'Because you ski': ESPN writer discusses former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck

Want to get close to Andrew Luck? Your best shot is being an avid skier.

ESPN's Seth Wickersham said Wednesday on the "Dan Patrick Show" that skiing was his "in" to interview the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback. Their conversations yielded a long story about Luck's retirement decision.

"If I knew that being an extreme skier and risking my life many times in the pursuit of an adrenaline rush would help me in my career, I would have done this a lot more," Wickersham said.

When he started interviewing Luck at Luck's home, "He says, 'You know why you're here, right? ... Because you ski.'"

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Here's more from the interview:

Frank Reich pleaded with Luck to return

Former Colts coach Frank Reich sensed the Police were speaking to him through his car radio, so he fired off a text to Luck.

"There was one moment where Frank Reich was driving. Poor Indianapolis Colts fans are never going to hear 'Message in a Bottle' the same way again," Wickersham said. "Frank Reich was like, 'This is a sign,' and he pulls over and he sends Andrew Luck this long message. 'Sending out an SOS' was the first line. ... If you want to come back, we're welcoming you with open arms.

"The answer was no."

Andrew Luck as a high school coach?

Wickersham noted that Luck's chance meeting with a high school football coach ‒ on the ski slopes ‒ provided a spark that could see his return to the game in a different role.

Luck had a book club in Indianapolis and is pursuing graduate studies at Stanford.

"I could see high school coaching," he said. "I think he has accepted that football can be part of his life again. When he walked away, he tried to disassociate from the game and disassociate from his identity as a quarterback."

In 2019, that coach invited Luck to speak to his team, and Luck took him up on it.

"When he was leaving, he just felt rejuvenated," Wickersham said.

Luck more recently spent some time with a Brownsburg junior football team.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Andrew Luck retirement: ESPN writer discusses former Colts quarterback