There is no doubt that Andrew Luck impresses on the football. The Indianapolis Colts drafted him No. 1 overall last year for a reason. After a strong rookie campaign, Luck is back and attempting to avoid the sophomore slump. While Luck's strong accuracy and quick decision making is what the fans know him for, the players know him for his strong leadership on the field.
Veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is in his first season with the Indianapolis Colts and has been blown away with what he sees out of Luck. He knew the young quarterback had athletic talent, but what really gets Hasselbeck is how much Luck has grown into a team leader.
"I really didn't know what kind of leader he was in the locker room. It just comes real natural to him. He's got a great sense of when to pull somebody aside, how to deal with coaches, just how he treats everyone around him," Hasselbeck said.
Hasselbeck has been somewhat of a journeyman in his career and one thing that he has always been known for is his strong leadership skills and ability to mentor younger players. He spent 10 years with the Seattle Seahawks, growing into one of the biggest team influences in the franchise. He then moved to the Tennessee Titans where he transitioned into more of a mentor to rookie Jake Locker. Now, he is in Indianapolis where coaches hope he will have the same outcome with Luck.
"He's earned the respect of this locker room and he's earned the respect of the people around the league he has to go up against. That probably makes it 10 times easier than it was coming in last year when he probably felt he had a lot to prove."
Luck had a standout rookie season. He certainly had a lot of expectations with the Colts, filling the shoes of long-tim Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning. He threw for 4,374 yards and 23 touchdowns. Now back with his college offensive coordinator, the sky is the limit for Luck in his second year. Hasselbeck certainly believes he can be one of the best in the league.
