Andrew Luck reflects on public perception, stardom, and turnovers

Andrew Luck exceeded the extraordinary hype surrounding him coming out of Stanford, billed as the best quarterback prospect since Peyton Manning.

Luck led the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs in each of his three seasons, established himself as the future face of the NFL, and could break records with his club's revamped offense.

The affable quarterback is known for a charming on-field demeanor, which masks a zealous competitive streak. Luck won't change who he is, and doesn't appear concerned with the public's perception of him.

"I bet Tom Brady doesn't give a shit about what people think about him," Luck said in a lengthy profile by Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi. "Or Peyton (Manning). You play quarterback long enough, you hear some things. You have to have skin like an armadillo."

"I do think that you do have to be a little bit of an asshole sometimes," he added. "But it has to come off from within your own personality. If it's not, it comes off as phony and disingenuous."

Luck is one of the league's best quarterbacks, but admitted there are still aspects of his game that could be greatly improved.

"You can't repeat mistakes, and that's what gets you in trouble," he said. "That's why I'm disappointed in all the interceptions, because they were repeated mistakes, and you can't do that."

The Colts superstar threw for 4,761 yards, tossing a career-high 40 touchdowns against 16 interceptions last season.

A Stanford architectural design graduate, Luck's single best trait may be his ability to phase out distractions.

"I try to cut out the white noise. What doesn't really help you? What's going to bog you down? That's why it's so important to log those experiences in your mind. Because those count so much more than what you've seen on film."

Armed with one of the league's best receiving cores, Luck's persona may ascend to stratospheric heights if he can deliver the Colts' third Super Bowl title in franchise history.