The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.

Nickname and mascot history[link]

Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams. White was adopted as a secondary color in the 1940s.

1930 Football ticket stub depicting the Stanford Indian mascot

In 1930, the athletic department adopted the mascot "Indian." The Indian symbol and name were later dropped by President Richard Lyman in 1972, after objections from Native American students and a vote by the student senate.

From 1972 to 1981, the official nickname was the Cardinals. Despite the plural form of the name, the name was intended to refer to the color, not the bird.^[1][2] During the 1970s, a number of suggestions were put forth as possible nicknames: Robber Barons (a sly reference to Leland Stanford's history), Sequoias, Trees, Railroaders, Spikes, Huns and Griffins. The last suggestion gained enough momentum to prompt the university to move two griffin statues to be near the athletic facilities.^[1][2]

On November 17, 1981, school President Donald Kennedy declared that the athletic teams be represented by the color Cardinal in its singular form.^[2]

Stanford has no official mascot, but the Stanford Tree, a member of the Stanford Band wearing a self-designed tree costume, appears at major Stanford sports events. The Tree is based upon El Palo Alto, a redwood tree in neighboring Palo Alto that appears in the Stanford seal and athletics logo.

National championships[link]

Stanford football team during the 2004 Big Game

Through the Spring 2011 sports season, Stanford has won 116 national championships. Of these, 103 are NCAA team championships, second most among all universities (UCLA ranks first). 61 of the championships are in men's sports (third behind UCLA and USC) and 42 are in women's sports, the most of any university.^[3] Stanford also holds the most NCAA individual sport titles at 421 championships, followed by USC at 358, and Texas at 303.^[3]

Stanford has won the NACDA Director's Cup for Division I, awarded annually to the college or university with the most success in collegiate athletics, for 17 consecutive years (1994-95 to 2010-11).

Stanford has won national championships in the following sports (number of championships in parentheses, NCAA titles unless otherwise specified):^[4]

• Men's
  • Baseball (2) - 1987, 1988
  • Basketball (1-NCAA, 1-Helms) - 1942, 1937 (Helms)
  • Cross country (4) - 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003
  • Golf (8) - 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1953, 1994, 2007
  • Football (2-Helms) - 1926, 1940
  • Gymnastics (5) - 1992, 1993, 1995, 2009, 2011
  • Swimming & diving (8) - 1967, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998
  • Tennis (17- NCAA, 1-unofficial) - 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 (1942-unofficial)
  • Outdoor track & field (4) - 1925, 1928, 1934, 2000
  • Volleyball (2) - 1997, 2010
  • Water polo (10- NCAA, 1-unofficial) - 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002 (1963-unofficial)

Total men's NCAA Championships: 61 (in 10 different men's team sports)

• Women's
  • Basketball (2) - 1990, 1992
  • Cross country (5) - 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007
  • Rowing (1) - 2009
  • Swimming & diving (8-NCAA, 1-AIAW) - 1983, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998 (1980-AIAW)
  • Synchronized swimming (6-U.S. Collegiate Championships) - 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
  • Soccer (1) - 2011
  • Tennis (16- NCAA, 1-AIAW) - 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010 (1978-AIAW)
  • Volleyball (6) - 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004
  • Water polo (3) - 2002, 2011, 2012

Total women's NCAA Championships: 42 (in 9 different women's team sports)

• Co-ed
  • Sailing - 1997 (ICRA championship)

Football[link]

Basketball[link]

Baseball[link]

Cal rivalry[link]

Stanford has a traditional sports rivalry in the San Francisco Bay Area with the University of California, Berkeley.

Olympics representation[link]

Stanford athletes have traditionally been very well-represented at the Olympics.^[5] Stanford sent 47 current or former student athletes to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 32 of whom competed for the United States, 14 for other countries, and one as a coach for the United States softball team.^[6] In all, Stanford athletes won 25 medals:^[7]

Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame[link]

The Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame was established on December 21, 1954. The brainchild of Walt Gamage, sports editor of the now-defunct Palo Alto Times, the first class of inductees consisted of 34 Stanford sports greats. New members are inducted annually and are recognized during halftime of a home Stanford football game.

The Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame Room is located on the first floor of the Arrillaga Family Sports Center on the Stanford campus.^[8]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stanford University athletics

• Official Stanford Athletics Website
• Stanford Native American Culture Center: The Removal of the Indian Mascot of Stanford

Andrew Luck

Luck in August 2010
No. 12     Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1989-09-12) September 12, 1989 (age 22)
Place of birth: Washington, D. C.
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 234 lb (106 kg)
Career information
High school: Houston (TX) Stratford
College: Stanford
NFL Draft: 2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
No regular season or postseason appearances
Career history
Indianapolis Colts (2012–present)
Roster status: Unsigned Draft Pick
Career highlights and awards
2× First-team All-American (2010, 2011) Maxwell Award as Player of the Year (2011) Walter Camp Player of the Year Award (2011) Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2011) CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year (2011) 2× Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year (2010, 2011) 3× First-team All Pac-12 (2009, 2010, 2011) 3× Pac-12 All-Academic (2009, 2010, 2011) Orange Bowl MVP (2011) College records
Career NFL statistics as of 2012
TD–INT 0–0 Passing yards 0 QB Rating 0.0 Stats at NFL.com

Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Stanford University, won the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award as college football's player of the year, and was recognized as an All-American.^[1] He was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in both 2010 and 2011. He was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12 (Pac-10) Conference in both 2010 and 2011. CBS Sports draft analyst Rob Rang called Luck the best prospect he has ever scouted,^[2] while the Kansas City Star puts him in line with LeBron James and Bryce Harper as "the most hyped amateurs in recent sports memory".^[3] Although widely projected as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, Luck decided to return to Stanford for his redshirt junior season.^[4]

Early life[link]

Luck was born in Washington, D.C.,^[5] the son of Oliver Luck, current athletic director and a former quarterback at West Virginia University and former NFL quarterback for the Houston Oilers, and Kathy Wilson Luck. Andrew Luck spent his early childhood in London, England and Frankfurt, Germany, where his father was general manager of two World League of American Football teams prior to becoming president of the league. He is the oldest of four children, Mary Ellen, Emily, and Addison, who currently reside in Houston. In London, he attended The American School in London.^[6]

The Lucks returned to Texas when Oliver Luck was named CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. In Houston, Andrew attended Stratford High School, where he threw for 7,139 yards and 53 touchdowns in his high school career, and rushed for another 2,085 yards.^[7] Luck was also co-valedictorian of his graduating class in 2008.^[7] Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Luck was listed as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2008.^[8] A highly-rated high school recruiting target,^[7] he chose Stanford over offers from Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Rice, and Virginia, after being recruited by Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh.^[9]

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Andrew Luck QB	Houston, Texas	Stratford HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	4.7	Jun 30, 2007
	Scout:   Rivals:   ESPN grade: 82
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 4 (QB)   Rivals: 4 (QB)  ESPN: 7 (QB)
Note: In many cases, Scout and Rivals may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, an average of the two was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Stanford Football Commitments". Rivals.com. http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/commitments/2008/alabama-63. Retrieved 2011-12-14.  "2008 Stanford Football Commits". Scout.com. http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=18&p=9&c=8&yr=2008. Retrieved 2011-12-14.  "ESPN". ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/college-football/recruiting/school/_/id/24/class/2008. Retrieved 2011-12-14.  "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=18&p=9&c=14&yr=2008. Retrieved 2011-12-14.  "2008 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. http://www.rivals.com/TeamRank.asp?type=0&sort=0&year=2008. Retrieved 2011-12-14.

College career[link]

2009 season[link]

After redshirting during his freshman year in 2008, he earned the starting quarterback job in 2009 over the returning starter, Tavita Pritchard, thereby becoming the first Stanford freshman to earn the starting quarterback job since Chad Hutchinson in 1996.^[6] In his first season, Luck led the Cardinal to victories over top ten Oregon and USC teams and a berth in the 2009 Sun Bowl.^[10] Playing in a run-oriented offense featuring Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart, Luck threw for 2,575 yards. Luck had 2,929 yards of total offense, the fifth highest total in Stanford history. He led the Pac-10 in pass efficiency rating with a rating of 143.5, and finished second in the Pac-10 in total offense.^[11]

Luck injured a finger on his throwing hand in the Cardinal's final regular season game against Notre Dame. He had surgery prior to the Sun Bowl and did not play in the game.^[12]

2010 season[link]

Luck being photographed after the Big Game between Stanford and Cal in 2010

In 2010, Luck emerged as one of the top players in the nation. Luck was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and was unanimously selected to the All Pac-10 First Team. Luck led Stanford to a 12–1 record, a # 4 ranking in the final AP Poll, and a victory in the Orange Bowl. Luck was named the Orange Bowl MVP after throwing 4 TD passes in Stanford's 40–12 win over Virginia Tech. Luck led the Pac-10 in pass efficiency for the second straight year with a quarterback rating of 170.2. He also led the conference in total offense with 3,791 yards, in passing yards with 3,338 yards, and in touchdown passes with 32. Luck rushed for 453 yards, a record for Stanford quarterbacks, with three runs of over 50 yards. Luck's 32 touchdown passes are a new Stanford record, breaking the old record of 27 held by John Elway and Steve Stenstrom. Luck's 3,791 yards of total offense also are a school record, breaking the old record of 3,398 yards held by Stenstrom. Luck also set new Stanford single season records for completion percentage (70.7%) and pass efficiency rating (170.2). He won the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week award for his performances against Arizona and California.

Luck finished the 2010 season with two years of college eligibility remaining. He was eligible to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft, but announced on January 6, 2011 that he would remain at Stanford to complete his degree.^[4][13] He is viewed by many TV sportscasters and ESPN writers as the top pro quarterback prospect in college football. In December 2010, Sporting News projected Luck as the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, had he entered.^[14]

2011 season[link]

In 2011, Luck led Stanford to a record of 11–2, a berth in a BCS bowl (the Fiesta Bowl), and a # 7 ranking in the final AP Poll. He won the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. He was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy for the second consecutive year, becoming the fourth player to finish second in the Heisman voting twice. He was named a First Team All America (AFCA, Walter Camp, ESPN.com, Pro Football Weekly). He was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, becoming only the fifth player to win that award twice (after John Elway, Charles White, Reggie Bush, and Rueben Mayes). He was named First Team All Pac-12 for the second straight year. Luck set a new Stanford record for career touchdown passes with 82, breaking John Elway's record of 77. Luck also set a new school record for touchdown passes in a season with 37, breaking his own record of 32. Luck set another school record for career total offense with 10,387 yards, breaking Steve Stenstrom's mark of 9,825 yards. Luck became Stanford's all-time leader in wins by a starting quarterback, with 31 wins through the end of the regular season. Luck also became Stanford's all-time leader in winning percentage by a starting quarterback, with a winning percentage of .816 (31–7). Luck broke the Pac-12 records for career passing efficiency rating (162.8) and career completion percentage (67.0%). He also broke his own Pac-12 record for highest completion percentage in a season (71.3%). Luck was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Washington State. He earned the 2011 Academic All-America of the Year award.^[15]

Statistics[link]

Awards and honors[link]

2011 season

• First Team All America (AFCA, Walter Camp, ESPN.com, PFW)
• Maxwell Award Winner
• Walter Camp Player of the Year Award Winner
• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Winner
• Heisman Trophy Runner Up
• Davey O'Brien Award Finalist
• Manning Award Finalist
• Academic All-America of the Year (CoSIDA)
• Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year
• First Team All Pac-12
• First Team Pac-12 All Academic Team
• Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, October 17, 2011

2010 season

• Heisman Trophy Runner Up
• Maxwell Award Finalist
• Walter Camp Award Finalist
• Davey O'Brien Award Finalist
• Manning Award Finalist
• Second Team All America (AP, Walter Camp, SI.com, CBSSports.com)
• Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year
• First Team All Pac-10
• Second Team Pac-10 All Academic Team
• Orange Bowl MVP
• Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week, Nov. 8, 2010 & Nov. 22, 2010

2009 season

• Freshman All America (The Sporting News, CollegeFootballNews.com, Scout.com)
• Honorable Mention All Pac-10
• First Team Pac-10 All Academic Team

Records[link]

Pac-12 single season records

• Highest completion percentage, season—71.3% (2011)

Pac-12 career records

• Highest passing efficiency rating, career—162.8
• Highest completion percentage, career—67.0%

Stanford single season records

• Most touchdown passes, season—37 (2011)
• Most total offense, season—3,791 yards (2010)
• Highest passing efficiency rating, season—170.2 (2010)
• Highest completion percentage, season—71.3% (2011)
• Most yards per pass attempt, season—9.0 (2010)
• Most rushing yards by a quarterback, season—453 yards (2010)

Stanford career records

• Most touchdown passes, career—82
• Most total offense, career—10,387 yards
• Highest passing efficiency rating, career—162.8
• Highest completion percentage, career—67.0%
• Most yards per pass attempt, career—8.9 yards/attempt
• Most rushing yards by a quarterback, career—957 yards
• Most wins by a starting quarterback, career—31
• Highest winning percentage by a starting quarterback, career – .816

Professional career[link]

2012 NFL Draft[link]

In September 2010, prior to Luck's sophomore season, Sports Illustrated′s Tony Pauline considered him to be "the most NFL-ready of all the draft-eligible quarterback prospects."^[16] After a stellar sophomore year, Luck was widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, but decided to return for his junior season.^[4] Right after the 2011 draft, in May 2011, he was unanimously projected as the top prospect for the 2012 NFL Draft.^[17][18][19] By midseason, Pauline described him as "the best quarterback prospect since Peyton Manning" in 1998,^[20] while ESPN′s Mel Kiper, Jr. went even further, calling Luck the best quarterback prospect since John Elway in 1983.^[21]

Ending speculations on April 24, Colts general manager Ryan Grigson announced the team would take Luck with their first overall draft pick.^[22] The decison became official on draft day, April 26, 2012. Luck was the fourth Stanford quarterback to be selected first overall, after Bobby Garrett in 1954, Jim Plunkett in 1971, and John Elway in 1983.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Andrew Luck

• Stanford Cardinal bio
• Stanford's Andrew Luck Heisman Trophy candidate site