The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 3: Andrew Luck, Louis Riddick

Date: February 5, 2026
Podcast: The Dan Patrick Show (iHeartPodcasts & Dan Patrick Podcast Network)

Episode Overview

Hour 3 of the Dan Patrick Show features in-depth conversations with former NFL quarterback and current Stanford football GM Andrew Luck and ESPN analyst/former NFL defensive back Louis Riddick. The episode covers Luck’s transition to an executive role, his views on college football’s evolving landscape, reflections on his NFL career and retirement, and Riddick’s insights from his playing days—including entertaining stories about NFL legends, the evolution of the sport, and Super Bowl 60 analysis. The tone is candid, humorous, and reflective, peppered with memorable anecdotes and off-the-cuff impersonations.

Key Topics & Discussion Highlights

1. Stanford Football and Andrew Luck’s New Role

[03:30–09:44]

• Luck’s Weight Loss: Dan notes how lean Luck looks, to which Luck replies, “A good bit. 20 pounds. I will say it’s too early for my ego to be hurt by being behind a dog in a poll, but I’m coming to terms with that.” (03:30)

• Coaching Aspirations:

  • Luck: “Not close at all. No interest, no desire. Wasn’t right for me.” (03:54)
  • He appreciates coaching but says leading Stanford as GM is the right fit for his life and family.

• Role as Stanford GM:

  • Luck acts as a mix between GM, pseudo-team president, and AD—managing fundraising, bridge-building with the university, hiring staff, roster management, and handling the unique challenges of college athletics.
  • Highlights the balance between excellence in football and the academic rigor of Stanford:

    “We have 109 guys on the team… Let’s say 18 to 22-year-olds… they’re amazing. They also like 18 to 22-year-olds, do some dumb stuff… So working with them every day is a blast.” (04:45–05:52)

2. Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in College Sports

[05:52–08:35]

• Would Luck Have Chosen Stanford in the NIL Era?

  • Luck: “Absolutely… We were a little slow to adapt and embrace the changes. But today, absolutely.”
  • He insists Stanford’s “unique value proposition” remains compelling for academically inclined football players.

• On NIL Market Size & Transparency:

  • Dan suggests, “You got to have around $40 million if you want to be a top-end football program… Is that a fair number and where is Stanford in that?” (06:40)
  • Luck: “It’s a murky market… not much transparency… We think we can do it our way and be competitive… but you gotta go out and put a winning product on the field.” (07:33)

• Recruiting & Negotiation:

  • Luck describes dealing with agents, parents, and player “people-pleasers,” joking, “If I thought—it's still part of college is recruiting—and fall in love with the kid… I get compromised in negotiation fairly quickly—what do you want? Five million, Dan? Okay, I'll give it to you. Let’s make it seven. Let’s go.” (08:17)
  • Admits he’s learning “to exercise that [negotiation] muscle.”

3. Football: What Luck Misses and Career Reflections

[08:35–13:05]

• What He Misses About Playing:

  • “The elements of football that I do miss are part of why I’m back in the game—having a role, being on a team… game days are fun. I forgot, I actually sort of enjoy the stress.” (08:38)

• Losing as GM vs. QB:

  • “You’re not as physically hurt. I don’t miss getting hit.”
  • As GM, his focus is supporting coaches and long-term roster development.

• Stanford’s Unique Achievements:

  • Stanford is one of five schools to produce both a US President and a Super Bowl-winning QB. The others: Michigan, Delaware, Miami of Ohio, Navy. (10:01–10:28)

• Famous Stanford Grads:

  • Luck mentions Herbert Hoover, Larry Page & Sergey Brin (“very rich… not sure about famous”) and reminisces about seeing Jim Plunkett.

4. Football Mindset and NFL-Collegiate Trends

[11:30–14:34]

• Defensive Mindset as QB:

  • Luck jokes about enjoying occasional hits: “I did relish the opportunities to hit people. They were few, but when they popped up—I enjoyed that.” (11:42)

• Quarterback Play & Evolution:

  • Dan asks if the NFL has adopted college offensive styles.
  • Luck: “College is almost like a petri dish for offense…” He describes drawing from film of teams like Iowa State for RPO installs in the NFL.
  • “If you get too stagnant, you die. College is a bit of a ‘try it out’ area.” (13:05–14:34)

5. Retirement Decision and Family

[14:34–16:36]

• Role of His Wife:

  • Supportive, especially as she was pregnant with their first child at the time:

    “Once I felt supported by her no matter what… I didn’t feel alone through it.”

  • Shares a humorous anecdote about accidentally hijacking her 30th birthday party to share the news with family. (15:11)

• Retirement Announcement:

  • Luck describes how the media leak of his retirement occurred before he could make it public, and gives a vivid picture of the personal chaos that followed.

6. Career Security and Impersonations

[17:13–18:24]

• On Job Security as GM:

  • “Can you get fired?” – Dan
  • Luck: “Absolutely.”
  • “My boss is the athletic director. He’s fantastic, but yes, he can fire me. Gotta perform…” (17:20–17:29)

• Impersonations and Good Humor:

  • The crew jokingly discusses Andrew Luck impersonations, with Luck displaying a good-natured attitude about being a “good sport.” (17:45–18:24)

7. Louis Riddick: NFL Insights, Stories, and Super Bowl Analysis

[20:35–35:13]

• Fashion Segment:

  • Louis Riddick banters about his Hugo Boss “Training Day” jacket and impromptu airport shopping.

• Playing Style & Hitting Legends:

  • Riddick reminisces about being a big hitter, inspired by safeties like Atwater, Lott, and Easley:

    “When I got you lined up, Dan, it was lights out. It was nighty night, really.” (21:25)

• Hard Hits and Injuries:

  • Describes massive hits (some career-ending), including one on Lynn James and another on Vincent Brisby, all while often concussed:

    “I was just kind of like, remember dropping down into like this robber type coverage and saw the ball thrown in, and hit him about as hard as I possibly could.” (22:17–23:05)

• Best Hitter Stories:

  • Tells of a rookie run-in with Jerry Rice:

    “I’m screaming in Jerry’s face… He looks at me and… turns me around, looks at my nameplate, and goes, ‘Who are you?’ and walks away.” (24:11–25:20)

  • Recalls tackling Steve Young “midair”… and how brutal football was in the 90s.

• On Brett Favre:

  • Riddick describes Favre’s “arm arrogance”—he’d throw into triple coverage for the challenge, similar to Elway or Stafford:

    “He’s just doing what he wants to do because he had that kind of arm arrogance…” (26:21–27:26)

• Super Bowl 60 Analysis (Patriots vs. Seahawks):

  • Riddick is “50/50” on the game, leans slightly Seattle due to defense and explosive offense, but strongly credits New England’s elite coaching:

    “Coaching matters in this league, as we know, and New England's got two of the very best, and their defense is a problem too.” (27:52–29:24)

• Evolution of Defensive Backs:

  • Talks about how DBs today are smaller, more athletic; reflects on what Al Davis told him (“should have moved to linebacker”):

    “I would have been a hell of a will backer now.” (30:50)

• Physical Toll of the Game:

  • Describes enduring a three-disc neck fusion surgery in 2015 due to heavy hitting in his era.

• Learning from Belichick & Saban:

  • The 90s Browns staff was the “Harvard of football”—Riddick praises their unmatched coaching, even though the offense stunk:

    “Those guys are savants… two greatest coaches in my mind of all time, without a doubt.” (34:10–35:08)

8. Listener Interactions & Notable Moments

[36:14–42:13]

• Listeners praise Bo Jackson’s earlier interview about prostate cancer awareness—Dan remarks, “I would posit that Bo Jackson saved somebody’s life today.” (37:33)
• Engaged dog-voting and impersonation banter—Andrew Luck’s good-natured approach is noted.
• Playful teasing about Tom Brady and a “Brady impersonation”—“I root for hard work and dedication. That’s what got me here.” (42:29)

Notable Quotes and Moments (With Timestamps)

• Andrew Luck on NIL negotiations:

  “You got players certainly representing themselves. You’ve got agents and the full continuum… Each one creates a different dynamic… I’m a people pleaser, Dan. If I thought—still part of college is recruiting—so I get compromised in negotiation fairly quickly.” (07:43–08:24)

• Louis Riddick on hitting Jerry Rice:

  “He (Jerry Rice) turns me around, looks at my nameplate and goes, ‘Who are you?’ and walks away.” (24:11–25:20)

• Luck on quarterbacking with a defensive mentality:

  “I did relish the opportunities to hit people… I enjoyed that.” (11:42)

• Riddick on Browns coaches:

  “Those guys are savants. They are not for everyone. But… if you win their approval, there’s no greater feeling because they truly are the grand masters of this game.” (34:10–35:08)

• Luck on what he misses about football:

  “Game days are fun… I actually sort of enjoy the stress of are we going to win or not…” (08:38)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:30 – Andrew Luck Interview Begins (Stanford role, coaching, NIL)
• 08:35 – Luck on football itch, life as GM, famous Stanford grads
• 11:30 – Football mindset, defensive mentality as QB, college/NFL trends
• 14:34 – Retirement decision, family role, memorable stories
• 17:13 – Luck on job security, impersonations, closing thoughts
• 20:35 – Louis Riddick Interview Begins (playing style, NFL legends)
• 24:11 – Jerry Rice story
• 27:52 – Super Bowl 60 coaching and match-up analysis
• 30:50 – DBs today vs. 90s, Al Davis advice
• 34:10 – Belichick & Saban, Browns coaching, football “Harvard”
• 36:14 – Listener calls, Bo Jackson discussion
• 42:13 – Fun with impersonations and poll results

Tone, Language, and Atmosphere

The episode mixes sharp sports insight with infectious humor and warmth. Luck is humble, honest, and self-effacing, often deflecting serious answers with jokes about being a people-pleaser or fighting with poll-winning dogs. Riddick is energetic, nostalgic, and engaging, relishing old-school football toughness while offering smart, modern analysis. Dan Patrick’s questions range from light-hearted to incisive, setting a relaxed, welcoming environment for candid reflections.

For Listeners: Why This Episode Matters

• Insightful, behind-the-scenes look at college football’s business side from a respected former NFL QB.
• Candid stories from inside the NFL—hits, humility, great coaches, and evolving game styles.
• A warm, witty, and self-aware approach—making even the ‘off-field’ topics (like retirement and life after football) accessible and engaging.
• Super Bowl 60 preview grounded in coaching wisdom and inside perspective.

If you’re interested in leadership, sports management, NFL culture past and present, or simply want to be entertained by great storytelling, this hour of the Dan Patrick Show delivers.