- Standout Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck returned to campus Saturday to watch Stanford face USC.
- The retired NFL star was there celebrating his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Stanford football legend Andrew Luck returned to his alma mater Saturday as the Cardinal hosted the USC Trojans.
The standout quarterback — who went on to star for the Indianapolis Colts before abruptly retiring from the NFL at 29 years old — was back at his old stomping grounds to celebrate his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Luck reflected on his remarkable college career during a rare TV interview. And while he had the mic on ESPN, the now-34-year-old decided to use his airtime to spotlight the "10 incredible women" inducted into the Stanford Hall of Fame, in honor of Title IX's 50th anniversary.
"They're gonna be honored at halftime," Luck said. "I'm not sure it's on TV — including Tara VanDerveer, one of the great coaches of all time in the sport of basketball, and the worldwide superstar Nneka Ogwumike, who was my classmate."
"It's special to share this night with women," he added.
Ogwumike, a WNBA MVP and champion who competes for the Los Angeles Sparks, and VanDerveer, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach who's led the Cardinal to 13 Final Fours and three NCAA titles, were just two of the 10 inducted into the university's first-ever all-women Hall of Fame class.
US Women's National Team star and two-time World Cup champion Christen Press was one of three Olympians — including swimmer Elaine Breeden Penrose and water polo star Margie Dingeldein — to earn recognition over the weekend.
Rounding out the class were high jumper Lisa Bernhagen Ramos, softball shortstop Ashley Hansen Church, gymnast Carly Janiga Reardon, golfer Sally Voss Krueger, and women's athletics scholarship program founder Linda R. Meier.
Luck called the moment "especially topical" given that he has two young daughters.
"I want my girls to have all the opportunities in the world that little boys get," he said.
Check out the clip from Luck's interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe below:
—ESPN (@espn) September 11, 2022