Oliver Luck says his son's decision not a slight against the Carolina Panthers

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Written by Steve Reed

Thursday, 06 January 2011 18:49

Andrew Luck's father told Carolina Growl his son had nothing against playing for the Panthers. (AP Photo)

   CHARLOTTE – Oliver Luck understands Carolina Panthers fans are disappointed.
   But the father of Stanford star quarterback Andrew Luck said his son’s decision to stay in school and forego the NFL draft had nothing to do with not wanting to play for the last-place Panthers, who are coming off a 2-14 season and own the No. 1 pick.
   “Absolutely not,” Luck told Carolina Growl in a telephone interview Thursday night. “It’s not a slight on Carolina at all. Whether it was the Carolina Panthers or the Oakland Raiders or the Miami Dolphins, it didn’t really make a difference to Andrew.”
   He said his son never got to that point.

   He said Andrew's decision was all about two things – he wanted to stay in school and get his degree in architectual engineering (he plans to finish up in the spring of 2012) and play football another year with his buddies.
   “He enjoys Stanford and he really wanted to get his degree from a very prestigious school, and that’s admirable,” Oliver Luck said.
   Oliver Luck said he’s met Panthers owner Jerry Richardson before, saying that he was impressed with him and has the utmost respect for him. He said he did not talk with Richardson leading up to his son’s decision.
   “I know there are some people who will be upset, but it’s no slight against Carolina,” Oliver Luck said. "He's always been committed to getting his degree."
   Oliver Luck, who works as the athletic director at the University of West Virginia, said he was “tickled” by his son’s decision to stay in school, although he would have supported him either way.
   “It was Andrew’s decision,” Oliver Luck said. “As somebody who works in higher education, I’m thrilled.
   “Andrew is a competitive guy. He’s looking forward to playing in the NFL and playing against the best there is. He knows it’s a tough league. You have to be committed. He’s spent a lot of time talking to Peyton Manning about what it takes to play in the league and what it takes to be prepared. I know he wants to do it when the time is right. It’s a matter of when he takes that step.”