[Rally]

[quote author=garvin link=topic=13864.msg145304#msg145304 date=1449090437]
"Effect on the program"? During Elway's time on the team, we were 20-23-1 and when he left we had seven losing seasons in the following eight. I'm not saying that his fault, but it's hard for me to see him getting an award for his effect on the program under those circumstances. If any Stanford player of the second half of the 20th century deserves an award for effect on the program, it's Jim Plunkett, who brought it back from the dead.

The program had five consecutive non-losing seasons prior to Plunkett.  They were 5-5 prior to his arrival, 6-3-1 his first year and 7-2-1 his junior year.  Doesn't sound like it came back from the dead.
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I didn't read anything in the criteria about affect on program, just greatest player.  While my sympathies will always be with Plunkett, he has been out of the non-Stanford public eye for many years, except Voldemort House commercials, while Elway's pro exploits are much more recent and his involvement with the Broncos keeps him in the conversation.  A lot of voters probably weren't alive for Plunkett.  I remain amazed that Nevers, great as I read he was, made the list of QB finalists. 

[Rally]

[quote author=garvin link=topic=13864.msg145304#msg145304 date=1449090437]
"Effect on the program"? During Elway's time on the team, we were 20-23-1 and when he left we had seven losing seasons in the following eight. I'm not saying that his fault, but it's hard for me to see him getting an award for his effect on the program under those circumstances. If any Stanford player of the second half of the 20th century deserves an award for effect on the program, it's Jim Plunkett, who brought it back from the dead.

The program had five consecutive non-losing seasons prior to Plunkett.  They were 5-5 prior to his arrival, 6-3-1 his first year and 7-2-1 his junior year.  Doesn't sound like it came back from the dead.
[/quote]

I didn't read anything in the criteria about affect on program, just greatest player.  While my sympathies will always be with Plunkett, he has been out of the non-Stanford public eye for many years, except Voldemort House commercials, while Elway's pro exploits are much more recent and his involvement with the Broncos keeps him in the conversation.  A lot of voters probably weren't alive for Plunkett.  I remain amazed that Nevers, great as I read he was, made the list of QB finalists.