Andrew Luck

If all goes as expected, Andrew Luck will officially begin his career with the Indianapolis Colts in eight days. Luck frequently has been compared to Peyton Manning, and a just-released e-book about the Stanford quarterback helps hammer home that point. The Kindle book "Andrew Luck: Inside the Making of a No. 1 Pick" is available on Amazon.com and written by longtime Cardinal beat writer Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News. In it, Wilner reveals how Luck was so meticulous about critiquing himself in college that he wouldn't leave practice before sitting down to study the video shot of him that day. Wilner writes: "'On Wednesday, he wouldn't even shower after practice.

NEW YORK - Coby Fleener's first NFL route was a comeback pattern. The Stanford tight end will be reunited in Indianapolis with Andrew Luck, his college quarterback. "I just sent him a text message that had a lot of exclamation points in it," Fleener said Friday, minutes after the Colts made him the second pick of the NFL draft's second round - 33 selections and 23 hours after Indianapolis used the No. 1 overall pick on Luck. For Fleener, a first-rounder in most mock drafts, the disappointment of slipping into the second day was quickly washed away when his cellphone finally rang in the green room at Radio City Music Hall.

Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck? The Indianapolis Colts have made their choice for their starting quarterback in 2012 -- well, at least we're all assuming they intend to draft Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in April. We do know for sure they have chosen to proceed without Manning. Owner Jim Irsay announced Wednesday, in a joint news conference with Manning, that the Colts were parting ways with the quarterback that started every meaningful game for them for 13 straight years until multiple neck surgeries prevented him from playing at all in 2011.

1. Indianapolis Colts: QB Andrew Luck, Stanford - The last time the Colts had the No. 1 pick in the draft was 1998, when they selected Peyton Manning. Luck spent his early childhood in London, England, and Frankfurt, Germany, where his father, Oliver, was the GM of two World League of American Football teams prior to becoming league president. Oliver went to high school in Houston, where he was co-valedictorian of his class. Comment: Because the Colts are rebuilding, that should buy Luck some time.

Jim Harbaugh was named the NFL's Coach of the Year after turning around the San Francisco 49ers in his first season, but that hasn't given him much breathing room. That's the way he sees it, at least. "Approaching this combine, I'm very much on edge," he said Thursday. "I've always felt like the most improvement you can make is from Year 1 to Year 2, much like a college freshman. The most improvement he can make in an entire one year of college football is going from Year 1 to his sophomore year, like a pro football player going from his rookie season to his second season.

NEW YORK - Coby Fleener's first NFL route was a comeback pattern. The Stanford tight end will be reunited in Indianapolis with Andrew Luck, his college quarterback. "I just sent him a text message that had a lot of exclamation points in it," Fleener said Friday, minutes after the Colts made him the second pick of the NFL draft's second round - 33 selections and 23 hours after Indianapolis used the No. 1 overall pick on Luck. For Fleener, a first-rounder in most mock drafts, the disappointment of slipping into the second day was quickly washed away when his cellphone finally rang in the green room at Radio City Music Hall.

Life could take a left turn on Andrew Luck. The big quarterback from Stanford knows that. He senses the potential for calamity and will address the subject just as soon as he finishes another bite of his sandwich. "All actions have consequences," he says. The football world did a double take last winter when Luck passed up the NFL draft — and millions of dollars — to spend one more season in college. His unexpected return puts Stanford in the middle of the national championship hunt and makes him an early Heisman Trophy favorite.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck has decided to stay in college to get his degree instead of immediately cashing in on the riches of being the likely No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Luck announced his decision Thursday, more than a week before the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft. Luck, who sat out his first season as a redshirt, has two years of eligibility remaining but is on track to graduate next spring. "I am committed to earning my degree in architectural design from Stanford University and am on track to accomplish this at the completion of the spring quarter of 2012," Luck said in a statement issued through the school.

The worst-kept secret in the NFL is officially out of the bag. The Indianapolis Colts will use the No. 1 overall pick Thursday on Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. General Manager Ryan Grigson confirmed that to reporters Tuesday, and the Colts' official website led with the headline, "Luck to Be First Pick" on its front page. The Colts had informed Luck last week that he would be the first player selected. That means a quarterback will be taken first overall for the fourth consecutive year, the second-longest such streak in NFL history.

  The Indianapolis Colts have informed  Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck that he's the No. 1 pick in next week's draft, The Times has confirmed. The news was first reported Thursday morning by ESPN's Adam Schefter. That means Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III is in line to go second to the Washington Redskins. Although that 1-2 lineup has been forecast for months, there had been increasing speculation in recent weeks that the Colts were flirting with the idea of taking Griffin.

NEW YORK - The NFL, a league that has long embraced its tradition, tried something new Thursday night. A no-huddle draft. The picks were coming so fast and furious, at one point Commissioner Roger Goodell had a backlog of three picks in his suit pocket. And the first is usually the slowest, most contemplative round. The league might need an auctioneer Friday for Rounds 2 and 3. The first round ended in three hours, a tidy made-for-prime-time span. Amazingly, that was an hour slower than the fastest opening round on record, in 1972, when there were six fewer franchises.

2. Washington Redskins: QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor - Jim Harbaugh recruited both Griffin and Andrew Luck to Stanford. Griffin declined the scholarship offer because he reasoned there would be a logjam at quarterback. He is the only player from Baylor to win the Heisman Trophy. As a high school track star in Texas, he broke state records in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. Comment: The Redskins run a bootleg offense - - roll right, roll left - - and Mike Shanahan says Griffin is the best he's coached at doing that since Steve Young.  MORE Photos: 2012 NFL draft picks First round of draft is a rush to judgment NFL considers suspending Pro Bowl after 2013     Robert Griffin III selected second by the Redskins    

NEW YORK — We won't get fooled again. Unlike a year ago, when an early run on quarterbacks caught most NFL draft prognosticators flat-footed, most have now resigned themselves to the notion that the QB count might reach four before the first round is done Thursday night. And the first two passers are already penned in. Stanford's Andrew Luck will be the No. 1 pick, by Indianapolis, and Washington will take Baylor's Robert Griffin III second. It will be the first time quarterbacks have gone 1-2 in the draft since 1999.

Deion Sanders' estranged wife was arrested Monday on suspicion of assault while the former NFL star claimed via Twitter that she had broken into his room and attacked him as their children watched. "Pray for me and my kids now! They just witnessed their mother and a friend jump me in my room. She's going to jail n I'm pressing charges!" Sanders tweeted Monday afternoon. Pilar Sanders was booked into the Collin County (Texas) Jail on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.

Monday we asked which of the two players everyone assumes will go 1-2 in the NFL draft -- Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III-- will have a better pro career. So far, Luck has the edge with 38% of the vote (followed by both successful with 31%, Griffin with 22% and both disappointments with 9%). So that's the long-term prognosis -- today we will look at the short term. Which of the two will have the best rookie season in the NFL? The Indianapolis Colts already have stated they will be taking Luck at No. 1 overall, and the Washington Redskins will stun the world if they don't use the No. 2 pick on RG3. Writers from around the Tribune Co. will be discussing the topic throughout the day. Join the conversation by voting in the poll and leaving a comment of your own. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times Robert Griffin III will have a better rookie season because he'll be surrounded by a better supporting cast.

The worst-kept secret in the NFL is officially out of the bag. The Indianapolis Colts will use the No. 1 overall pick Thursday on Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. General Manager Ryan Grigson confirmed that to reporters Tuesday, and the Colts' official website led with the headline, "Luck to Be First Pick" on its front page. The Colts had informed Luck last week that he would be the first player selected. That means a quarterback will be taken first overall for the fourth consecutive year, the second-longest such streak in NFL history.

UCLA cornerback Aaron Hester knows he and the rest of UCLA's secondary need to be on their toes against Stanford on Saturday. A week ago, the passing threat was minimal — Kansas State ran the ball, and ran it well. Stanford, though, requires a whole different mind-set. The Cardinal has a strong running game and is expected to test the Bruins' defensive front. However, quarterback Andrew Luck is the primary concern. "Stanford is a double threat," Hester said.

Reporting from Palo Alto — Andrew Luck hears it. How could he not? The Stanford campus is low-key and idyllic, but it's not so insulated from the real world that the clamoring for Luck goes unnoticed. He is, after all, the most anticipated NFL prospect in years, maybe since John Elway called this university home 30 years ago. "I don't live in a hole, I don't live in a cave," the quarterback said Tuesday, before plunging into preparations for Saturday's game at USC. "The talk is fine.

Soccer player Erik Lamela of Roma has been suspended for three games for spitting on Stephan Lichtsteiner of Juventus during Juventus' 4-0 win over Roma on Monday. It appears Lichtsteiner was gloating a bit, and held up four fingers, one for each goal, to Lamela. Unable to think of something clever to do in response, Lamela jogged past Lichtsteiner and spit on him, as you can see in the above video. Roma said it would not appeal the suspension and released a statement that "Erik Lamela wishes to apologize to the fans, his teammates, the coach and his opponent for this regrettable incident.

Brian Dawkins has decided to retire after 16 seasons in the NFL, he announced Monday on Twitter. But the eight-time all-pro safety still has another decision to make: Does he want to be remembered as an Eagle or a Bronco? Dawkins remains undecided about whether he should retire as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, the team with which he spent the first 13 years of his career, or the Denver Broncos, the team that showed him love when he felt spurned by the Eagles. The Eagles reportedly have told Dawkins they want him to retire as member of their team.