I'll be honest, I am not a Colts fan.
I am not NOT a Colts fan but the only reason I would be cheering for them is if they played the Patriots. That being said, I follow football enough to know that Andrew Luck is part of the glue that holds the Indianapolis Colts together.
Andrew Luck became pretty popular in 2012 when he became the starting quarterback for the Colts following the retirement of Peyton Manning. Talk about big shoes to fill. Luck has been the QB for the Colts from 2012-2018 and this past Saturday, August 24, Luck shocked the NFL by announcing his retirement.
And the Colts fans had something to say about it. Colts fans booed Andrew Luck as he walked off the football field and it is actually heartbreaking to watch. Could you imagine dedicating your life to a team and a game only to have your most loyal followers boo your decision to retire? I'd be bawling my eyes out. I know the fans are angry, disappointed, sad, etc. but their reaction was not OK. How about cheers for the man that helped your team go 10-6 last season? You sure as hell didn't see Eli Manning, Jameis Winston, or Blake Bortles do that, just to name a few teams whose record was worse than 10-6.
This man gave all of his years in the NFL playing for the Colts. He suffered a plethora of injuries during his time as a quarterback ranging from a sprained shoulder to a lacerated kidney and most recently a calf strain. Yet, people are acting like he was the worst quarterback of all time, that he's giving up on his team, and he is calling it quits because rehabbing is "too hard."
This is a bunch of bullshit.
Luck finished his career with a record of 53-33, a total of 171 touchdowns, 23,671 passing yards and won the Comeback Player of the Year in 2018. After suffering a shoulder injury in the 2017 season Luck underwent surgery and people were convinced he'd never play a full season of football again. Wrong. He came back to have one of the best seasons of his career. Is this a player who deserves to get booed and ridiculed for his retirement? Hell no. Let the man finish on top.
Listen, I get it. I know it screws with people's Fantasy Football Leagues. I know it could be a bad season for the Colts. I know fans are just mad because they are losing a great quarterback that could have led the Colts to a winning season but in the grand scheme of things, people need to respect his decision.
Andrew Luck decided to put his life with his family above his love of football. He is leaving the game on his own terms before the game ends him. I for one respect his decision to step off the field, retire his jersey, and focus on his health and family above all else. As Andrew Luck holds back tears during his retirement announcement you can tell how difficult of a decision this was for him. I can only imagine how hard it was to come to terms that at the age of 29 your football career is over.
I personally think John Pavlovitz said it best, "There's nothing cowardly about being able to be around for your wife and kids and family for the next 50 years. There's nothing cowardly about preserving your brain and your knees and your bones so that you can fully participate in that life. There's nothing cowardly about choosing mental health above the applause of complete strangers. There's nothing cowardly about declaring yourself worth more than the money to be made."
Like I said, I'm not a Colts fan but I respect Andrew Luck's decision to put himself before football.
