Given how well Andrew Luck played during the 2018 NFL season, it might be easy to forget that the man missed every single snap of the one before it while recovering from surgery on his throwing shoulder. Nevertheless, the Colts franchise quarterback led his team to a surprising 10-6 record and a wild card berth, and he posted career highs in attempts (639), completions (430), and completion percentage (67.3). And Luck’s 39 touchdown passes fell just one short of the career high he set back in 2014—which is, not coincidentally, the last time Indianapolis had made the playoffs.

Between his lost 2017 season and the battery of injuries he’s suffered since entering the league seven years ago—concussions, an abdominal tear, a lacerated kidney—plenty of observers worried that the former first overall draft pick might never be the same again. Suffice it to say that the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year has comfortably put such concerns to rest. We recently sat down with Luck to learn more about how he fueled his return to the field. Racket sports, it turns out, played a more significant role than you might expect.

GQ: After an 18-month hiatus, how would you rate the season you managed to put together?Andrew Luck: It was very rewarding and quite fulfilling. Sometimes it wasn’t so fun, but I feel like the results have been positive both on and off the field. It’s probably the best thing that could’ve happened for me in my career, in a sort of roundabout way.

Wait. Why do you say that?I think it provided a lot of perspective. I certainly learned a lot about myself, my motivations, and what makes me happy—about why I want to play football. And I learned a lot about my body, and how important it is to take care of it. When you play a sport, your body is very important. [laughs]

You’re an avid reader and run your own book club in which you post monthly recommendations for adults and kids alike. Were there any particular titles that helped you pass the time when you couldn’t be as active?There aren’t any specific titles, but I continued reading. I read a lot of different genres. I certainly read for fun, no matter what’s going on—whether it’s good or bad, tough or easy.

From a nutritional standpoint, what did you have to change after the surgery?We started cooking a lot more at home. I love doing that—it’s a great way to get away from being in football mode. But I’m only allowed to be the sous-chef. I could never be the chef, because my better half is in charge. We try to use only fresh and honest ingredients—a lot of vegetables, and a lot of colors on the plate.

Moderation was key. I’ve never been too stringent about avoiding one thing or another. But I do love breakfast!

For any athlete, the offseason provides a chance to improve, but you missed out on that over the past few years. What have you been doing with this healthy offseason?Football can be somewhat of a violent game, so recovery is important—setting yourself up to improve physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s also a chance to spend time with your loved ones, and to get away and get refreshed. I’ll certainly make the most of it. It allows you to come back and be excited for football when it comes around again.

When do you start getting yourself back into a consistent routine for the upcoming season?I don’t take too long off after the season ends. I recently started lifting to make sure my body gets back into its recovery mode. Then it’s all about how you feel. For me, it might take two weeks or two months, but it’s important to build as good of a foundation as I can before I start pushing it.

You were unable to perform the essential requirement of your job for a long time after surgery. What did you do in order to rebuild strength and trust in your shoulder?A lot of work in the weight room. A lot of work in the weight room. We did strength and mobility work to help it regain the ability to do explosive movements. And then there was the conditioning part, so that my endurance would be okay. I love playing ping-pong. There was a lot of that. I hit a lot of tennis balls, too.

What does your game-day routine look like?If the game is at 1:00 p.m., I try and let myself sleep until 8 or 8:30. I typically wake up earlier during the week, so I try to sleep in a bit. I’ll have a big breakfast with eggs, potatoes, pancakes, and a little coffee to wake up. I try to keep that as regular as possible.

After that, bananas are my go-to snacks. I drink BODYARMOR during and after games. [Ed. note: Luck is sponsored by BODYARMOR.] I’m usually starving afterwards, so I love eating pizza and big bowls of pasta—something to really fill me up.

Setting aside the clean eating for a second—what’s the perfect cheat meal?Oh, man, I love hamburgers! You can’t go wrong with them.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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