Indianapolis, IN
Andrew Luck makes long-awaited return to Indianapolis: 'It's my turn to give back'
The last time we saw him in this type of setting — cameras on, microphones hot — Andrew Luck had tape on his ankle and tears in his eyes. He was broken. We were stunned.
This time, almost five years removed, he wore a navy sportscoat and trendy glasses, belting out that hyuk-hyuk-hyuk laugh of his. He admitted how excited he was pulling into the Colts’ facility Friday afternoon, thinking back to where he used to park before practice. He bragged how proud he was that both of his daughters were born in Indianapolis, a city he still loves and feels connected to.
“This place is dope in May,” Luck said. “Nothing compares to the Indy 500.”
He admitted that he had to YouTube some of his old highlights before Friday’s 12th annual ChuckStrong gala in case anyone asked him about that magical 2012 season and what the Colts were able to accomplish — an unexpected playoff berth — while their first-year coach, Chuck Pagano, was stricken with leukemia in the hospital.
This felt like a long time coming, not solely for the city and the franchise that for years felt the reverberations from his stunning retirement, but for the quarterback himself.
The Colts spent the better part of five years trying — and mostly failing — to move on. So did he.
“For me to move forward in my life the way I want to,” Luck said that night, fighting back tears, “it didn’t involve football.”
Back in August 2019, he was battered and beaten-down. He once told me the game — and all the pressure and pain that had come his way — had left him “a sad miserable SOB.” So he walked away and entered the unknown, leaving so many questions unanswered and what-ifs lingering. He was 29 years old, clueless as to what the next phase of life would look like.
He’d joke with himself in the months that followed: “I can’t be retired at 30. That ain’t right.”
No, none of it felt right. And so much of it never made sense.
Finally, in front of the cameras in Indianapolis, he addressed it.
“Football gave me a lot,” Luck said. “Most importantly … the relationships and the experiences with people that I love, like Chuck. I think part of me feels — and I don’t mean this in a cheesy way — but part of me feels like it’s my turn to give back into this game. And this is what feels right at this moment.”
It took time, years to reconcile the way his football career ended, so abruptly, so unexpectedly, 14 days before he was supposed to start his eighth NFL season. “Tormented” is the word he used to describe his emotions back then.
He spilled his soul in a stunning news conference after a preseason game, his voice shaky, his fade red with emotion. Then he disappeared.
He went to Spain and learned to surf. He spent weeks skiing in Colorado. He became a stay-at-home dad. He cooked. He texted his old teammates on game days. He read a mountain of books.
All the while, he pondered what he was going to do with the rest of his life.
What that life looks like now: classes at Stanford, where he’s working on his master’s in education, and fall afternoons on the football field at Palo Alto High School, where he’s a volunteer quarterbacks coach. More than that, he’s a middle-aged dad to two daughters (Lucy is 4, Penelope is 20 months) who’s come to peace with the way his first career ended.
“I am a part of the fabric of the sports story in this city,” Luck admitted. “I certainly feel like Indianapolis is a massive part of the fabric of who I am, and where life has gone.
“I certainly feel the love from this city, and I hope people know it’s reciprocal.”
As he moved through the stages of his retirement, he said, the further he got from football, the more he wanted it back in his life.
“It’s just got to be different,” he decided.
The itch to play again never really entered his mind.
“I think when I retired, that part of it was put to bed, in a very simple, direct (way),” Luck said.
Thus, coaching. And reconnecting with the franchise he for so long seemed distant from — despite the fact that he and his family lived a few minutes from the team’s practice facility.
That Luck laid low early in retirement wasn’t an accident. He never yearned for attention, never really understood it. He wasn’t about to seek it out after his playing days were over.
“I do think we live in — and I think about this often — a world where it’s very easy to create your own visibility, in a sense,” he said. “And that’s just never been me. I don’t think that’s my personality. I’m OK with that. And I’m certainly not searching for attention in that way.”
Which is why this night was notable, with Luck choosing to speak to a handful of reporters before helping Pagano continue his fight against cancer (to date, the ChuckStrong gala has raised $14 million for cancer research). This wasn’t something that was going to happen in 2020 or 2021 or even 2022. Luck wasn’t ready.
Yes, he watches his old team, even though most of his old teammates are retired. He’s a fan of Christian McCaffrey (the Stanford connection) and Jonathan Taylor. He swung by a 49ers game this season, then stopped by the Amazon Prime TV set afterward, amazingly, dressed as Capt. Andrew Luck. He loves taking his daughters to Stanford games.
Anytime Penelope sees a football helmet, she says “Daddy.” That brings a smile to his face. “You’re right,” he’ll tell her.
The ride was riveting, the end gutting, his legacy complicated. Luck has come to acknowledge that, and furthermore, to accept it.
On Friday night, he looked and sounded like a man grateful for what he was a part of, and for the role football played in his life — even if his story never followed the script. Particularly the ending.
“We were not perfect,” he said. “I know I was not perfect. All of us wished we’d had multiple Super Bowls and done things and sort of vanquished some of those enemies that we didn’t quite ever get to.
“But I could probably speak for all the other guys, and I know I could speak for myself: it wasn’t perfect, but we tried our best. We tried our hardest, and I hope we gave folks something to cheer about and something to be proud of.”
(Photo: James Boyd / The Athletic)
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We are 50 days away from the Indianapolis 500 and leading up to the green flag, WISH-TV is talking to people who have played a role in past races and those dedicated to the history of this iconic event.
Mike Lashmett, the founder of Vintage Indy, joined Saturday Daybreak to share his Tales From The Track.
Lashmett started as a mechanic back in 1971 for the Vel-Parnelli Jones team and George Bignotti, who won the Indy 500 with the Johnny Lightning Special 55 years ago. He said he did everything from driving the truck, to assembling the car, and working pit stops.
Lashmett shared that he was with that team for two years and then transitioned to the Super Team, who brought on Mario Andretti.
“Then I left that team at the end of ’72 and went with George Bignotti over to Patrick Racing Team,” he said. “That team won the 500 in 1973 and I was on Gordy’s car later that season. We won several races including Phoenix, and Trenton, sat on the front row for the California 500 at Ontario next to Pete Robson and Jerry Grant.”
Lashmett explained that preserving the history of the 500 is a must. He often conducts public speaking engagements with his good friend and pace car driver, Al Unser Jr, who was the first person to compete against his own father in the same Indianapolis 500.
Lashmett says Indianapolis would be nothing without the history and that it’s a very special place, not only because of the races, but because of the people.
“There’s a lot of famous racetracks in the world, Daytona, Le Mans, Monaco. No place has the history that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 has,” he said.
“And no place do the fans have the appreciation and knowledge of even the minutia of the history of all things Indianapolis. So, that’s how important it is.”
Stay updated with Indy 500 live coverage, breaking news, and exclusive sports information from WISH-TV — your source for all things Indianapolis sports.
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The 2026 NCAA Tournament is nearing its conclusion, with the Final Four set to take place in Indianapolis this Saturday. The matchups feature a mix of familiar and new faces, including Arizona making its first appearance in the national semifinals since 2001.
Why it matters
The Final Four is the most anticipated event of the college basketball calendar, drawing massive viewership and setting the stage for an exciting national championship game. This year’s tournament has featured several Cinderella stories and unexpected contenders, adding to the intrigue.
The details
The two national semifinal games will be played on Saturday, April 4th. The first matchup at 3:00 PM local time will feature Arizona taking on the winner of the East Regional. The second game at 5:30 PM will pit the winner of the Midwest Regional against the victor of the West Regional.
- The Final Four will take place on Saturday, April 4, 2026 in Indianapolis.
- The national championship game is scheduled for Monday, April 6, 2026.
The players
Arizona
The Wildcats are making their first Final Four appearance since 2001, led by a talented roster and head coach Tommy Lloyd in his third season.
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What they’re saying
“I’m a simple guy, just trying to lead my team to the national championship. The Final Four is the ultimate stage, and we’re excited for the challenge ahead.”
— Tommy Lloyd, Head Coach, Arizona
What’s next
Fans can tune in to the national semifinal games on CBS this Saturday, with the national championship game set for Monday night. Ticket sales and viewing parties are expected to be at a fever pitch as the tournament reaches its climax.
The takeaway
This year’s Final Four features a mix of traditional powers and upstart contenders, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Fans are in for a treat as college basketball’s biggest stars take the court in Indianapolis.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The HBCU All-Star Game Experience tips off Friday in Indianapolis, beginning a weekend of events that includes educational fairs, social justice panels and an all-star basketball game.
The multi-day event is centered at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the Madam Walker Legacy Center, with activities scheduled through Sunday afternoon.
The experience is designed to celebrate the historical and contemporary role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in sports and civil rights. Beyond the athletic competition, the event aims to empower student-athletes through conversations about education, community development, and activism.
The weekend began Friday morning with a college admissions and scholarship fair at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
The fair, which started at 9 a.m., provided resources for prospective students and their families. Following the educational events, the focus shifts to a “social justice and civil rights luncheon and panel” scheduled for Saturday.
The luncheon and panel will be held at 12 p.m. Saturday at the Madam Walker Legacy Center. Mawuli Mel Davis and Sean Johnson are among those participating in the discussions and joined Daybreak on Friday to discuss the event.
Mel Davis explained that the inclusion of social justice topics is a direct reflection of the history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
“We have seen the role of HBCUs in the social justice work since the inception of HBCUs,” Davis said. “And so we thought it was absolutely appropriate to have a social justice, civil rights conversation for our student athletes.”
Davis added that the event serves to remind young athletes of their ability to affect society.
“This will be a way of pouring into them and reminding them of their power as student athletes and as young people to really impact how things are happening in our community and in our society right now.”
The panel discussions are divided into two segments:
- Panel 1 – Civic Engagement, Public Safety & Police Accountability
- Panel 2 – Educate, Employ, Empower — Youth, Education & Workforce Pathways as Civic Power
Johnson said one session will focus on education, while the other addresses community development and the intimate nature of the HBCU experience.
“We want to make sure folks, again, understand the importance of HBCUs and the role that HBCUs have played in athletics,” Johnson said. “We see all across the sports spectrum that you see athletes that come from our historically black colleges. And we want to make sure we continue to uplift that.”
The panel features several prominent speakers, including Dr. Ricky Jones from the University of Louisville, along with Barbara Arnwine and Daryl Jones from the Transformative Justice Coalition. Local organizers will also join the conversation, which is free and open to the public.
Founder Travis Williams and Kya Williams established the event to provide a comprehensive look at HBCU culture. Johnson noted that the founders believe the experience should be “bigger than the game.”
Sunday’s schedule returns to the Indiana State Fairgrounds for a black business vendor showcase starting at 12 p.m. This event leads into the final athletic competition of the weekend.
The HBCU All-Star Game will tip off at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Corteva Coliseum. The game features top senior All-Star players from across the country and will be broadcast live on WISH-TV.
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