Andrew Luck
Encyclopedia
Andrew Austen Luck is an American football
quarterback
for Stanford University
. He was the runner-up for the 2010 Heisman Trophy
, and is considered a leading contender for the 2011 Heisman Trophy
. He was a finalist for the Maxwell Award
, the Walter Camp Award
, the Davey O'Brien Award
and the Manning Award
in 2010 and 2011. He was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12 (Pac-10) Conference in both 2010 and 2011. CBS Sports
draft analyst Rob Rang called Luck the best prospect he has ever scouted, while the Kansas City Star puts him in line with LeBron James
and Bryce Harper
as "the most hyped amateurs in recent sports memory". Although widely projected as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft
, Luck decided to return to Stanford for his redshirt
junior season.
, the son of Oliver Luck
, current athletic director and a former quarterback at West Virginia University
and former NFL
quarterback for the Houston Oilers, and Kathy Wilson Luck. Andrew Luck spent his early childhood in London, England and Frankfurt, Germany, where his father was general manager of two World League of American Football
teams prior to becoming president of the league. He is the oldest of four children, Mary Ellen, Emily, and Addison, who currently reside in Houston. In London, he attended The American School in London
.
The Lucks returned to Texas when Oliver Luck was named CEO
of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. In Houston, Andrew attended Stratford High School, where he threw for 7,139 yards and 53 touchdowns in his high school career, and rushed for another 2,085 yards. Luck was also co-valedictorian
of his graduating class in 2008. Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com
, Luck was listed as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2008. A highly-rated high school recruiting target, he chose Stanford over offers from Northwestern
, Oklahoma State
, Purdue
, Rice
, and Virginia
, after being recruited by Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh
.
during his freshman year in 2008, he earned the starting quarterback job in 2009 over the returning starter, Tavita Pritchard
, thereby becoming the first Stanford freshman to earn the starting quarterback job since Chad Hutchinson
in 1996. In his first season, Luck led the Cardinal to victories over top ten Oregon
and USC
teams and a berth in the 2009 Sun Bowl
. Playing in a run-oriented offense featuring Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart
, Luck threw for 2,575 yards. Luck had 2,929 yards of total offense, the fifth highest total in Stanford history. He led the Pac-10 in pass efficiency rating with a rating of 143.5, and finished second in the Pac-10 in total offense.
Luck injured a finger on his throwing hand in the Cardinal's final regular season game against Notre Dame
. He had surgery prior to the Sun Bowl and did not play in the game.
and Steve Stenstrom
. Luck's 3,791 yards of total offense also are a school record, breaking the old record of 3,398 yards held by Stenstrom. Luck also set new Stanford single season records for completion percentage (70.7%) and pass efficiency rating (170.2). He won the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week award for his performances against Arizona and California.
Luck finished the 2010 season with two years of college eligibility remaining. He was eligible to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft
, but announced on January 6, 2011 that he would remain at Stanford to complete his degree. He is viewed by many TV sportscasters and ESPN writers as the top pro quarterback prospect in college football. In December 2010, Sporting News projected Luck as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, had he entered.
2010 season
2009 season
Stanford single season records
Stanford career records (through 12 games of 2011 season)
, but decided to return for his junior season. , Luck is seen as the consensus top prospect for the 2012 NFL Draft
by analysts. Some fans have called for their teams to try to lose their remaining games (or "suck for Luck" in the parlance of fans and the sporting press) in order to improve their chances for the first pick in the draft.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for Stanford University
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
. He was the runner-up for the 2010 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, and is considered a leading contender for the 2011 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. He was a finalist for the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
, the Walter Camp Award
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
, the Davey O'Brien Award
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
and the Manning Award
Manning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
in 2010 and 2011. He was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12 (Pac-10) Conference in both 2010 and 2011. CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
draft analyst Rob Rang called Luck the best prospect he has ever scouted, while the Kansas City Star puts him in line with LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
and Bryce Harper
Bryce Harper
Bryce Aron Max Harper is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Washington Nationals organization. Harper was selected by the Nationals with the first overall pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft...
as "the most hyped amateurs in recent sports memory". Although widely projected as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, Luck decided to return to Stanford for his redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
junior season.
Early life
Luck was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the son of Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck is the athletic director of West Virginia University, his alma mater. Luck is a retired American football player who spent four seasons in the National Football League as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers . He was also the first president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo...
, current athletic director and a former quarterback at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
and former NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
quarterback for the Houston Oilers, and Kathy Wilson Luck. Andrew Luck spent his early childhood in London, England and Frankfurt, Germany, where his father was general manager of two World League of American Football
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
teams prior to becoming president of the league. He is the oldest of four children, Mary Ellen, Emily, and Addison, who currently reside in Houston. In London, he attended The American School in London
The American School in London
The American School in London is an international, independent K-12 school in St John's Wood, London, England for students aged between 4 and 18 years. Established in 1951 by Princeton graduate Stephen Eckard, it is the oldest American school in the city and the only non-profit American school in...
.
The Lucks returned to Texas when Oliver Luck was named CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. In Houston, Andrew attended Stratford High School, where he threw for 7,139 yards and 53 touchdowns in his high school career, and rushed for another 2,085 yards. Luck was also co-valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of his graduating class in 2008. Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, Luck was listed as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2008. A highly-rated high school recruiting target, he chose Stanford over offers from Northwestern
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act...
, Purdue
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, Rice
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, and Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, after being recruited by Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
.
2009 season
After redshirtingRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
during his freshman year in 2008, he earned the starting quarterback job in 2009 over the returning starter, Tavita Pritchard
Tavita Pritchard
Tavita Pritchard is a former college football quarterback for Stanford who is now a defensive assistant football coach at Stanford.-High school career:...
, thereby becoming the first Stanford freshman to earn the starting quarterback job since Chad Hutchinson
Chad Hutchinson
Chad Martin Hutchinson is a retired National Football League quarterback and Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and the St. Louis Cardinals of the MLB...
in 1996. In his first season, Luck led the Cardinal to victories over top ten Oregon
2009 Oregon Ducks football team
The 2009 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the college football season of 2009. The team was led by head coach Chip Kelly in his first season as a head coach at the Division I FBS level. Kelly was only the third Ducks head coach since 1977 and led the Ducks to a...
and USC
2009 USC Trojans football team
The 2009 University of Southern California Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the college football season of 2009–2010. The team played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and was coached by Pete Carroll, who was in his ninth and final...
teams and a berth in the 2009 Sun Bowl
2009 Sun Bowl
The 2009 Brut Sun Bowl game was the 76th edition of the annual college football bowl game known as the Sun Bowl. The Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Stanford Cardinal 31–27 on December 31, 2009. It was the two teams' fifth meeting...
. Playing in a run-oriented offense featuring Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart
Toby Gerhart
Toby Gerhart is a professional football player, a running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was a consensus All-American running back at Stanford and was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the 51st overall pick. In 2009 Gerhart won the Doak Walker...
, Luck threw for 2,575 yards. Luck had 2,929 yards of total offense, the fifth highest total in Stanford history. He led the Pac-10 in pass efficiency rating with a rating of 143.5, and finished second in the Pac-10 in total offense.
Luck injured a finger on his throwing hand in the Cardinal's final regular season game against Notre Dame
2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2009 college football season. Charlie Weis entered his fifth season as head coach with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth...
. He had surgery prior to the Sun Bowl and did not play in the game.
2010 season
In 2010, Luck emerged as one of the top players in the nation. Luck was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and was unanimously selected to the All Pac-10 First Team. Luck led Stanford to a 12-1 record, a # 4 ranking in the final AP Poll, and a victory in the Orange Bowl. Luck was named the Orange Bowl MVP after throwing 4 TD passes in Stanford's 40-12 win over Virginia Tech. Luck led the Pac-10 in pass efficiency for the second straight year with a quarterback rating of 170.2. He also led the conference in total offense with 3,791 yards, in passing yards with 3,338 yards, and in touchdown passes with 32. Luck rushed for 453 yards, a record for Stanford quarterbacks, with three runs of over 50 yards. Luck's 32 touchdown passes are a new Stanford record, breaking the old record of 27 held by John ElwayJohn Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
and Steve Stenstrom
Steve Stenstrom
Steve Stenstrom is a former professional American football quarterback.-College career:Stenstrom was the starting quarterback at Stanford University from 1991 to 1994, and still holds most of Stanford's passing records:*Total yards, career: 9,825*Passing yards gained, career: 10,531*Passing yards...
. Luck's 3,791 yards of total offense also are a school record, breaking the old record of 3,398 yards held by Stenstrom. Luck also set new Stanford single season records for completion percentage (70.7%) and pass efficiency rating (170.2). He won the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week award for his performances against Arizona and California.
Luck finished the 2010 season with two years of college eligibility remaining. He was eligible to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, but announced on January 6, 2011 that he would remain at Stanford to complete his degree. He is viewed by many TV sportscasters and ESPN writers as the top pro quarterback prospect in college football. In December 2010, Sporting News projected Luck as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, had he entered.
2011 season
In 2011, Luck led Stanford to a record of 11-1 in the regular season and a # 4 ranking in the AP Poll. He was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, becoming only the fifth player to win that award twice (after John Elway, Charles White, Reggie Bush, and Rueben Mayes). He was named First Team All Pac-12 for the second straight year. Luck set a new Stanford record for career touchdown passes with 80, breaking John Elway's record of 77. Luck also set a new school record for touchdown passes in a season with 35, breaking his own record of 32. Luck set another school record for career total offense with 10,043 yards, breaking Steve Stenstrom's mark of 9,825 yards. Luck became Stanford's all-time leader in wins by a starting quarterback, with 31 wins through the end of the regular season. Luck also became Stanford's all-time leader in winning percentage by a starting quarterback, with a winning percentage of .838 (31-6). Luck was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Washington State. He is considered one of the leading contenders for the Heisman Trophy.Statistics
| Season | |Passing | | | |Rushing | | | |Receiving | | | |Total Offense | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comp | Att | Yds | Pct | TD | Int | Rating Passer rating Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football... | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Yards | |
| 2009 2009 Stanford Cardinal football team The 2009 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cardinal was coached by third-year coach Jim Harbaugh and played their home games at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California.... |
162 | 288 | 2,575 | 56.3% | 13 | 4 | 143.5 | 61 | 354 | 5.8 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 2,929 |
| 2010 2010 Stanford Cardinal football team The 2010 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Cardinal were led by head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was in his 4th and final season before leaving to become head coach of the San Francisco 49ers... |
263 | 372 | 3,338 | 70.7% | 32 | 8 | 170.2 | 55 | 453 | 8.2 | 58 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,791 |
| 2011 2011 Stanford Cardinal football team The 2011 Stanford Cardinal football team represents Stanford University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. The Cardinal is led by former offensive coordinator and new head coach David Shaw, as Jim Harbaugh departed following the 2010 season in order to become the head coach of... (12 games) |
261 | 373 | 3,170 | 70.0% | 35 | 9 | 167.5 | 43 | 153 | 3.6 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 3,323 |
| Total | 686 | 1,033 | 9,083 | 66.4% | 80 | 21 | 161.8 | 159 | 960 | 6.0 | 58 | 7 | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 10,043 |
Awards and honors
2011 season- Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year
- First Team All Pac-12
- Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
Finalist - Walter Camp AwardWalter Camp AwardThe Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
Finalist - Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien AwardThe Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
Finalist - Manning AwardManning AwardThe Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
Finalist - Johnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardThe Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
Finalist - First Team Pac-12 All Academic Team
- Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, October 17, 2011
2010 season
- Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
Runner Up - Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
Finalist - Walter Camp AwardWalter Camp AwardThe Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
Finalist - Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien AwardThe Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
Finalist - Manning AwardManning AwardThe Manning Award has been presented annually since 2004 to the collegiate American football quarterback adjudged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States...
Finalist - Second Team All America (AP, Walter Camp, SI.com, CBSSports.com)
- Orange Bowl2011 Orange BowlThe 2011 Discover Orange Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Stanford Cardinal on Monday, January 3, 2011, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Stanford defeated Virginia Tech 40–12...
MVP - Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year
- First Team All Pac-10
- Second Team Pac-10 All Academic Team
- Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week, Nov. 8, 2010 & Nov. 22, 2010
2009 season
- Freshman All America (The Sporting NewsThe Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
, CollegeFootballNews.com, Scout.com) - Honorable Mention All Pac-10
- First Team Pac-10 All Academic Team
Records
Pac-12 single season records- Highest completion percentage, season -- 70.7% (2010)
Stanford single season records
- Most touchdown passes, season -- 35 (2011)
- Most total offense, season -- 3,791 yards (2010)
- Highest passing efficiency rating, season -- 170.2 (2010)
- Highest completion percentage, season -- 70.7% (2010)
- Most yards per pass attempt, season -- 9.0 (2010)
- Most rushing yards by a quarterback, season -- 453 yards (2010)
Stanford career records (through 12 games of 2011 season)
- Most touchdown passes, career -- 80
- Most total offense, career -- 10,043 yards
- Highest passing efficiency rating, career -- 161.8
- Highest completion percentage, career -- 66.4%
- Most yards per pass attempt, career -- 8.8 yards/attempt
- Most rushing yards by a quarterback, career -- 960 yards
- Most wins by a starting quarterback, career -- 31
- Highest winning percentage by a starting quarterback, career -- .838
Professional career
Luck was widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, but decided to return for his junior season. , Luck is seen as the consensus top prospect for the 2012 NFL Draft
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL Draft will be the 77th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players.-Trades:...
by analysts. Some fans have called for their teams to try to lose their remaining games (or "suck for Luck" in the parlance of fans and the sporting press) in order to improve their chances for the first pick in the draft.