[Papa John]

As an incoming freshman in 1980, I knew nothing about Stanford football. When I first arrived on campus, I heard folks talking about some hotshot quarterback named John Elway. He turned out to be pretty good, but the player who really caught my eye was Darrin Nelson. He was a do-it-all running back, who averaged 5.6 yards/rush and 11.7 yards/reception throughout his career. Every time he touched the ball I found myself leaning forward, waiting for something great to happen. While Elway received much of the glory (and deservedly so), Darrin Nelson should be recognized as one of the best Stanford players in the past 35 years.

[Papa John]

As an incoming freshman in 1980, I knew nothing about Stanford football. When I first arrived on campus, I heard folks talking about some hotshot quarterback named John Elway. He turned out to be pretty good, but the player who really caught my eye was Darrin Nelson. He was a do-it-all running back, who averaged 5.6 yards/rush and 11.7 yards/reception throughout his career. Every time he touched the ball I found myself leaning forward, waiting for something great to happen. While Elway received much of the glory (and deservedly so), Darrin Nelson should be recognized as one of the best Stanford players in the past 35 years.