Andrew Luck and Coby Fleener have a lot in common. They were both 2012 draftees, the first players taken at their respective positions, drafted by the same team after going to the same college. They also will both be seen as starters and key pieces for the rebuilding efforts for the team that drafted them – the Indianapolis Colts. Seen as the two best players in this year’s draft at each of their positions, the Colts seem to be starting at the right place when looking for these Stanford grads to lead the way into a new era.
Luck-to-Fleener was one of the most productive combinations in college football last season. Fleener was named an All-America by several organizations and Luck finished the season as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy for the second season in a row. The two players grew together throughout their careers and look to continue doing so throughout their professional careers.
While the Colts spending their number one overall pick on Luck seemed like a foregone conclusion since they locked up the top slot, there was little speculation that he would be reunited with Fleener in the NFL. However, both players are excited to share the football field for yet another season. In an interview with NFL.com, Fleener said, “I can’t tell you how excited I am and what it means to have him at quarterback.”
While it could be assumed that making Luck comfortable had some influence on the Colts’ decision, that shouldn’t in any way diminish Fleener’s abilities. He was actually projected to go near the end of the first round, so the Colts were lucky that he fell to them at the top of the second. Tight end has become an increasingly important position in today’s NFL, as the passing game dominates the league and big targets for quarterbacks are seen as a huge advantage. The Colts will be looking towards Fleener in hopes that he could be their version of Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham, tight ends who can catch the ball and handle a defender just as well.
Luck will be called upon to step up and lead these new-look Colts as soon as the regular season starts. On a team that has been purged of many of its most productive players, it puts that much more pressure on these highly drafted rookies to produce in their first year. When talking about the pressures facing him this season, Luck said at the Rookie Premiere “We’ll lay it all out on the field and hope to win some games.”
Luck and Fleener will be working to replace two Colt greats in Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark. The players they are replacing played in one of the greatest eras of success in the franchise’s history, but Luck and Fleener know success themselves. They played for current 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and helped win a game for the ages when they beat the USC Trojans on the road. Luck and Fleener know each other well and their playing relationship will be one of many important building blocks for this Colts team.
By Eric Gustafsson
