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Andrew Luck is a football legend. He is a former All-American quarterback for the Stanford Cardinal who went on to NFL stardom. A four-time Pro Bowler, today he is the general manager of football at his alma mater and perhaps the most recognizable face on campus. He’s a household name.
Just not in William Nguyen’s house.
“No, I didn’t know that,” the Stanford graduate student said on Monday evening as he ate a mammoth slice of cheese pizza while gazing at the university’s football practice fields. Forgive Nguyen for any ignorance of Stanford football lore. He grew up 7,000 miles away, in Vietnam, and had been on campus for less than a week.
Learning about Luck was just his first lesson in a Stanford tradition known as “Football 101.” For about a decade, the athletic department, in conjunction with the university’s Graduate Life Office, have been bringing graduate students – many from distant homelands with only the vaguest notion of the most American of sporting obsessions – together with Stanford football luminaries to have some fun, meet new people and touch a pigskin for the very first time.
“I’ve mostly seen it in the movies,” Nguyen said. “I want to learn the rules.”
Eun Jo came from South Korea to study music. She said the opportunity to attend sporting events was part of the appeal of Stanford. She came to the event to meet new people, but also out of curiosity about one of America’s cultural touchstones.
“I wanted to try football and get to know what it is,” she said. “It’s a very strong sport. To me it feels like a combination between fighting and a sport.”
Everyone in attendance passed Football 101. In fact, passing – and catching – the football were among the highlights for the dozens of grad students who turned out to the football practice field between Maples Pavillion and El Camino Real.
Luck brought the students into a midfield huddle. He introduced the student managers who support the program as well as former Stanford players who made the trip back to The Farm to help out. They included former wide receiver Sam Knapp, kicker Joshua Karty, linebacker Craig Jones and quarterback Ryan Burns, who is now the special assistant to Stanford head coach Tavita Pritchard.
“Congratulations,” Luck told wide-eyed students. “It’s awesome you are here.”
After some quick warm-up drills, participants were split into rotating groups. They hit tackle dummies, shoved blocking sleds, learned a play, attempted field goals and caught Luck’s perfect spirals – or tried to, anyway.
The football program wants to make fans of these new students. Many said they planned to attend the next home game, Sept. 26, against Georgia Tech.
Electrical engineering student Jacob Alvarsson came to Stanford from his native Sweden. He didn’t know much about American football when the night began, but Stanford students are quick learners. On his cheeks, he affixed black stickers meant to resemble eye black, though he admitted to being a little confused about their utility on the field.
“I asked,” he said. “They told me it will make me stronger.”
New friends laughed along with him.
“It’s also a bit intimidating,” said Bryan Park, who knew a lot about football after undergraduate work at the football-crazy University of Florida.
“I could use that,” Alvarsson said with a wink. “I don’t think I scare people that much.”
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