The Stanford Cardinal definitely had a season to forget, winning only three games and accumulating a total of twelve losses in the regular season. Andrew Luck, who currently serves as the program’s GM, warned about what’s to come in the NCAAF and how he plans to integrate athletes with their careers within the program.
The former Indianapolis Colts player spoke with cbssports.com and made it clear that, although his team hasn’t had strong performances recently, they are ready to make an impact in the upcoming season and, why not, dream of going far in College Football.
“Football just matters more in this country,” Luck said. “We know perhaps we haven’t been playing enough of the game. And we’re starting to play the game and we’re going to be there.”
Additionally, Luck stated to the press that they will not only be striving for athletic achievements but also maintaining high standards academically: “We’re working diligently to prepare for the post-House era, and we absolutely intend to be competitive while maintaining the academic rigor and standards that are important to the university,” he said.
“I’m not sure it’s [negotiations] part of the job that lent itself most naturally to my personality, to say the least,” Luck also added. “At heart, a part of me is still a player, right? … On principle, I believe in the renumeration of college football players.”
The relevance of the GM role at Stanford, according to Luck’s opinion
Andrew Luck is a man of the house; he knows the program, played in the NCAAF wearing those colors, and now has the opportunity to take on a different role, but he embraces it as a new challenge.
Being the new general manager of the Stanford Cardinal, in Luck’s view, is something different from other programs: “I do think our position of general manager is substantially different than most GMs in the country because of the needs of Stanford now,” Luck told CBS Sports. “We do believe in scholar-athletes, still.”
Additionally, he stated that he gets more involved than usual to avoid placing too much pressure on the current head coach, Troy Taylor. “Part of it is trial by fire,” he said.
“Hopping in in the middle of the transfer portal has been as good as an education as anything. I’m fired up for Troy. Part of what I’m doing is taking a lot off his plate. It’s too much for a head coach to do X amount of unique negotiations with players contracts or agents or representatives.“