Andrew Luck nets 3 TDs in practice

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ANDERSON, Ind. -- In three plays, Andrew Luck showed Indianapolis Colts' fans how tough life can be for a rookie quarterback.

He threw one interception, had another pass broken up and nearly picked off and then ran for a score on a quarterback draw. One defensive coach even urged Jerry Hughes to celebrate the interception.

Welcome to the NFL, kid.

Luck looked calm during most of the afternoon practice, completing 27 of 38 passes during team drills, throwing for three touchdowns and one interception in his first workout in full pads since being selected No. 1 overall in April's draft. By most accounts, it was another good day for the two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up.

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AP Photo/Michael ConroyNo. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck threw for three touchdowns and an interception in his first practice in full pads for the Indianapolis Colts.

"He's not a rookie quarterback, really," safety Tom Zbikowski said. "He's smart. He's wise beyond his years."

And he should feel comfortable in his new Colts gear.

Luck dressed in white pants, a white helmet and a red No. 12 jersey -- the same colors he wore at Stanford the past three years. Had it not been for the blue stripes on the helmets and pants, a bigger, faster defense and 2,000 people monitoring his every move, Luck might have felt as though he was still in college.

So far, things have gone as well as could be expected.

Coaches and teammates have praised his knowledge of the offense and his ability to take command in the huddle. Former Colts coach Tony Dungy was impressed with Luck's decisiveness. Team owner Jim Irsay acknowledged that despite some anticipated rough patches this season, Luck will make the transition from college star to franchise quarterback as smoothly as any quarterback since Peyton Manning in 1998.

That is why the Colts released Manning in March and drafted his successor a month later.

But it's not just those inside the rope line who are monitoring Luck's progress.

Thousands of fans have shown up each of the first three days the Colts have practiced at Anderson University, a Division III school about 30 miles northeast of the team complex on Indianapolis' west side.

The only knock on Luck, so far, has been his inability to carry a tune. Even tight end Coby Fleener, one of Luck's closest friends and college teammates, couldn't resist taking a shot.

"It probably was not as bad as Andrew's," Fleener said when asked to assess his own performance in front of the team Sunday night. "But it wasn't as good as I would have liked."

On the field, Luck has been a big hit.

He has looked relaxed, sharp and in complete control.

But the three plays near the end of practice were a reminder of the good, the bad and the ugly that comes with relying on a rookie quarterback.

Hughes, Indy's 2010 first-round pick, made an acrobatic catch, barely getting both feet down inbounds after Dominique Jones bobbled a pass near the sideline. Then a defensive coach shouted: "Spike it."

On the next play, Luck tried to force a pass through two defenders and into the arms of Reggie Wayne. One defender broke up the play, and the second just missed making it back-to-back picks.

Luck's response was to fake out the entire defense, run in for the score and then hand the ball to Wayne, who did spike it.

"We spent a great deal today in situational stuff, a lot of red zone work," first-year coach Chuck Pagano said. "It was great things by both sides of the football. Good execution at times on offense and defensively some guys made some big plays down there.

"This is not an easy practice. We're out here for quite some time, and anytime you slap the pads back on, there's an acclamation period that we got to go through."

Pagano and his band of ex-Ravens have brought a fiery intensity to training camp, especially on defense.

But with so much hope resting on Luck's strong right arm, nobody wants to be the first to hit the rookie -- even if it was an accident.

"We can't touch him so he'll be good," safety Antoine Bethea said before practice. "Like we said, no cheap shots, mano-a-mano, thud up and live here to see another day."

For Luck, it's all part of the learning curve.

"The first day I was here (Dwight) Freeney called me over into `his office' as he said, over by his locker, and just sort of gave me some heads up on training camp and some things that he's learned," Luck said. "So I'm very thankful for them going out of their way and trying to help the young, know-it-all rookie out."

Notes

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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