Officially, Andrew Luck won't become a pro until Thursday, when he and his golden egg arm are snapped up by the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL Draft. But as a lawsuit filed Friday in Dallas County Court reminds, Luck has been a commodity for years.
Courthouse News unearthed the lawsuit, which pits Luck against Leaf Trading Cards, an old brand reinvigorated by Dallas-based Razor Entertainment Group. Leaf claims it has a deal with the U.S. Army All-American Game, the high school all-star game in San Antonio, that allows the company to use images captured at the game for its trading cards. It's selling the card you see at right.
But Andrew Luck is now Andrew Luck, LLC, so his lawyers sent Leaf a cease-and-desist on April 13, arguing that the card company doesn't have the right to use the QB's likeness. Leaf, possessing no apparent interest in either ceasing or desisting, sued on Friday, claiming that Luck is standing in its constitutionally protected rights to cash in on his star power.
Off to court they go.