[yvonne]

The recent Stanford players have given the program some pure marketing gold: the Nerd Glasses, the phrase Party In The Backfield, even Skov's trademark Mohawk and eyeblack, while more individual, are instantly recognizable and linked to Stanford football, outside of just the realm of Stanford fandom. The Nerd Glasses were all over yesterday, particularly in Texas, with the entire Brandon Simmons clan donning them, and Solomon Thomas, the kick-off recruit on ESPNU, playfully working into his announcement both the quirky Tree mascot and the glasses. Combine these with the success of Andrew Luck, Zach Ertz, Coby Fleener, and above all Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin, PLUS David Shaw appearing all over the Super Bowl, and you have to ask: has there ever been a better single moment in the history of Stanford at which to approach a recruit? Stanford's "cool" factor has to be off the charts for a lot of recruits. A program that can simultaneously produce an edgy, brash CB who is the best in the NFL, and can make your parents positively glow with pride, as was the case with Thomas's parents yesterday. If Shaw and his coaches had not been on the phones making offers, they would have been guilty of missing a golden opportunity.

[yvonne]

The recent Stanford players have given the program some pure marketing gold: the Nerd Glasses, the phrase Party In The Backfield, even Skov's trademark Mohawk and eyeblack, while more individual, are instantly recognizable and linked to Stanford football, outside of just the realm of Stanford fandom. The Nerd Glasses were all over yesterday, particularly in Texas, with the entire Brandon Simmons clan donning them, and Solomon Thomas, the kick-off recruit on ESPNU, playfully working into his announcement both the quirky Tree mascot and the glasses. Combine these with the success of Andrew Luck, Zach Ertz, Coby Fleener, and above all Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin, PLUS David Shaw appearing all over the Super Bowl, and you have to ask: has there ever been a better single moment in the history of Stanford at which to approach a recruit? Stanford's "cool" factor has to be off the charts for a lot of recruits. A program that can simultaneously produce an edgy, brash CB who is the best in the NFL, and can make your parents positively glow with pride, as was the case with Thomas's parents yesterday. If Shaw and his coaches had not been on the phones making offers, they would have been guilty of missing a golden opportunity.