INDIANAPOLIS — When you are within a few miles of Lucas Oil Stadium, you can see the life-size picture of Peyton Manning emblazoned on the front wall.
His presence looms large over the city and the team, the Indianapolis Colts, that he guided to a Super Bowl title.
Andrew Luck, the fine quarterback from Stanford, who many believe will be Manning’s heir apparent, acknowledged that it was a little unsettling coming into the venue for the NFL scouting combine and seeing the image of the legend he may have to replace.
“I understand that is a possibility,” Luck said. “Peyton was my hero growing up. He was my football hero. That’s who I modeled myself after in high school and middle school. You never truly replace a guy like that, and who knows what is going to happen.
“So many different things can happen, and I’m not thinking about it right now.”
Luck, the son of former NFL quarterback Oliver Luck, is projected to be taken by the Colts with the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
He has studied Manning’s every move.
“I’ve been down to the Manning camps,” Luck said. “It was a great experience to see all of the Mannings. I did talk to him after I made my decision to go back to school last year because he went through a very similar situation.”
Luck, along with Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, spoke to the media Friday. Both would like to be the top pick in the draft.
“The good thing about football is that it’s a team game,” Luck said. “I think Robert is a great quarterback. A great competitor, a great guy and real easy to get along with. I don’t get motivation by competing against him for something that I think. ... I don’t think it’s one player against another.”
Luck has studied Griffin’s game, too.
“He’s fun to watch,” Luck said. “It’s fascinating. He’s athletic. He’s explosive. He can make a lot of throws.”
There is a lot of speculation that Cleveland or Washington will make a trade with St. Louis for the second pick and select Griffin.
“I hope somebody falls in love with me,” Griffin said. “I’d be a fool to say I didn’t want to go No. 1 in the draft. We all want to be the best. You have to believe you’re the best.”
Griffin has started interviews with teams and believes that he has to prove to NFL teams that Baylor’s offense wasn’t simple and that he can take a snap from under center.
However, he noted that New England’s Tom Brady and New York’s Eli Manning spent most of their time in the shotgun during the recent Super Bowl.
Ironically, both Luck and Griffin were recruited by former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh.
“The two-quarterback thing just doesn’t work,” said Griffin about deciding not to go to Stanford.
Some are comparing Griffin with Cam Newton, who went No. 1 in the draft last season.
“He’s a bigger guy,” Griffin said. “As a runner, he’s a little more shiftier, while I’m a little faster than Cam.”
Griffin compares himself with Randall Cunningham, Steve Young, Ken Stabler and John Elway.
“They could extend the play,” Griffin said. “They could make plays in the pocket, but they also knew how to operate out of the pocket.”
Luck still couldn’t bring himself to think about one day having his life-size picture looming over this city.
“I haven’t been drafted by any team, and with Peyton, that’s still going on with the Colts,” Luck said. “It’s not uncomfortable. I understand that the questions have to be asked.”
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