There seems to be more activism happening in the NFL than ever before, a trend that came to the nation’s attention last August with Colin Kaepernick’s protest during the national anthem and will likely continue under the Trump administration. But while many athletes are speaking out, Andrew Luck isn’t comfortable expressing himself in that way. He explained to Kevin Clark on The Ringer NFL Show:
"I certainly have opinions [and] share them with friends and family [and] in our locker room," said Luck, who appeared on behalf of a Bodyarmor campaign. "But a part of me felt like it was such a divisive time in our country for awhile and that maybe any opinion, as innocent as it might be, would be misconstrued. And so I don’t think I felt comfortable speaking out about certain things."
He elaborated, explaining that he supports those who do speak out:
"I certainly respect those who are sharing their opinions and starting or continuing a conversation. My college teammate Doug Baldwin never has been afraid to share his opinion and is a very thoughtful man. Not a lot of people may agree with all of his opinions, but I absolutely respect him for putting himself out there and I know he’s doing it for the right reasons and to try and effect positive change. I certainly respect that."
Luck isn’t apathetic about national affairs, however. To help him understand some of the changes in the country, he’s been reading Hillbilly Elegy.
"[I’m] getting towards the end. [It’s] very enlightening, very well-written," he said. "Obviously I think it maybe helps [us] understand certain things in this country."
And, turning away from America, Luck has been consuming some pulpier entertainment about the United Kingdom with The Crown.
"My girlfriend got me watching The Crown on Netflix. It is fantastic," he said. "I thought the setting was great, I thought the actors and actresses were phenomenal. I think [modern] English history is fascinating. Winston Churchill is a character we obviously learn about, at least in the periphery when studying American history, you hear his name. To see someone bring him to life was really neat as well."
