Indianapolis Colts star quarterback Andrew Luck heard resounding boos at the Lucas Oil Stadium after news of his decision to retire from football reached fans.
Initially planning to announce his retirement on Sunday, August 25, Luck was forced to address the issue following the Colts’ preseason game loss to Chicago after fans read reports and booed him as he made his way to the locker room. When asked about it, he said “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hear it. It hurt.”
During the news conference, Luck explained “This is not an easy decision. Honestly, the hardest decision of my life. But it is the right decision for me. For the last four years or so, I’ve been in this cycle of injury, pain, rehab, injury, pain, rehab, and it’s been unceasing, unrelenting, both in-season and off-season, and I felt stuck in it. The only way I see out is to no longer play football.”
The four-time Pro Bowl player has battling serious injuries for the past four years, including a shoulder injury, a lacerated kidney, and a concussion.
According to Luck, he has been considering retirement for a week and a half while he was rehabbing an ankle injury that could sideline him in the team’s season opener match against the Chargers. He claimed he received full support from the Colts’ front office, including general manager Chris Ballard.
Notwithstanding the fans’ previous reaction, Luck wrote a letter thanking the fans for their support and hospitality towards his family, which appeared as a full-page ad in the Indianapolis Star.
The reigning NFL Comeback Player of the Year took the high road and thanked Colts Nation for showing his family the true meaning of Hoosier hospitality.
He wrote “It’s been the honor of a lifetime to represent the Colts and the city of Indianapolis on the world’s stage.”
