In honor of Turkey Day, we asked The Daily’s eight football writers what made them most thankful about the two-time defending Pac-12 North champion Stanford Cardinal.
Do-Hyoung Park: I am thankful for the team’s ability to unite the campus and spark the school’s spirit in a way that only it can. In the span of half a decade, fall Saturdays have gone from just another day in the week to a day in which students and alumni alike can gather and ferociously cheer on their gridiron ambassadors in front of a nationwide audience that has really started to respect and embrace Stanford as a program. The ear-shattering roar that went up as Marcus Mariota fumbled in the third quarter of Stanford-Oregon this year just showed me the true magnitude of the transition from ambivalence to fervor that Stanford’s student body has gone through in these last few years.
George Chen: I am thankful for Arizona. On Dec. 7, hopefully the Cardinal will make use of this great gift bestowed by the Holy Trinity that is Ka’Deem Carey, B.J. Denker and RichRod. #TeamKa’Deem.
Winston Shi: I am thankful for hope. Stanford was once thought by the vast majority of the country to be an Andrew Luck-powered flash in the pan, and in Luck’s wake, playmakers across the roster have stepped up to fill the proverbial void. With strong, sustained recruiting and a crack coaching staff at the helm, the Cardinal can definitely hope for that most difficult of achievements: continual relevance.
David Cohn: I am so incredibly thankful for all of the players on this great football team, particularly for their determination and never-say-die attitudes. In life as well as football, the journey is not always easy, nor is the path traveled always the expected one. However, the true character of a person or team is shown when that person or team is able to overcome these hurdles or setbacks to achieve their intended goal. Left for dead by the national media a mere week ago after the loss to USC, the Cardinal came out on Saturday and continued to fight in putting up a record-setting performance against Cal. In the end, Stanford earned and rightly deserved this Pac-12 North championship.
Sam Fisher: I am thankful for the #Partyinthebackfield. As a football fan, I grew up loving a great — and tenacious — defense: the Philadelphia Eagles of the early 2000s. I had never seen anything like that again up until last year’s Stanford defense, and it has been an absolute pleasure to watch every single Saturday. I’m going to miss watching Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy the same way I miss watching Andrew Luck.
Vihan Lakshman: I am thankful for the Tunnel Workers Union, also known as the Stanford offensive line. It’s so much fun to watch the Cardinal O-line move opposing defenses against their will to pick up tough yards when everyone in the stadium knows that Stanford is going to run the ball. While long pass completions and monster sacks get a lot of attention as the marquee plays in the game, I would put David Yankey pulling on 97 Power right up there — it’s an absolute thing of beauty.
Michael Peterson: I am thankful for so many things this season. Never has a Stanford football season been this hyped, exciting, thrilling, heart-attack inducing, gut-wrenching and spectacular for a student as this season has. Whether or not Stanford makes the Rose Bowl, it’s been one amazing roller coaster ride that I am grateful to have experienced. I am also thankful for Shayne Skov’s Twitter, in which he speaks for computer science students everywhere with his programming tweets and provides endless entertainment for all who choose to follow.
Joseph Beyda: I am thankful for family. My childhood was delineated by the autumn Saturdays I spent alongside my dad at Cardinal football games, and even though I’m watching from the Red Zone for these four years, there’s no one I’d rather bear hug at midfield after each and every Stanford Stadium field storming. Without family, David Shaw might never have come to Stanford — and without family, Patrick Skov’s monster hit last Saturday wouldn’t be nearly as cool.
Check back tomorrow for our Black Friday special, in which our writers note what the Cardinal should be shopping for this holiday season.