Andrew Luck Hilariously Embraces 'Capt. Andrew Luck' Internet Meme

Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck made a rare public appearance on Amazon's Thursday Night Football postgame show. Or at least "Capt. Andrew Luck" did.

Yes, the four-time Pro Bowler arrived on the set donning a Civil War-era uniform. The somewhat random postgame appearance was a callback to the popular online parody account "Capt. Andrew Luck." The account humorously compared the QB to an old soldier on the battlefield as a play on his neck beard. Luck, notorious for owning a flip phone during his playing days, is clearly still familiar with the account.

And he was sure to lean into the character on Thursday night.

"The war is over," Luck said through a smile after joining the show. "We're in greener pastures in California. Life is quite good."

Host Charissa Thompson explained to the audience: "This is where the kids say, if you know, you know." Luck, the 2012 No. 1 overall pick out of Stanford, went on to participate in a postgame quiz related to the Stanford-Cal college football rivalry.

Why Was Luck Dressed in Civil War Attire?

Fans unfamiliar with the gag may have been at least a little confused at Luck's appearance Thursday night. Time to get in on the joke.

The X, formerly Twitter, account @CaptAndrewLuck became a fixture during Luck's time with the Colts. The account was a play on Luck's shaggy beard and short hair, which some fans thought looked right out of the 1800s. A meme, which showed a black-and-white photo of Luck in a military uniform, quickly became popular with football fans.

"Capt. Andrew Luck" regularly wrote messages home to his "dearest mother" with recaps of the day's battles (games, more specifically). Yes, this is a real account. For example, before the Colts played the Kansas City Chiefs in a 2019 playoff game, "Capt. Andrew Luck" said: "I have received your care package of braised pigeon shins and fresh squirrel oil. By way of Chief trickery, the unit lost a day's travel after reaching Lawrence only to discover Kansas City is actually in Missouri. No bother. Our focus remains unfazed."

The account had been inactive since May but resurfaced Thursday morning.

Why Did Luck Retire?

Luck was seen as one of the best prospects in recent memory when the Colts took him with the top pick in 2012. But the 2018 Comeback Player of the Year's career was cut short by a variety of severe injuries.

He suffered a lacerated kidney, at least one concussion, a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, and other ailments during his seven-year career. Luck abruptly retired from the NFL at 29 just before the 2019 regular season, citing a "cycle of injury, pain, rehab" that was "unrelenting."

What is Luck up to in his fifth year of retirement? Well, he's still around football.

Luck is a part-time assistant on the coaching staff at Palo Alto High School in California. Just across the street from the school is Stanford University, where Luck was named Pac-12 Player of the Year twice and re-enrolled last fall to earn his master's in education. Luck rarely makes public appearances, making his commitment to the bit on Thursday night all the more unbelievable.

The 34-year-old previously was on ESPN with Robert Griffin III ahead of last year's College Football Playoff championship game. Luck told his 2012 NFL Draft-mate that he has taken on "full-time daddy duty" since retiring.

Luck and his wife, Nicole, have two daughters.