent tonight. I was not overly happy with the idea it would be either him of Lynch as the backup this season. I am cautiously optimistic

[Anthony]

We knew we got the better end of that draft a while ago.

[Feez]

I think most people did however there was also a ton of Hype about him coming into this season too. Lots of luck lol aid drinkers out there until today

[Hawktawk]

Just WOW...Didnt see this coming. But yeah where are the Luck is better than Russ folks now?

[jshawaii22]

Luck never had a chance. Bad decisions by the team in roster formation and injuries took Luck and RGIII down. On the surface neither compare to Russ, but Luck when healthy was a really good QB and on the right team... you just never know.

[Aseahawkfan]

So many people telling me Russell wasn't the best in his class and so much criticism about his height. Out of the all QBs picked, he was one of those last chosen of the historic QB class. And he was the best of his class, the Joe Montana of his QB class. You could see it that first year. Only certain people that don't know much about football see Russell as anything other than what he is: a generational talent that is headed to the Hall of Fame. All he's doing at this point is adding to his resume. If Pete and John can manage to put together another great team before Russell's career starts to degrade, then we should get another SB or two.

[RiverDog]

Hey, Feez, nice to see you again! Great avatar, by the way.

Yes, I remember the "suck for Luck" movement. Peyton Manning was out for the entire season and the Colts were in a nose dive. But as far as it relates to us, and as bad as we were that season, we were never in the hunt for Luck. The two quarterbacks we were debating about was Mark Sanchez in 2009 and Jake Locker in 2011. Had we taken Sanchez in 2009 as many had advocated and might have if the Jets didn't take him just ahead of us, he probably would have played just good enough to give us a 'fool's gold' attitude and we more than likely don't take Russell in 2011.

Too bad for the Indy fans. They were talked about in some circles as being a possible SB contender. But I do have a bit of sympathy and respect for Andrew Luck. He had fought numerous injuries and missed an entire season. He's walking away from the game with his health and a healthy bank account.

[Hawktawk]

Locker was kind of in the same vein as Luck in terms of walking away with seemingly plenty of football playing years left although not the talent. I dunno, the money is so ridiculous now that any top flight player who took care of their money for a few years could do the same thing.

As a lifelong blue collar guy, first in golf now in manufacturing who doesn't miss work sick, hurt, tired, missed 3 days with a heart attack and 3 more with a GI bleed, skipped doctors appointments to go to work etc I dont get it frankly.

I can't say respect is the word I have for guys who drag up on an organization that has made them wealthy beyond their wildest dreams and a fan base that adores them just because they are in a financial position to do so. Maybe envy would be my word.

In my case starvation being a great motivator coupled with a dad who was ten times tougher than me and instilled a work ethic from hell in me was why I've been how i've been.

Russ has that kind of a work ethic. Luck obviously does not..

[RiverDog]

Locker was kind of in the same vein as Luck in terms of walking away with seemingly plenty of football playing years left although not the talent. I dunno, the money is so ridiculous now that any top flight player who took care of their money for a few years could do the same thing.

As a lifelong blue collar guy, first in golf now in manufacturing who doesn't miss work sick, hurt, tired, missed 3 days with a heart attack and 3 more with a GI bleed, skipped doctors appointments to go to work etc I dont get it frankly.

I can't say respect is the word I have for guys who drag up on an organization that has made them wealthy beyond their wildest dreams and a fan base that adores them just because they are in a financial position to do so. Maybe envy would be my word.

In my case starvation being a great motivator coupled with a dad who was ten times tougher than me and instilled a work ethic from hell in me was why I've been how i've been.

Russ has that kind of a work ethic. Luck obviously does not..

I take a little different view. One of the good things about the way professional athletes are paid vs. the way they were compensated 40 years ago is that they are not under financial pressure to push their bodies beyond acceptable limits. One of my favorite examples is George Blanda, a league MVP that had to drive a beer truck in the off season to make ends meet.

I don't fault Luck or Locker from walking away from the game like they did, and I wouldn't use their decisions to retire as a strike against their work ethic. I'd have less respect for them if their heart wasn't in the game and they cheated their teammates and fans by just going through the motions so they could fleece their team out of millions.

[Distant]

Kinda feel bad for the guy! I have a feeling he will be back in a few years once he is pain free.

[c_hawkbob]

After all the "Luck is going to be the GOAT" crap we had to swallow for his first 5 years I can't help but laugh a little at his announcement last night. More for all the pundits and Colts fans (and a few of our own) than for Luck himself. I get it; football hurts, whether to play through or take what you've already earned and enjoy the rest of your life is no one's decision but his. I wish him well.

But still ... i am SOOOO glad we got Russ!

[RiverDog]

Kinda feel bad for the guy! I have a feeling he will be back in a few years once he is pain free.

I don't agree. Unlike Bret Farve, Luck is a very intelligent dude. I don't get the impression that he's a Favre-like drama queen. I think that this is it for him.

I also don't think you're going to see him in a TV booth. For one, he's as ugly as all get out, ain't going to do much for the female audience. My guess...and I have nothing to go on other than my own intuition...is that Luck makes a complete break from football, no coaching jobs, no TV or radio gigs, no administrative positions. I think he's burned out and will take a step back, at least for a few years.

[Hawktawk]

I had the thought Luck might reconsider as well once he gets healthy. When the league is so desperate for talent at the position they called McCown out of retirement and Fitz has a chance to start my guess is Luck will get a few inquiries going forward. My guess is he is done forever.

Maybe its harsh to 1 question his work ethic, how about his spine, mental toughness? You can't sugar coat walking away after being comeback player of the year with huge stats and only 7 years(6 playing ) in the league when you were heralded as the second coming and first overall pick. Hes instantly went from top 10 to a footnote in the history of the league, a quitter.

[RiverDog]

I had the thought Luck might reconsider as well once he gets healthy. When the league is so desperate for talent at the position they called McCown out of retirement and Fitz has a chance to start my guess is Luck will get a few inquiries going forward. My guess is he is done forever.

Maybe its harsh to 1 question his work ethic, how about his spine, mental toughness? You can't sugar coat walking away after being comeback player of the year with huge stats and only 7 years(6 playing ) in the league when you were heralded as the second coming and first overall pick. Hes instantly went from top 10 to a footnote in the history of the league, a quitter.

The only thing that I'll rap Luck for is his indecisiveness. He's obviously been thinking about this for a long time. It would have been a lot better for the Colts for him to have made his decision last February rather than two weeks before the start of the regular season.

But calling him a quitter? That's easy for you to say.

[Feez]

Hey, Feez, nice to see you again! Great avatar, by the way.
Thanks Riverdog glad to see this place is still up and active. Good to see it's mainly the same folks from back in the PI days.

Hawktalk I agree Luck had to be considering this way before the start of team activities this season. Had he let them know he was half in around the draft he could have given them a chance to minimize his choice somewhat. I have heard he felt the team didn't care about his health so he didn't care about when he announced his retirement I would chalk that up to speculation but the timing of his announcement makes me believe that rumor a little more

[Hawktawk]

But calling him a quitter? That's easy for you to say.

He quit in his absolute prime. Hence he's a quitter.

As I've said Im a blue collar guy who never got rewarded much in my bank account who shows up every day, sometimes hurt, sometimes sick, never calls in sick unless I'm in the hospital. I've walked my Talk for 45 years as a working man.

I have every right to call out a guy who walks away from a kids game paying him 120 million that Id strap my fat 60 year old @$$ in pads and go play for free if I could right now. Yeah he's a quitter.

I completely agree with you about his selfish decision making process. He should have done it pre draft. It's clear Reich is stunned and Irsay is pist. Don't sleep on Jacoby Brissett though.

[RiverDog]

He quit in his absolute prime. Hence he's a quitter.

By that standard, you can call Jim Brown a quitter, too, along with Michael Jordan, Sandy Koufax, and Bobby Orr. Bjorn Borg retired at age 26 at the top of a non contact sport where there is almost no risk of permanent injury. You might as well call him a quitter, too. There's a lot of very good athletes that, for a variety of reasons, retire at the peak of their careers with lots of tread on the tires.

As I've said Im a blue collar guy who never got rewarded much in my bank account who shows up every day, sometimes hurt, sometimes sick, never calls in sick unless I'm in the hospital. I've walked my Talk for 45 years as a working man. I have every right to call out a guy who walks away from a kids game paying him 120 million that Id strap my fat 60 year old @$$ in pads and go play for free if I could right now. Yeah he's a quitter.

Your personal trek, however admirable, has nothing to do with anyone else outside you and your immediate family. It's a personal decision that we've all at least thought about, if not acted on. Besides, Luck isn't necessarily retiring as much as he's changing his occupation. How many people do you know that willingly changed their careers inside of 40 years old? I know a bunch, and most, if not all, aren't the types I'd call a quitter. If a 15 year military veteran decides to take a job in the private sector, is he or she a quitter? Are you a quitter because you changed jobs?

I completely agree with you about his selfish decision making process. He should have done it pre draft. It's clear Reich is stunned and Irsay is pist. Don't sleep on Jacoby Brissett though.

There's two sides to every story. There is a rumor that Luck wasn't pleased with the team's lack of concern over his health issues. But yes, I agree. His timing sucked. If I were a Colts fan with a #12 jersey, I'd be burning it.

[Distant]

I don't agree. Unlike Bret Farve, Luck is a very intelligent dude. I don't get the impression that he's a Favre-like drama queen. I think that this is it for him.

I also don't think you're going to see him in a TV booth. For one, he's as ugly as all get out, ain't going to do much for the female audience. My guess...and I have nothing to go on other than my own intuition...is that Luck makes a complete break from football, no coaching jobs, no TV or radio gigs, no administrative positions. I think he's burned out and will take a step back, at least for a few years.[/quote]

Funny. The last sentence in your post was almost like mine.

[RiverDog]

Funny. The last sentence in your post was almost like mine.

Except that I thought you were suggesting that Luck would return to playing football. I'm saying that it's more likely that his days as a player are over.

[jshawaii22]

I just wonder if he didn't make this decision because of something else. For instance, there are a lot of players who don't want to cheat, but these injuries of his that don't heal... it's out there for him, and if he got piss tested while on one of these healers, maybe he decided to 'retire' vs the crap he'd take for being suspended in a public forum like the NFL.

He was there and knows what happened to Peyton over the PED shipment to his house. Nothing... because he was out of the league.

[NorthHawk]

Hey, Feez, nice to see you again! Great avatar, by the way.
Thanks Riverdog glad to see this place is still up and active. Good to see it's mainly the same folks from back in the PI days.

Hawktalk I agree Luck had to be considering this way before the start of team activities this season. Had he let them know he was half in around the draft he could have given them a chance to minimize his choice somewhat. I have heard he felt the team didn't care about his health so he didn't care about when he announced his retirement I would chalk that up to speculation but the timing of his announcement makes me believe that rumor a little more

I think he might have advised them that he was thinking about retiring before the draft as they had a chance
to trade Brissette, but spurned all offers immediately. Normally offers for backup QBs are at least considered.

[obiken]

Luck is done. He has a degree from Stanford and probably invested his money well. He has the kind the kind of ownership and Coach now that if he would have had at the very beginning, he probably would have won a title. I think the Fans booing him was chump.

[Aseahawkfan]

By that standard, you can call Jim Brown a quitter, too, along with Michael Jordan, Sandy Koufax, and Bobby Orr. Bjorn Borg retired at age 26 at the top of a non contact sport where there is almost no risk of permanent injury. You might as well call him a quitter, too. There's a lot of very good athletes that, for a variety of reasons, retire at the peak of their careers with lots of tread on the tires.

How you going to include Michael in this? He retired at 33 in a highly physical sport after winning six titles. That's ridiculous. The only guy in your list remotely like Luck is Bjorn Borg. Everyone else retired at their peak when they were about to fall off. I don't see that as quitting at all like Luck. Luck waited until the last minute of an important season and then quit leaving his team in the lurch for a season without even the ability to draft a prospect. He is a bit of a quitter. If he weren't, he would have at least tried to finish the season and bring his best. Then retire at the end of the season when it doesn't screw his team so hard.

Could you imagine how annoying it would be if Russell did this to us? That would piss me off.

[RiverDog]

How you going to include Michael in this? He retired at 33 in a highly physical sport after winning six titles. That's ridiculous. The only guy in your list remotely like Luck is Bjorn Borg. Everyone else retired at their peak when they were about to fall off. I don't see that as quitting at all like Luck. Luck waited until the last minute of an important season and then quit leaving his team in the lurch for a season without even the ability to draft a prospect. He is a bit of a quitter. If he weren't, he would have at least tried to finish the season and bring his best. Then retire at the end of the season when it doesn't screw his team so hard.

Could you imagine how annoying it would be if Russell did this to us? That would piss me off.

Michael Jordan was 33, at the peak of his game, and could easily had played another 3 or 4 years at an all star level. He was in perfect health with very little risk of sustaining a major, life altering injury.

Sandy Koufax retired at age 30. He led the NL in ERA and strikeouts the year he retired. He was diagnosed with arthritis in his throwing elbow.

Jim Brown was 29 when he played his last football game. In his final season, he led the league in both rushing and touchdowns scored. He was in perfect health, opted to go into an acting career.

Bobby Orr was 30 years old when he retired, and despite his health problems, he still was selected as the tournament MVP in the 1976 Canada Cup series.

3 of the 4 were roughly the same age as Andrew Luck is.

Although I might somewhat acknowledge your objection as it relates to Orr and Koufax as their retirements were injury related, they are not all that different as Luck missed an entire season due to an injured shoulder and half a season to a lacerated kidney and partially torn abdominal muscle, and Jordan was 3 years older. But you have to factor in the added health risk of playing NFL football vs. hockey and baseball. As much attention as football has gotten for their potential health risks, I can't blame anyone for quitting while they're ahead.

But your objection to my including Jimmy Brown is both uninformed and untenable. Not only were they the same age and playing the same sport, but Brown was healthier and more accomplished than Luck. Brown never missed a game in 9 seasons.

[Aseahawkfan]

Michael Jordan was 33, at the peak of his game, and could easily had played another 3 or 4 years at an all star level. He was in perfect health with very little risk of sustaining a major, life altering injury.

Jordan had back issues after his comeback. His style of ball would not have done well at his age. You have no idea if he would have sustained for 3 or 4 more years. The game was a lot more physical in Jordan's day. They used to beat the hell of out of him. Most of the guys playing a long time were super tall centers or low flying guards. If you were a sky waking basketball player, that was hard on the body.

Jim Brown was 29 when he played his last football game. In his final season, he led the league in both rushing and touchdowns scored. He was in perfect health, opted to go into an acting career.

Brown could have played longer, but 9 seasons as an NFL running back playing in that day and age was brutal.

3 of the 4 were roughly the same age as Andrew Luck is.

Although I might somewhat acknowledge your objection as it relates to Orr and Koufax as their retirements were injury related, they are not all that different as Luck missed an entire season due to an injured shoulder and half a season to a lacerated kidney and partially torn abdominal muscle, and Jordan was 3 years older. But you have to factor in the added health risk of playing NFL football vs. hockey and baseball. As much attention as football has gotten for their potential health risks, I can't blame anyone for quitting while they're ahead.

But your objection to my including Jimmy Brown is both uninformed and untenable. Not only were they the same age and playing the same sport, but Brown was healthier and more accomplished than Luck. Brown never missed a game in 9 seasons.

Did any of those guys screw their team by retiring at the start of the season after the draft and free agent signing period? I know Michael didn't. He left his team after giving the fans and team a 6th Championship.

Luck seems like a nice enough guy, but that retirement was pretty lame. Maybe his heart wasn't in the game anymore, but that's not how old school players did it. This retirement at the start of a season and because of getting tired of rehabbing I don't recall of the old school athletes. He hurt his team. All in all just a lame way to go out. I sympathize with Colts fans that were looking forward to a great season. If Luck's heart wasn't into it, he could have retired before the draft.

[RiverDog]

Brown could have played longer, but 9 seasons as an NFL running back playing in that day and age was brutal.

It wasn't as brutal as you might think. The season was a lot shorter as they only played 12 and later 14 game seasons with no preseason and limited summer camps. In Brown's days, they had just one playoff game, the NFL Championship game between the eastern and western divisions, and they played it in December. Additionally, players weren't as big, as fast, or as strong. The style of play was a lot different, with the emphasis on running vs. exposing defenseless receivers to vicious hits. Helmets with face masks, which allowed tacklers to use their helmet as a battering ram, had only recently become the norm. It wasn't until the late 60's-70's, when cage face masks started replacing the single bar, Astro turf replaced dormant grass and in some cases, mud fields, and players actually began to work out in the offseason instead of having to work a 40+ hour/week job that the game grew increasingly violent.

I started watching NFL football right at the end of Jimmy Brown's career, and I can personally attest to the fact that the game wasn't nearly as brutal in the 60's as it is today.

Did any of those guys screw their team by retiring at the start of the season after the draft and free agent signing period? I know Michael didn't. He left his team after giving the fans and team a 6th Championship.

I'm not sure what time of year they made their announcements. My sense is that they were all in the offseason. However, it's not unprecedented for a player or coach to all of a sudden give it up. A few years back, there was an NFL player that quit at halftime of a game, and I remember Bobby Petrino quitting his HC job during the season and his announcement to his team consisted of leaving a note on his player's lockers. Those moves were a lot more gutless than Luck's.

Luck seems like a nice enough guy, but that retirement was pretty lame. Maybe his heart wasn't in the game anymore, but that's not how old school players did it. This retirement at the start of a season and because of getting tired of rehabbing I don't recall of the old school athletes. He hurt his team. All in all just a lame way to go out. I sympathize with Colts fans that were looking forward to a great season. If Luck's heart wasn't into it, he could have retired before the draft.

I agree, the timing of Luck's retirement sucks, and he deserves a fair amount of scorn for it. Like I said, if I'm a Colt's fan, I'd be pissed. But it's better than the alternative, ie just going through the motions, faking injuries, etc, and I'm not going to fault anyone for getting out of a sport as violent and as dangerous to their long term health as football.

[RiverDog]

As always, Doug Baldwin added some thoughtful perspective to the issue. Here's what he tweeted about his former Stanford teammate's decision to retire:

How dare Luck not sacrifice his body for MY entertainment. Who cares if your shoulder is too messed up to pick up your child. Who cares if your knees are too messed up to play with your kids. Who cares about the quality of YOUR life, what about the quality of MY Sunday's?

[NorthHawk]

That's pretty much general society today in a nutshell.
We want our gratification, usually instantly, but we don't think of those that create our enjoyment and their feelings.
It's almost as if we think of entertainers/athletes as characters and not people.

[RiverDog]

That's pretty much general society today in a nutshell. We want our gratification, usually instantly, but we don't think of those that create our enjoyment and their feelings. It's almost as if we think of entertainers/athletes as characters and not people.

I have mixed emotions. Yes, we tend to treat athletes/entertainers differently than our next door neighbor or the postman that delivers our mail. But there's two sides to that treatment, the one being discussed here the expectations that they perform like a stage animal without regard to their personal health. The other side is that we many times treat professional athletes, actors, rock stars, et al, as some sort of a God by wearing their names/numbers or defending them as if they were our own child or possession vs. the businessmen that they are.

Some athletes/entertainers get so preoccupied with their status as stars that they can't identify with the typical Joe 6 Pack trying to scrape up enough dollars to take his kids to a game in the same way that Joe 6 Pack can't get it through his head that we're talking about another human being.

[Aseahawkfan]

As always, Doug Baldwin added some thoughtful perspective to the issue. Here's what he tweeted about his former Stanford teammate's decision to retire:

How dare Luck not sacrifice his body for MY entertainment. Who cares if your shoulder is too messed up to pick up your child. Who cares if your knees are too messed up to play with your kids. Who cares about the quality of YOUR life, what about the quality of MY Sunday's?

Doug is defending his teammate. I expect that from Baldwin.

I still think Luck should have made that decision sooner. It's not about "my entertainment" given I'm not a Colts fan. It's more about respect for my teammates and my job. He's a smart enough guy to know that the Colts entire season was resting on his ability to play well. Now his team have to suddenly find a way to fill the most important role in football at the last minute.

[Aseahawkfan]

It wasn't as brutal as you might think. The season was a lot shorter as they only played 12 and later 14 game seasons with no preseason and limited summer camps. In Brown's days, they had just one playoff game, the NFL Championship game between the eastern and western divisions, and they played it in December. Additionally, players weren't as big, as fast, or as strong. The style of play was a lot different, with the emphasis on running vs. exposing defenseless receivers to vicious hits. Helmets with face masks, which allowed tacklers to use their helmet as a battering ram, had only recently become the norm. It wasn't until the late 60's-70's, when cage face masks started replacing the single bar, Astro turf replaced dormant grass and in some cases, mud fields, and players actually began to work out in the offseason instead of having to work a 40+ hour/week job that the game grew increasingly violent.

I started watching NFL football right at the end of Jimmy Brown's career, and I can personally attest to the fact that the game wasn't nearly as brutal in the 60's as it is today.

Maybe so. I don't recall hearing Brown screwed his team with the timing. He wanted to do something else and got out letting the team know in advance.

I'm not sure what time of year they made their announcements. My sense is that they were all in the offseason. However, it's not unprecedented for a player or coach to all of a sudden give it up. A few years back, there was an NFL player that quit at halftime of a game, and I remember Bobby Petrino quitting his HC job during the season and his announcement to his team consisted of leaving a note on his player's lockers. Those moves were a lot more gutless than Luck's.

Does anyone even think well of Petrino? That guy was a chump.

At the end of the day Luck did what he felt was right for him, but I wish these indecisive people would make their decisions at a better time. I don't care that he retires, but the timing was awful. I'm not jumping on the feel bad for Luck bandwagon. Guy was paid millions, he was talked up as the second coming, and he went out in a way that hurt his team. Just not a great way to go out of the game.

[NorthHawk]

I still think he warned them he was considering it earlier in the year.
The Colts were said to be offered some good compensation for Brissette but turned it down quickly.
To me that would suggest there was some doubt about him continuing his career.

[RiverDog]

I still think he warned them he was considering it earlier in the year. The Colts were said to be offered some good compensation for Brissette but turned it down quickly. To me that would suggest there was some doubt about him continuing his career.

Could be. There's also a rumor that Luck wasn't happy with what he perceived as the Colts' apathy towards some of his health issues. Luck is a class act, so if there was some bad blood between him and the team, he isn't the kind that would air it out in a news conference announcing his retirement and trash the team that made him a multi millionaire.

Another possibility is could be that he just plain got burned out. Dick Vermeil suddenly lost his desire to coach 2 years after he took a team to the Super Bowl and didn't coach again for 15 years. There could have been something going on in Luck's personal life that affected his desire to play or tolerate the injuries and rehab.

What ever his reason, I'm not going to diss him and call him a quitter not knowing exactly why he chose to retire.

[RiverDog]

Maybe so. I don't recall hearing Brown screwed his team with the timing. He wanted to do something else and got out letting the team know in advance.

I don't know what the circumstances were surrounding Jimmy Brown's departure. He was regarded somewhat as a malcontent but I know that he liked playing for his last HC, Blanton Collier.

Does anyone even think well of Petrino? That guy was a chump.

I'm sure his mother loved him, and probably his wife and kids as well.

At the end of the day Luck did what he felt was right for him, but I wish these indecisive people would make their decisions at a better time. I don't care that he retires, but the timing was awful. I'm not jumping on the feel bad for Luck bandwagon. Guy was paid millions, he was talked up as the second coming, and he went out in a way that hurt his team. Just not a great way to go out of the game.

I'm not "feeling bad for Luck." To the contrary, I'm envious of him. He's leaving the game as a multimillionaire with a lot of opportunities for his life after football and plenty of stories to tell his grandkids. Yea, the timing of his retirement could have been better and yes, he did let his fans down. But at the end of the day, this is just a game, and if someone is getting out due to health issues or even if they just plain lost their desire and are emotionally burned out, then I'm good with it. I'm not calling him a quitter, a pussy, a wimp, or a chicken.

And I might have told you guys this, but I had a friend and teammate that was killed on the playing field during a game in my junior year of high school. I was the one that went in for him when he went down. Not that it has anything to do with this subject.

[Aseahawkfan]

[quote="RiverDog"}And I might have told you guys this, but I had a friend and teammate that was killed on the playing field during a game in my junior year of high school. I was the one that went in for him when he went down. Not that it has anything to do with this subject.[/quote]

How did that happen? Football can get brutal. I imagine a bunch of young, testosterone driven kids can do some pretty cruel stuff to each other.

[RiverDog]

How did that happen? Football can get brutal. I imagine a bunch of young, testosterone driven kids can do some pretty cruel stuff to each other.

He had a brain aneurysm that ruptured. He was an offensive guard in his 3 point stance, made a very slight movement, and the linebacker came in and walloped him. 3 play later, he collapsed, never regained consciousness, and died the following Monday. Some doctors speculated that the aneurysm could have developed a few years earlier when he fell off a horse and broke his jaw. It wasn't all that vicious of a hit.

Interesting to note, the neurosurgeon that attempted to save his life had been flown down to LA in an Air Force fighter jet in June of 1968 when RFK was shot a little over 3 years earlier. He didn't have much luck in that case, either.

[NorthHawk]

Here's an article from PFT that gives us Doug Baldwins perspective on Lucks sudden retirement.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... drew-luck/