Luck, Weeden share unusual paths to stardom
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Brandon Weeden was among those in disbelief last year when friend and likely top draft pick Andrew Luck turned down the NFL to return to Stanford."To be honest, I was shocked," Weeden said Friday. "It would be hard to turn down that kind of money."
Weeden was hardly alone. Most of the football world was surprised when Luck picked Stanford over the pros. But if it was an uncommon choice, it was the same sort of stray from convention that defines the special careers of both Luck and Weeden, who will meet in their final college game Tuesday when No. 3 Oklahoma State (11-1) faces No. 4 Stanford (11-1) in the so-close-to-the-BCS-title-game Fiesta Bowl.
Their career passing numbers are exceptional and their skill sets NFL-worthy, but what really bonds Luck and Weeden are their unique journeys, the strikingly distinct paths that have led them to the same end point.
It is the degree of their variance from the norm that makes them similar.