Andrew Luck was always an outlier. While most NFL stars were spending their offseasons at high-end Vegas pool parties or grinding in specialized training facilities, the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback was often spotted with a dog-eared paperback in his hand. He didn’t just read; he curated. He was the guy asking 300-pound offensive linemen about their thoughts on the Napoleonic Wars during training camp.
Then, in 2016, he made it official. He launched the Andrew Luck Book Club.
It wasn't some corporate marketing play to "humanize" a brand. Honestly, if you knew anything about Luck—the guy who famously used a flip phone years after everyone else moved to iPhones—you knew this was genuine. It was a digital space where a world-class athlete talked about The Boys in the Boat with the same intensity most people reserve for a Super Bowl two-minute drill.
The Weird, Wonderful Structure of the Club
Luck didn't want things to be complicated. He basically had one rule: no barriers to entry. No memberships. No fees. You just read the book and used a hashtag.
He split his recommendations into two distinct categories:
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- Rookies: These were the books Luck loved as a kid. Think Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli or The Giver by Lois Lowry.
- Veterans: These were the heavy hitters. He’d pick what he was currently reading—everything from The Martian to Hillbilly Elegy or dense historical non-fiction.
The "Rookie" selections weren't just for kids, though. They were a bit of a nostalgia trip for adults, too. Luck has always been vocal about how his parents and grandparents sparked his love for reading, and the club felt like his way of passing that torch. He once told CBS News that reading was the one thing that required him to "shut everything else off."
For a guy whose job involved having 250-pound linebackers try to take his head off, that mental escape was probably more than just a hobby. It was a survival mechanism.
Why People Still Talk About It
When Andrew Luck retired in 2019, the sports world went into a collective state of shock. He was in his prime. He was the "generational talent" who lived up to the hype. But as the dust settled, the book club actually became a bigger part of his legacy than many expected.
It proved that "jock culture" isn't a monolith.
The Andrew Luck Book Club built a bridge. You had suburban moms, high school football players, and literary critics all using #ALBookClub on Twitter. It was a rare corner of the internet that wasn't toxic. People were just... talking about books.
The Luck List: A Few Standout Picks
If you're looking for where to start, these were some of the most popular "Veteran" picks that defined the club's vibe:
- The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (The very first pick).
- When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.
- Shoe Dog by Phil Knight.
- Educated by Tara Westover.
- A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
Luck didn't just post a photo and vanish. He actually hosted a podcast where he interviewed the authors. Imagine being a writer and getting a call from an NFL MVP who actually read your footnotes. That’s the kind of nerdiness we need more of in professional sports.
The 2026 Perspective: Is it Still Active?
Here is the thing: Andrew Luck is a private guy. Since his retirement, the official updates to the club have slowed down significantly. The website and social accounts still exist as a massive archive, but you won't find monthly updates like you did back in 2017.
Does that mean the Andrew Luck Book Club is dead?
Kinda, but also no. The community hasn't really left. If you search the hashtag today, you’ll still find people sharing their current reads because of the foundation Luck laid. He turned the "NFL's Unofficial Librarian" moniker into a legitimate subculture.
Even in 2026, the list of his past recommendations remains one of the best curated "starter packs" for anyone looking to get back into reading. It’s a mix of grit, history, and human resilience.
How to "Join" the Legacy Today
You can't exactly wait for a new 2026 Luck pick, but you can definitely follow the blueprint.
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First, go back to the archives. The original website still lists the 2016-2020 selections. If you haven't read The Art of Racing in the Rain or Sapiens, start there. They are "Luck-approved" for a reason.
Second, embrace the "Rookie/Veteran" mindset. Pick a classic you loved at twelve years old and pair it with a challenging non-fiction book you’ve been avoiding. Luck's whole philosophy was about the balance of reading—it should be fun, but it should also make you think.
Lastly, keep the conversation going. Use the old hashtags. The "team of readers" Luck wanted to build still exists in the corners of Reddit and Goodreads. You don't need a starting quarterback to tell you to turn the page, but having his list as a roadmap definitely doesn't hurt.
Luck’s departure from football was about choosing personal health and happiness over a game. In a way, his book club was the first sign that he had a world waiting for him outside the stadium—one filled with ink, paper, and much fewer concussions.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit the Archive: Visit the archived recommendation lists and pick one "Veteran" book you’ve never heard of.
- The 10-Minute Rule: Adopt Luck’s "pre-bed" ritual. Even during his busiest seasons, he read for 10 minutes before sleep to clear his mind.
- Start Your Own "Rookie" List: Write down three books that shaped your childhood and gift one to a younger family member this year.