[McKenwood]

"Also, and here's another generalization, these intelligent players surely have a deep understanding of the risks they take each time they pull on their helmets. I'm sure all football players understand this, but if you're a Stanford player who has gotten to the level where the NFL becomes a possibility, an early departure probably says more about appreciating the narrow window of that opportunity than anything else. Bryce Love was obviously the rare exception, but he didn't stay for his senior because he loved football, he stayed because he loved education. If we compare him to Christian McCaffrey and his decision to leave early, neither choice can be viewed as a surprise. Christian remains one of my favorite Stanford players ever, but I never saw or read anything that made me think he loved being a student. He was always headed to the NFL, so he was always going to leave after his junior year."

Well said Hank 91.

Stanford has had more departures the past few years for a variety of reasons, most notably the early departures for the pros and for injury retirements. My sense is the injury departures have grown as the risks associated with football have become more apparent. Stanford's policy of allowing players to keep their scholarships if they are injured, even when leaving the team, most likely pushes the marginal player to opt out, especially in the 3rd and 4th years at Stanford.

Shaw has been slow to realize the trends of players deciding to go pro before they are "ready" in his mind and for players who decide not to pursue a 5th year or retire due to injury. As a result Stanford has been chronically short of the allowable 85 scholarship players the past two seasons. This may be the case in the 2019 season as well. This needs to fixed if Stanford is going to have sufficient depth to compete for conference championships.

[McKenwood]

"Also, and here's another generalization, these intelligent players surely have a deep understanding of the risks they take each time they pull on their helmets. I'm sure all football players understand this, but if you're a Stanford player who has gotten to the level where the NFL becomes a possibility, an early departure probably says more about appreciating the narrow window of that opportunity than anything else. Bryce Love was obviously the rare exception, but he didn't stay for his senior because he loved football, he stayed because he loved education. If we compare him to Christian McCaffrey and his decision to leave early, neither choice can be viewed as a surprise. Christian remains one of my favorite Stanford players ever, but I never saw or read anything that made me think he loved being a student. He was always headed to the NFL, so he was always going to leave after his junior year."

Well said Hank 91.

Stanford has had more departures the past few years for a variety of reasons, most notably the early departures for the pros and for injury retirements. My sense is the injury departures have grown as the risks associated with football have become more apparent. Stanford's policy of allowing players to keep their scholarships if they are injured, even when leaving the team, most likely pushes the marginal player to opt out, especially in the 3rd and 4th years at Stanford.

Shaw has been slow to realize the trends of players deciding to go pro before they are "ready" in his mind and for players who decide not to pursue a 5th year or retire due to injury. As a result Stanford has been chronically short of the allowable 85 scholarship players the past two seasons. This may be the case in the 2019 season as well. This needs to fixed if Stanford is going to have sufficient depth to compete for conference championships.