Quarterback (QB, originally called blocking back) is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle.

Every play starts with a "snap", an action where the offense's center gives the ball to the quarterback, or to another offensive player such as a punter or wide receiver. After receiving the ball, the quarterback either throws a pass or hands it to another offensive player; in some cases, the quarterback keeps the ball in an attempt to run or "scramble" past the defense.

At most levels, but especially at the college and professional level, the quarterback role is one of the most visible and important roles on the team. The quarterback touches the ball on nearly every offensive play and has a great deal of responsibility both in calling plays and making decisions during the play. While there is liberal substitution at most positions in football based on the play call and to minimize player fatigue, most quarterbacks are on the field for every offensive play leaving only for injury or when the game's outcome is no longer in doubt. Quarterbacks are frequently chosen early in the NFL Draft and often receive much more lucrative contracts than other positions. As of 2011, players in this position have won more Super Bowl MVP awards (24 of 45) than players at all other positions combined.

As the term "quarterback" gained acceptance in the 1930s, it originally referred to the player's position relative to other members of the offensive backfield. Before the emergence of the T-formation in the 1940s, all members of the offensive backfield were legitimate threats to run or pass the ball, and most teams used four offensive backs on every play: a quarterback, two halfbacks, and a fullback. The quarterback began each play a quarter of the way back, the halfbacks began each play side by side and halfway back, and the fullback began each play the farthest back. Now that most offensive formations have only one or two running backs, the original designations do not mean as much, as the fullback is now usually a lead blocker (technically a halfback), while the halfback or tailback (called such because he stands at the "tail" of the I) lines up behind the fullback.

Traditionally, quarterbacks have been responsible for calling the team's offensive plays based on the defense's formation, or game situation. To choose the proper play, quarterbacks often spend time rehearsing and studying prearranged plays during their team's practice sessions.

In recent years, the rise of offensive coordinators has led partiality toward a scripted game plan. The offensive coordinators and coaches usually give the quarterback information via a built-in headphone in the helmet as to what to do before the play. Quarterbacks are allowed to hear, but not talk to, their coaches until there are fifteen seconds left on the play clock. The quarterback then relays the information to teammates and executes the plays. When the players are set in a formation, the quarterback starts the play by calling out a code word, a number, or a combination of the two.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry was an early advocate of taking play calling out of the quarterback's hands. Although this remained a common practice in the NFL through the 1970s, fewer QBs were doing it by the 1980s and even Hall-of-Famers like Joe Montana did not call their own plays. Buffalo Bills QB Jim Kelly was one of the last to regularly call plays. Among current NFL QBs, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons call all, or nearly all, of their team's plays using a no-huddle offense, although they mostly just make adjustments to the plays given to them from the offensive coordinator.

Special tactics

If quarterbacks are uncomfortable with the formation the defense is using, they may call an audible change to their play. For example, if a quarterback receives the call to execute a running play, but he notices that the defense is ready to blitz – that is, to send additional defensive backs across the line of scrimmage in an attempt to tackle the quarterback or thwart his ability to pass – the quarterback may want to change the play. To do this, the quarterback yells a special code, like "Blue 42," or "Texas 29," which tells the offense to switch to a specific play or formation.

Also, quarterbacks can "spike" or throw the football at the ground to stop the official game clock. For example, if a team is down by a field goal with only seconds remaining, a quarterback may spike the ball to prevent the game clock from running out. This usually allows the field goal unit to come onto the field, or attempt a final "Hail Mary pass". However, if a team is winning, a quarterback can keep the clock running by kneeling after the snap. This is normally done when the opposing team has no timeouts and there is little time left in the game, as it allows a team to burn up the remaining time on the clock without risking a turnover or injury.

Receiving

While quarterbacks are mainly not a factor in terms of receiving forward passes, some trick plays, like the flea flicker, require quarterbacks to catch a lateral by a wide receiver or running back before delivering a forward pass. In the wildcat formation, a quarterback lines up as a flank receiver who can be used to catch a forward pass. Typically the quarterback is not thrown to in this formation, but serves as a decoy, as even the least mobile quarterbacks are capable of catching a ball for positive yardage. Occasionally, some backup quarterbacks may be used to receive long snaps as a holder for field goal or extra point attempts, as quarterbacks generally have good ball handling skills, and may have to become the passer in the event of a bad snap, an aborted kick attempt or a designed trick play.

Under NFL rules, if a quarterback lines up under center, he is by definition ineligible and not allowed to receive a forward pass. However, in college and high school ball, quarterbacks are eligible receivers (by a special exemption in the high school rule books) regardless of whether they are under center or in a shotgun formation. The NFL allows a quarterback in a shotgun formation to receive a forward pass.

Dual-threat quarterbacks

With the rise of several blitz heavy defensive schemes and increasingly faster defensive players, the importance of a mobile quarterback has been redefined. While arm power, accuracy, and pocket presence – the ability to successfully operate from within the "pocket" formed by his blockers – are still the most important quarterback virtues, the ability to elude or run past defenders creates an additional threat that allows greater flexibility in the team's passing and running game.

This is generally more successful at the college level. Typically, a quarterback with exceptional quickness is used in an option offense, which allows the quarterback to either hand the ball off, run it himself, or pitch it to the running back following him at a distance of three yards outside and one yard behind. This type of offense forces defenders to commit to either the running back up the middle, the quarterback around the end, or the running back trailing the quarterback. It is then that the quarterback has the "option" to identify which match up is most favorable to the offense as the play unfolds and exploit that defensive weakness. In the college game, many schools employ several plays that are designed for the quarterback to run with the ball. This is much less common in professional football, except for a quarterback sneak, but there is still an emphasis on being mobile enough to escape a heavy pass rush.

Two quarterback system

Sometimes a team is undecided on which quarterback should start a game. In that case, the team may employ alternating quarterbacks. This could have negative effects on the cohesion and consistency of the offensive team, but could also serve to confuse the defense. A rare successful example of a two-quarterback system can be seen in the "WoodStrock" combination of Don Strock and David Woodley, which took the Miami Dolphins to the Epic in Miami and Super Bowl XVII the following year.

See also

American football quarterbacks

Canadian Football League quarterbacks

List of quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl wins

References

External links

Sports Illustrated's 10 Best Journeymen

Quantum Quarterback – Quarterback info for all teams

ArmchairGM's 100 Greatest Quarterbacks of the Modern Era

Category:American football positions

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bgcolour	silver
name	Johnny Mack Brown
birth date	September 01, 1904
birth place	Dothan, Alabama, U.S.
death date	November 14, 1974
death place	Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
othername	John Mack Brown (original screen name at his career height)
spouse	Cornelia "Connie" Foster (1926–November 14, 1974)
yearsactive	1927–1966
notable role	}}

Johnny Mack Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an All-American college football player and film actor originally billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career.

Early life

Born and raised in Dothan, Alabama, Brown was a star of the high school football team, earning a football scholarship to the University of Alabama. Playing the halfback position on his university's Crimson Tide football team, he earned the nickname "The Dothan Antelope" and helped his team to become the 1926 NCAA Division I-A national football champions. In that year's Rose Bowl Game, he earned Most Valuable Player honors after scoring two of his team's three touchdowns in an upset win over the heavily favored Washington Huskies. While at The University of Alabama, Brown became an initiated member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

Film career

His good looks and powerful physique saw him portrayed on Wheaties cereal boxes and in 1927, brought an offer for motion picture screen tests that resulted in a long and successful career in Hollywood. He played silent film star Mary Pickford's love interest in her first talkie, ''Coquette'' (1929), for which Pickford won an Oscar.

He appeared in minor roles until 1930 when he was cast as the star in a Western entitled ''Billy the Kid'' and directed by King Vidor. An early widescreen film (along with Raoul Walsh's ''The Big Trail'' with John Wayne, produced the same year), the movie also features Wallace Beery as Pat Garrett. Brown was billed over Beery, who would become the studio's highest paid actor within the next three years. Also in 1930, Brown played Joan Crawford's love interest in ''Montana Moon''. Brown went on to make several more top-flight movies under the name John Mack Brown, including ''The Secret Six'' (1931) with Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, and Clark Gable, as well as the legendary Lost Generation celebration of alcohol, ''The Last Flight'' (1931), and was being groomed by MGM as a leading man until being abruptly replaced on ''Laughing Sinners'' in 1931, with all his scenes reshot, substituting rising star Clark Gable in his place.

Rechristened "Johnny Mack Brown" in the wake of this extremely serious career downturn, he made exclusively low budget westerns and eventually became one of the screen's top B-movie cowboy stars, making 127 western films during his career, including ''Ride 'Em Cowboy'' with Abbott and Costello. A fan of Mexican music, he showcased the talents of guitarist Francisco Mayorga and The Guadalajara Trio in films like ''Boss of Bullion City'' and ''The Masked Rider''. Brown also starred in four serials for Universal Studios (''Rustlers of Red Dog'', ''Wild West Days'', ''Flaming Frontiers'' and ''The Oregon Trail'') and was a hero to millions of young children at movie theaters and on their television screens.

When the B-Western genre dropped sharply in box office popularity, Johnny Mack Brown went into retirement in 1953. He returned more than ten years later to appear in secondary roles in a few Western films. Altogether, Brown appeared in over 160 movies between 1927 and 1966, as well as a smattering of television shows, in a career spanning almost forty years.

Personal life

Brown was married to Cornelia "Connie" Foster from 1926 to his death in 1974, and they had four children.

Awards

In recognition of his contribution to the motion picture industry, Brown was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6101 Hollywood Blvd. In 1969, Brown was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Death

Brown died in Woodland Hills, California of heart failure at the age of 70. Brown's cremated remains are interred in an outdoor Columbarium, in Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

References

External links

College Football Hall of Fame Official Biography

Johnny Mack Brown at B-Westerns

Photographs and literature

Category:1904 births Category:1974 deaths Category:Actors from Alabama Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football players Category:American film actors Category:American silent film actors Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Category:Cardiovascular disease deaths in California Category:Film serial actors Category:People from Dothan, Alabama Category:Western (genre) film actors

de:Johnny Mack Brown es:Johnny Mack Brown hu:Johnny Mack Brown pt:Johnny Mack Brown

name	David G. Sills
spouse	}}

David G. Sills (born March 21, 1938, died August 23, 2011) has served as the presiding justice for the Court of Appeal in the Fourth Appellate District, Division Three. He is a former mayor of Irvine, California. He was married to Maureen Reagan, the daughter of US President Ronald Reagan, between 1964 and 1968.

Member of the Republican State Central Committee of California 1966-1968 and Chairman of the Republican Associates of Orange County 1968-1969.

According to his biographical page on the State of California's court information website, he was appointed as a judge to California's Superior Court in 1985 by former Governor George Deukmejian and served there until being appointed to the Court of Appeal by the same governor in 1990. He received a B.S. from Bradley University in 1959 and his legal degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1961. Prior to being named to the bench he served in the U.S. Marine Corps between 1960 and 1965, reaching the rank of captain. He had a private law practice in Orange County, California between 1965 and 1985 and was an elected member of the Irvine City Council between 1976 and 1985, serving as mayor for four years during that period.

References

Category:1938 births Category:California Republicans Category:Reagan family Category:Bradley University alumni Category:University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign alumni Category:Judges of the California Courts of Appeal Category:Living people Category:Mayors of Irvine, California Category:California city council members

Name	Ryan Mallett
Width	250px
Currentteam	New England Patriots
Currentposition	Quarterback
Currentnumber	15
Birth date	June 05, 1988
Birth place	Batesville, AR
Heightft	6
Heightin	6
Weight	238
College	Arkansas
Draftyear	2011
Draftround	3
Draftpick	74
Pastteams	New England Patriots (–present)
Status	Active
Highlights	Second-team All-SEC honors (2009) Liberty Bowl MVP (2009) Glenn Davis Army Award (2007) Texas HS Player of the Year (2006)
Nfl	}}

Ryan Mallett (born June 5, 1988), nicknamed "Big Tex", is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League, taken in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Mallett spent his freshman year at the University of Michigan.

High school career

Mallett graduated from Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas, and was ranked as the #2 quarterback and #4 overall player in the nation by Rivals.com. He was also the Gatorade Player of the Year in Texas in 2006. Mallett participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in 2007 and won the Glenn Davis Army Award as the best player on the West team.

High school statistics

316 221 321 858

!Season	!ATT	!COMP	!COMP%	!YDS	!TD	!INT
2004 (So.)	|	151	47.8	2,307	18	10
2005 (Jr.)	|	133	60.2	2,219	21	6
2006 (Sr.)	|	204	63.6	3,353	33	3
Totals	|	488	56.9	7,879	72	19

Source:

College career

2007

Mallett made his first appearance at Michigan in the second game of the 2007 season against Oregon. He entered the game for the injured Chad Henne in the third quarter and completed 6 of 17 passes for 49 yards and one interception. Mallett started the next week against Notre Dame and led the Wolverines to a 38-0 victory by throwing 3 touchdown passes, going 7/15 (46.7%) for 90 yards. Mallett started his first Big Ten conference game against Penn State the following week. He went 16/29 (55.2%) with 170 yards and one interception. He also scored on a 10-yard rush in the first quarter. Henne returned to start the Wolverines' next three games. In those games, Mallett had limited playing time completing 4/10 for 30 yards.

Mallett's next start was against Minnesota. He threw a touchdown pass and went 11/20 (55.0%) with 233 yards and no interceptions. Mallett did not start, but played extensively the next week in a loss against Wisconsin. He threw 3 touchdown passes and went 11/36 (30.6%) with 245 yards and two interceptions. In the fourth quarter, Mallett threw a 97 yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, the longest pass completion in Michigan history. Mallett played very little in the next week's game against Ohio State. He threw three passes and completed one of them for eight yards.

Departure from Michigan

Mallett's departure from Michigan was widely expected after new head coach Rich Rodriguez was hired to replace retiring coach Lloyd Carr. Rodriguez overhauled Michigan's offense and installed a "spread" option offensive scheme, which did not fit Mallett's skills as a drop-back, pocket quarterback.

On January 14, 2008, Mallett made his move back to his home state official and enrolled at the University of Arkansas, where he redshirted the 2008 season due to the NCAA transfer policies. Mallett quarterbacked the Arkansas scout team in practice that season.

Arkansas

2009

In 2009 as a redshirt sophomore, Mallett began his career as an Arkansas Razorback, under the direction of head coach Bobby Petrino. Prior to the 2009 season, Mallett was named by ESPN's Bruce Feldman as one of college football's top 10 newcomers of the year, citing his arm strength as a major determining factor. In subsequent interviews, when Mallett was questioned about how far he could throw the football, he said farther than 80 yards.

On March 1, 2009, he was arrested on charges of public intoxication. He pled guilty to the misdemeanor charge on April 3, 2009 and paid $155 in court costs, fines, and fees. Mallett was also punished by Coach Petrino with early wake up calls, extra running, and early curfews.

Mallett earned the starting job in the Razorbacks' first game against Missouri State, going 17-of-22 for 309 yards and a touchdown. Two weeks later, Mallett passed for 408 yards and five touchdowns against Georgia in a losing effort. The passing yardage and touchdowns were single game school records. Ryan would throw for more than 250 yards in three of Arkansas' next five games, with nine touchdowns against three interceptions. Impressive victories over Texas A&M; and Auburn were coupled with tough losses to Alabama and Ole Miss, and a loss vs. Florida. After a dismal 3-4 start, Mallett led Arkansas to three consecutive victories over Eastern Michigan (14-of-16 for 248 yards and three touchdowns), South Carolina (23-of-27 for 329 yards and one rushing touchdown), and Troy (23-of-30 for 405 yards, five touchdowns and one interception). Over those three games, he completed 83.1 % of his passes, and had a quarterback rating of 165.05, which was third-best in the nation. The victory over Troy pushed Arkansas' record to 6-4 and secured the Hogs' bowl eligibility, with games against Mississippi State and LSU remaining. Mallett went on to throw for 313 yards and matched his career high of five touchdown passes in a 42-21 victory over Mississippi State. The following week, he threw for 227 yards and a touchdown in a 33-30 overtime loss to LSU in Baton Rouge. Ryan was named to the All-SEC 2nd Team squad by the coaches and the AP for his performance during the season, behind Florida QB Tim Tebow despite superior passing statistics. The Razorbacks finished the 2009 season with an 8-5 record and won the 2010 Liberty Bowl against East Carolina University, 20-17 in OT. Mallett was named the bowl game's Offensive MVP.

Mallett currently owns sixteen school records, including most passing yards in a season (3,627), most consecutive passes without an INT, most passing yards in a game (408), most passing touchdowns in a game (5 - three times), only quarterback to pass for over 400 yards in a game (two times), most pass plays of 25 or more yards in a season, and most passing TD in a single season (30).

Mallett chose to forgo entering the 2010 NFL Draft, and return for his junior season at Arkansas. Mallett was considered among the top five quarterbacks if he had entered the draft.

Mallett matched or broke 16 school records at Arkansas in 2009.

2010

It was announced on February 17 that Mallett had suffered a left foot injury in a change of direction conditioning drill. The junior had successful surgery later that day, and a planned second surgery was announced on June 9. Mallett missed the Razorback spring game and spring drills, but he did not miss fall camp. During the off season, Mallett was named one of college football's most irreplaceable players by ESPN.com, and he appeared on ''College Football Live''. At the SEC's 2010 Media Days conference, Mallett became the first Arkansas quarterback to be named preseason first-team All-SEC by the SEC coaches. He was listed as the frontrunner for the Davey O'Brien Award by ''The Sporting News'' and a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. He was also named a preseason All-SEC quarterback and preseason All-American quarterback by numerous organizations.

Mallett's performance in 2009 led to higher expectations in 2010. The junior stated that he wished to change the mindset of Arkansas fans into that of a winning program. The confident Mallett was quoted saying, "I'm looking for 14," when asked about how many wins the 2010 Razorbacks could achieve.

On September 4, 2010, Mallet completed 21-of-24 passes (87.5%), setting an Arkansas school record for completion percentage in a game. The completion percentage also ranks second all-time in SEC football history. Mallett contributed 301 passing yards, as well, with a total of 8 receivers recording catches. Arkansas defeated Tennessee Tech in the game 44-3.

Mallett finished seventh in voting for the 2010 Heisman Trophy award.

On January 6, 2011, Mallett decided to forgo his senior year at Arkansas and declare for the 2011 NFL Draft shortly after Andrew Luck decided to stay for his senior year, though Mallett said that Luck's decision did not impact his own.

Collegiate awards

2010 Premier Player of College Football Trophy Winner

2009 and 2010 All-SEC second team by Coaches and AP

Autozone Liberty Bowl Offensive MVP

SEC Offensive Player of the Week (vs. South Carolina & Mississippi State)

Statistics

!Season	!Team	!GP	!GS	!ATT	!COMP	!COMP%	!YDS	!YDS/COMP	!TD	!INT	!AVG/G	!LONG	!EFFIC
2007		11	3	141	61	43.3	892	14.6	7	5	81.1	97	105.7
2008
2009		13	13	403	225	55.8	3,624	16.3	30	7	278.8	83	152.5
2010		13	13	411	266	64.7	3,869	14.5	32	12	297.6	89	163.6
!Career	!3 seasons	!36	!29	!955	!552	!57.8	!8,385	!15.1	!69	!24	!226.6	!97	!150.4

Updated on January 6, 2011

Professional career

New England Patriots (2011–present)

Mallett, who was often projected prior to the draft as a first-round talent, fell to the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft, where he was selected 74th overall by the New England Patriots (using the pick they received when they traded Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings); that pick is the highest pick the Patriots have used on a quarterback since taking Drew Bledsoe number one overall in 1993. According to Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network, the Patriots rated Mallett as the best quarterback available in the 2011 draft; nevertheless, six other quarterbacks were taken before the Patriots drafted him, drawing comparisons to Tom Brady, who was the seventh quarterback chosen in 2000, though with the 199th pick.

2011 season

Mallett made his preseason debut in the Patriots' first preseason game, a 47–12 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 11. He played the entire second half, completing 12 of 19 passes for 164 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. The Patriots scored touchdowns on each of the first four drives Mallett led, and ran out the clock on his fifth and final drive.

Stature

NFL.com lists Mallett as standing 6'7", and weighing 253 pounds, while the Patriots' website lists him an inch shorter and 15 pounds lighter (6'6", 238 pounds).

References

External links

New England Patriots bio

Profile on ESPN.com

Ryan Mallett Profile on Arkansas Razorbacks Football Webpage

Ryan-Mallett.com

Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:People from Independence County, Arkansas Category:American football quarterbacks Category:Michigan Wolverines football players Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football players Category:New England Patriots players Category:People from Texarkana, Texas Category:U.S. Army All-American football players Category:Players of American football from Arkansas Category:Players of American football from Texas

tl:Ryan Mallet

Name	Andrew Luck
School	Stanford Cardinal
Currentnumber	12
Currentposition	Quarterback
Class	15px|Redshirt Junior
Major	Architectural Design, Engineering
Birth date	September 12, 1989
Birth place	Washington, D.C.
Heightft	6
Heightin	4
Weight	235
Highschool	Stratford High SchoolHouston, Texas
Pastschools	Stanford (2009–present)
Highlights	2011 Orange Bowl MVP 2010 Heisman Trophy Runner-up 2010 Second-team All America 2010 Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Year 2010 First-team All-Pac 10 2010 Second-team Pac 10 All-Academic Team 2009 Freshman All-America 2009 Honorable Mention All-Pac 10 2009 First-team Pac 10 All Academic Team Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week, twice College records
Cbs	1631912
Espn	380470
Rivals	}}

Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American football quarterback for Stanford University. He was the runner-up for the 2010 Heisman Trophy, and was a finalist for the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, and the Manning Award. CBS Sports draft analyst Rob Rang called Luck the best prospect he has ever scouted. Although unanimously projected as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, Luck decided to return to Stanford for his redshirt junior season.

Early life

Luck was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Oliver Luck, current athletic director and a former quarterback at West Virginia University and former NFL quarterback for the Houston Oilers, and Kathy Wilson Luck. Andrew Luck spent his early childhood in London, England and Frankfurt, Germany, where his father was general manager of two World League of American Football teams prior to becoming president of the league. He is the oldest of four children, Mary Ellen, Emily, and Addison, who currently reside in Houston, Texas. In London, he attended The American School in London.

The Lucks returned to Texas when Oliver Luck was named CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. In Houston, Andrew attended Stratford High School in Houston, Texas, where he threw for 7,139 yards and 53 touchdowns in his high school career, and rushed for another 2,085 yards. Luck was also co-valedictorian of his graduating class in 2008. Regarded as a four-star recruit by ''Rivals.com'', Luck was listed as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2008. A highly-rated high school recruiting target, he chose Stanford over offers from Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Rice, and Virginia, after being recruited by Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh.

College career

2009 season

After redshirting during his freshman year in 2008, he earned the starting quarterback job in 2009 over the returning starter, Tavita Pritchard, thereby becoming the first Stanford freshman to earn the starting quarterback job since Chad Hutchinson in 1996. In his first season, Luck led the Cardinal to victories over top ten Oregon and USC teams and a berth in the 2009 Sun Bowl. Playing in a run-oriented offense featuring Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart, Luck threw for 2,575 yards. Luck had 2,929 yards of total offense, the fifth highest total in Stanford history. He led the Pac 10 in pass efficiency rating with a rating of 143.5, and finished second in the Pac 10 in total offense.

Luck injured a finger on his throwing hand in the Cardinal's final regular season game against Notre Dame. He had surgery prior to the Sun Bowl and did not play in the game.

2010 season

In 2010, Luck emerged as one of the top players in the nation. Luck was named the Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Year and was unanimously selected to the All Pac 10 First Team. Luck led Stanford to a 12-1 record, a # 4 BCS ranking, and a victory in the Orange Bowl. Luck was named the Orange Bowl MVP after throwing 4 TD passes in Stanford's 40-12 win over Virginia Tech. Luck led the Pac-10 in pass efficiency for the second straight year with a quarterback rating of 170.2. He also led the conference in total offense with 3,791 yards, in passing yards with 3,338 yards, and in touchdown passes with 32. Luck rushed for 453 yards, a record for Stanford quarterbacks, with three runs of over 50 yards. Luck's 32 touchdown passes are a new Stanford record, breaking the old record of 27 held by John Elway and Steve Stenstrom. Luck's 3,791 yards of total offense also are a school record, breaking the old record of 3,398 yards held by Stenstrom. Luck also set new Stanford single season records for completion percentage (70.7%) and pass efficiency rating (170.2). He won the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week award for his performances against Arizona and California. Luck has led Stanford to a record of 20-5 in games he has started.

Luck has two years of college eligibility remaining. He was eligible to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft, but announced on January 6, 2011 that he will remain at Stanford to complete his degree. He is viewed by many TV sportscasters and ESPN writers as the top pro quarterback prospect in college football. In December 2010, ''The Sporting News'' projected Luck as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, had he entered.

Statistics

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan=2|Season !! colspan=7|Passing !! rowspan=5| !! colspan=5|Rushing !! rowspan=5| !! colspan=1|Total Offense |- ! Comp !! Att !! Yds !! Pct !! TD !! Int !! Rating !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! Lng !! TD !! Yards |- | 2009 | 162 || 288 || 2,575 || 56.3% || 13 || 4 || 143.5 | 61 || 354 || 5.8 || 31 || 2 | 2,929 |- | 2010 | 263 || 372 || 3,338 || 70.7% || 32 || 8 || 170.2 | 55 || 453 || 8.2 || 58 || 3 | 3,791 |- ! Total ! 425 !! 660 !! 5,913 !! 64.4% !! 45 !! 12 !! 158.5 ! 116 !! 807 !! 7.0 !! 58 !! 5 ! 6,720 |}

Awards and honors

2010 season

Heisman Trophy Runner Up

Maxwell Award Finalist

Walter Camp Award Finalist

Davey O'Brien Award Finalist

Manning Award Finalist

Second Team All America (AP, Walter Camp, SI.com, CBSSports.com)

Orange Bowl MVP

Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year

First Team All Pac-10

Second Team Pac 10 All Academic Team

Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week, Nov. 8, 2010 & Nov. 22, 2010

2009 season

Freshman All America (The Sporting News, CollegeFootballNews.com, Scout.com)

Honorable Mention All Pac-10

First Team Pac-10 All Academic Team

Records

Pac 10 single season records

Highest completion percentage (70.7%, 2010)

Pac 10 career records

Most career total offense per game (268.8 yards per game)

Stanford single season records

2010 season:

Most touchdown passes in a season (32)

Most total offense in a season (3,791 yards)

Highest passing efficiency rating (170.2)

Highest completion percentage (70.7%)

Most yards per pass attempt (9.0)

Most rushing yards by a quarterback (453 yards)

Stanford career records

Most career yards per pass attempt (9.0 yards/attempt)

Lowest career interception percentage (1.8%)

Most career rushing yards by a quarterback (807 yards)

Professional career

Luck was widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, but decided to return for his junior season. , Luck is seen as the top prospect for the 2012 NFL Draft by analysts.

References

External links

Stanford Cardinal bio

Stanford's Andrew Luck Heisman Trophy candidate site

Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:American football quarterbacks Category:Sportspeople from Houston, Texas Category:People from Washington, D.C. Category:Players of American football from Texas Category:Stanford Cardinal football players Category:People from London