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You’re always talking about soccer. Why?

I grew up in Europe and soccer was the first organized game I played. When we moved back to the U.S. in the middle of 4th grade, I switched to American football, and stopped playing competitively until college, when I played intramurals.

Wait, you were allowed to play intramural soccer at Stanford? Was Jim Harbaugh aware of that?

Ha! Probably not. But it worked out. I’m here today.

Your Dad (former NFL quarterback Oliver Luck, currently athletic director for West Virginia University) used to run a soccer team, right?

That’s when my passion for the game rekindled, when he was working for the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer. Me and my high school buddies would go to 20 or 25 games a year.

What teams do you follow?

I was definitely 90 percent MLS and still am. Houston is my team, always and forever. But with the new TV packages it’s so easy to watch every league in the world and my overseas fandom is driven by the American guys. If Sunderland’s on TV, I’ll watch Jozy Altidore. I try to watch Geoff Cameron at Stoke. When Clint Dempsey was at Tottenham, I watched a lot of his games.

You seem to find time to travel for soccer.

I went and watched Tottenham last year because of Dempsey. I went to London for the Champions League final last year to see Bayern versus Dortmund. But the best soccer experience by far was seeing Mexico versus the USA at Azteca in Mexico City. That was really special.

What is it about the game that you like so much?

It’s a diversion for me, a mental respite. Watching soccer is my main hobby, really. I’m no tactician or coach, but I enjoy watching the free flow of it, the different styles, and the histories behind clubs. Like Barcelona vs. Madrid — it’s not just a soccer game; it’s a geopolitical struggle. There are great storylines, and no commercials.

Click here for The Complete GQ Guide To Getting Hooked on Soccer