In the NFL today, quarterbacks are judged primarily on Super
Bowl victories. Arm strength, accuracy, mobility, and mental
toughness are all key assets, but wins are the ultimate litmus
test when deciding how good a quarterback actually is and the
legacy they leave after retirement. To win, they must have
leadership and a special trust with their teammates. They need
to avoid mental mistakes in key situations and know how to
finish.
In 1998, Peyton Manning was drafted first overall by the
Colts. He is one of the smartest players the NFL has ever seen.
Luck has very similar attributes to Manning when he came into
the league out of Tennessee as a rookie. Manning was smart, had
great feet, and questions about his arm strength. Luck is
similar intellectually, has exceptional accuracy, and was in a
system at Stanford where his arm strength was in doubt. The
latter was in part due to offensive scheme and the injury to
Chris Owusu, Stanford’s main deep threat receiver. A lot of
Stanford’s passing offense went through a talented group of
tight ends.
Robert Griffin III, draws a lot of comparisons to Michael Vick
coming out of Virginia Tech. Having grown up in a military
family Griffin likely had more support from his family than Vick
who grew up in a very poor city. Off the field they are complete
opposites, but if you switched their jerseys and watched them
perform on Sunday, you might get them confused. Lightning fast
speed, deadly accuracy with intermediate throws, and multi-sport
athletic ability, are just a few comparisons between the two.
Griffin was a Track and Field star in the 300 meter hurdles
dating back to high school when he had a legitimate shot at the
national record his senior year. Instead, he eschewed that shot
at personal glory to enroll early at Baylor so he could get a
head start with football knowing that the NFL would be in his
future and not the Olympics. Vick was drafted by the Colorado
Rockies in 2000 despite not even playing baseball since 8th
grade. Both have exceptional athletic ability.
Does Griffin have the right tools to have a more
successful professional career than Luck, and for that matter
Vick as well? I see some reasons to believe he will do just
that. First, Griffin was drafted to a team that already has an
established head coach, Mike Shannahan, whose resume features a
Super Bowl title won in Denver. On the other hand, Luck was
selected to a team with a first-year head coach, Chuck Pagano,
who has never been a head coach at any level much less won a
championship. The franchise has been led by Manning, a coach on
the field, for over a decade and is now left looking for a
savior. After the 2012 season many familiar faces on offense
left Indianapolis including Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark, Pierre
Garcon, and Jeff Saturday. Griffin is being brought into an
established system whereas Luck has to work his way into finding
which plays work and which plays don’t.
Luck has the intelligence label, but Griffin is no slouch. After
enrolling early at Baylor he stayed for his senior year to earn
his degree. Most athletes with his skill set would have left for
the NFL early. Beyond that, Griffin’s decision making is just as
good if not better than Luck’s
In the speed department Luck is not slow for a
quarterback, but Griffin is one of the fastest to ever play the
position in the NFL after clocking a mind blowing 4.38 40-yard
dash at the NFL combine in February.
