The View from Above

This Saturday was the Stanford football team's Spring Game, the traditional culmination of Spring practice. It was the first in the new stadium, the first with the new coaching staff, and the first in a long while that was actually played as a real game, for almost a full four quarters. It was also my first chance to see the team in action after last year's abomination, so I was looking forward to it. As luck would have it, Frosty was announcing the game, and he needed help up in the pressbox, so I got to join him! What a view!





My job was simple. Keep track of the yard-line, down, and distance, and point out the defenders involved in the play. It was a lot of fun up there, and hopefully I get a chance to do it again during the season.

As for the game itself, the format was great. The 1st-team offense and 2nd-team defense was the Stanford team, and the 2nd-team offense and 1st-team defense was the Cardinal team. Guys looked sloppy and slow, but there was one star who stood out, freshman Tyrone McGraw (below, with the ball). He was the last recruit offered last year, but he was also the fastest, and that speed was on display on his numerous runs around the corner. In the second quarter, he finally broke one 85 yards for a touchdown, helping the Cardinal team to a 21-7 victory.



After the game, we were able to head down to the field to interact with the coaches and players, and seeing some of the beasts up close was awe-inspiring. DTs Sione Fua and Ekom Udofia were especially huge.



And here are my favorite offensive and defensive players, Richard Sherman and Wopamo Osaisai, both of whom will be playing on Sundays, along with the two behemoths above.



We didn't get 90,000 fans like Alabama did for their Spring Game - I'm not even sure we got 3,000 - but it was still a memorable experience. Thanks for the opportunity, Steve!