10-29-2013, 06:48 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-29-2013, 06:49 PM by OutsiderFan.)
Ben Gardner's absence from the field in Stanford's remaining 2013 season games is certainly a set-back, and there will be plenty of discussion about how to fill the void he leaves in the coming days.
I'd like to start a dialogue in another direction.
Few players come into a program and establish themselves as stalwart players. Fewer still also become strong team leaders. And it's practically unheard of for players with no other scholarship offers to have the impact on a program Ben Gardner has had on Stanford. To me, this needs to be recognized, and internalized into the Stanford football fabric and tradition, to remind all players who come to Stanford that they can be great players, even if they feel under appreciated as recruits because they didn't go to the combines, camps, etc., and maybe they focused on academics instead.
Therefore, I'd like to suggest that Stanford make it a tradition to award the #49 jersey to the defensive starter with the fewest scholarship offers and/or voted the most self-made player on the team. To me, this would be an awesome way to cement Ben Gardner's contribution and legacy in the Stanford football program, and create a great incentive for future players to want to claim his number. This is the kind of thing that can inspire future generations of Stanford football players, and franklly something that can be embraced by the entire Stanford football nation. College football is all about tradition. I can't think of a cooler way to say thanks to Ben Gardner for is contributions to Stanford, than to earmark his number to future players who are inspired by his legacy.
I'd like to start a dialogue in another direction.
Few players come into a program and establish themselves as stalwart players. Fewer still also become strong team leaders. And it's practically unheard of for players with no other scholarship offers to have the impact on a program Ben Gardner has had on Stanford. To me, this needs to be recognized, and internalized into the Stanford football fabric and tradition, to remind all players who come to Stanford that they can be great players, even if they feel under appreciated as recruits because they didn't go to the combines, camps, etc., and maybe they focused on academics instead.
Therefore, I'd like to suggest that Stanford make it a tradition to award the #49 jersey to the defensive starter with the fewest scholarship offers and/or voted the most self-made player on the team. To me, this would be an awesome way to cement Ben Gardner's contribution and legacy in the Stanford football program, and create a great incentive for future players to want to claim his number. This is the kind of thing that can inspire future generations of Stanford football players, and franklly something that can be embraced by the entire Stanford football nation. College football is all about tradition. I can't think of a cooler way to say thanks to Ben Gardner for is contributions to Stanford, than to earmark his number to future players who are inspired by his legacy.
