Watching the playoffs this year isn't nearly as much fun without the 49ers but there are still plenty of players with Bay Area ties to cheer for. Today, Andrew Luck displayed some of the same skills and magic he honed at Stanford leading the Cardinal to the Rose Bowl. It is unfair to compare Luck to the man across the field in Denver, legendary quarterback Payton Manning who will surely be in the Hall of Fame. Luck is in his third year in the league versus Manning's 17. Yet Luck is the one heading to the AFC Championship game, and doing it with class.
Much like he did in Palo Alto, Luck leads the Colts by example. The numbers in the 24-13 victory over the Broncos are impressive 27 of 43 for 265 yards, but even more so is the way Luck, at 25 years old commands himself on and off the field. Unlike the personal problems plaguing so many NFL players, Luck's record is impeccable. He is a student of the game and is seen studying plays after every possession. The way he and his teammates interact is also a thing of beauty. He is the first one down the field to congratulate his receivers after touchdowns or when they've made a great play and unlike other quarterbacks who shall remain nameless, he never blames anyone but himself. It's that humility that makes him such a powerful leader and one worth emulating. Knowing he was the clear underdog, after the game, Luck smiled and didn't claim the win over Manning, never even mentioning him by name. "For us, we came in and managed to get a win against a really good Denver team on the road," said Luck. "That's huge, that's awesome."
Now Luck and his Colts travel to New England to face another Bay Area product, Tom Brady who yesterday passed Joe Montana for most career postseason touchdowns. However, Luck is on a mission. "We have a week to prepare, " said Luck " We know it's a tough place. We know it's a great team. a tough defense to go against. We have to have a great week of preparation." And preparation is something Luck perfected early on at Stanford.
This is for my friends Mollie and Steve K! No , I didn't forget about Aaron Rodgers, I just ran out of time to post in the original entry, but he is definitely one to cheer for as he lead his Packers to a thrilling although a bit controversial win over the Cowboys 26-21. Rodgers, a Chico native and Cal alumnus hobbled through a left calf injury and proved his amazing reliance and true leadership by never giving up to advance to the NFC Championships. After the game in Green Bay, knowing he must face the defending champion Seahawks, he still sounded confident. "I think I got 120 minutes left in me, " Rogers uttered. What my friend Mollie wants most of all is to watch her Cal Bear Rodgers beat Stanford's Luck in Super Bowl XLIX. They both have tough challenges next Sunday, but if anyone can do it, they can! Also from the Bay Area, although not ingratiating himself to the media is Oakland's Marshawn Lynch. The Cal alumnus did not duplicate Rodgers' exemplary leadership after his team beat the Carolina Panthers on Saturday. In a less than classy move after an average performance of 14 carries totaling 59 yards but no touchdowns, all Lynch had to say was:"I'm thankful." For 90 seconds he repeated those exact words. It might be enough to avoid another $100,000 fine from the league for not participating in the required post game interviews, but it does very little to enhance his reputation. He would do well to study Rodgers, Brady and Luck on how to conduct yourself as someone the Bay Area can be proud to call their own.
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