INDIANAPOLIS – Past trips to Wembley Stadium for Andrew Luck have been all about fandom.
His next visit will be all business.
This week, Luck will play in front of a crowd like nothing he's seen in his four NFL seasons.
When the Colts head to Wembley to play the Jaguars, fans overseas will be cheering for a guy who is thrilled to be going back to a place he called home early in his childhood.
"I was excited," Luck said of finding out the Colts would be playing in London this season.
"I was excited mostly for my extended family that has never seen me play."
Luck has twice been inside of Wembley for major soccer events. A 2008 friendly between the United States and England was Luck's first Wembley experience. He also attended the 2013 Champions League Final, which pitted Bayern Munich against Borussia Dortmund.
The ties to London and Europe for Luck are extensive:
-When Luck grew up in Europe, he traveled to NFL Europe games in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Frankfurt and London.
-Addison Luck, Andrew's younger brother, was born in London.
-Luck's girlfriend also has family in the Czech Republic.
"We definitely have fond memories over there," Luck says of spending nine years in Europe. "I loved my childhood over there."
In Luck's yearly visits back to Europe he does notice an NFL presence.
That should continue with the NFL playing three regular season games in London for a third straight year.
"Every now and then again, you'll see a Colts' shirt, Colts' jersey," Luck says of people overseas. "I think the awareness of the NFL is growing, especially in London. I think TV access, the Internet access, has grown exponentially over the past couple of years."
For Colts' fans making the trip to watch their team play against the Jaguars, Luck has offered some touristy advice.
"One, there's a great walk from Big Ben to Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace," Luck says. "Then the British Museum is a great museum. The Rosetta Stone is there. There's an Easter Island statue. The Parthenon from Athens is there. I think that's one of the finest museums in the world.
"It's a great city, so much to do, so much history."
Those daytrips will not be on Luck's agenda this week.
When the Colts touch down in London on Friday morning, the goal is to make sure they get back on that plane Sunday evening with a 'W' in their cargo.
"It doesn't matter if it's in London, Bangladesh, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Antarctica---it's a business trip," Luck says. "There will be no tourism for the guys on this team and the coaches on this team.
"The most important thing about the game is about coming out with a win."
