ANDERSON, Ind. -- Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck went back to school during the offseason.
He was back at Stanford working with the latest technology to help make him a better quarterback. Former Stanford kicker Derek Belch created a virtual reality software program (called STRIVR) that allows you put on a mask and headphones that's connected to a laptop and then you're in the thick of things on the football field with a 180-degree view of what only the quarterback sees.
It allows the player to recognize defensive alignments and how the offense is aligned.
"It's real footage," Luck said. "Imagine you're standing in practice and the camera captures real footage. You can go through the play with real plays and with real players. It's not simulated or anything. It was really fascinating to see the technology. As a Stanford alum, I'm proud something like that is taking place in the football department and in the virtual reality lab there. It was really cool to see. It's another tool to prepare the quarterback. It prepares a running back for protection. I think it'll have an impact."
Luck said he would use the software again.
"Yeah, absolutely," he said. "Anything that can give you an edge as a quarterback, you're going to check it out."
Stanford used the program in its final three games last season and Cardinals starting quarterback Kevin Hogan went from completing 64 percent of his passes to 76 percent.
The U.S Army announced last week that it was launching a software program that would help players learn their team's playbooks, reads and calls in 3D before going on the field. The Colts have been partnered with the GoArmy EDGE app since 2014.