STANFORD, Calif. -- At Quarterback U., Stanford has had more than its' share of great signal-callers. But what of their successors? Sometimes, they have turned out great themselves. Here is a brief summary of some of the most famous Stanford quarterback transitions:
1942: Ray "Duke" Hammett (Frankie Albert) - Frankie Albert was Stanford's first great quarterback and led the Indians to a perfect 1940 season as a junior under the innovative Clark Shaughnessy. In 1942, first-year coach Marchmont Schwartz named Hammett as Albert's successor and team captain. Hammett got off to a rocky start as Stanford dropped its first three games, but then began to master the intricacies of the 'T-Formation' offense and led the Indians to victories in six of their final seven games, including big ones over USC and Washington. Hammett was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1943 draft, but did not play in the NFL.
1957: Jack Douglas (John Brodie) - Douglas was not as prolific a passer as Brodie, a three-year Stanford starter who would go on to play 17 years with the San Francisco 49ers, but used his athletic ability to lead Stanford to a 6-4 record. It was an improvement from the team's 4-6 mark the year before. Douglas also was Stanford's first tennis All-American -- he was the 1958 NCAA runner-up in both singles and doubles -- and twice played for the U.S. Davis Cup team during a pro career that included quarterfinal berth at the U.S. Open.
1971: Don Bunce (Jim Plunkett) - Bunce, in the same class as 1970 Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett, redshirted as a senior so he would have an opportunity to start one season. Bunce delivered a Pac-8 title and a second consecutive Rose Bowl victory. On the final drive against heavily-favored Michigan, Bunce completed five passes to five different receivers to set up Rod Garcia's winning field goal with 12 seconds left, and was named as the game's MVP. Bunce used a year in the Canadian Football League to finance med school and became a well-known orthopedic surgeon before his death at age 54.
1974: Mike Cordova (Mike Boryla) - In probably the biggest quarterback controversy in school history, Cordova beat out Guy Benjamin as the successor to Mike Boryla, a first-team All-American described as "the best Stanford quarterback nobody's ever heard of." Though Cordova was an excellent quarterback -- he passed for 301 yards against Penn State in his debut and led Stanford to a pair of winning seasons -- his selection was divisive. By his senior year in 1976, Cordova was supplanted by Benjamin. Cordova was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 11th round, but didn't play in the NFL. Benjamin, a second-round pick, went on to a six-year NFL career.
1978: Steve Dils (Guy Benjamin) - In a career reminiscent of Don Bunce's, Stanford's talent surplus at quarterback limited Dils to one season as a starter, but it was a memorable one. Under coach Bill Walsh, Dils set Stanford records for passing yards in a game (430 at Washington State) and a season (3,153). He was the NCAA's passing champion in his single season playing. Stanford went 8-4 in a year that culminated with a 25-22 comeback victory over Georgia in the Bluebonnet Bowl, with Dils rallying the Cardinal from a 22-0 deficit and was named the game's Offensive MVP. Walsh left for the 49ers and Dils went on to a 10-year NFL career.
1983: Steve Cottrell (John Elway) - Cottrell, a 5-foot-10 senior, started the first three games before giving way to freshman John Paye, a local legend who had led tiny Menlo School to a state basketball title and shattered state passing records. Stanford went 0-3 in Cottrell's starts against Oklahoma, Illinois, and San Jose State, but had a short leash in each game and hardly was responsible for Stanford's 1-10 overall record. Paye went on to start nearly all of his four seasons and was part of an incredible run (beginning with Jim Plunkett) of outstanding quarterbacks that cemented Stanford's reputation as Quarterback U. Cottrell would pitch briefly in the San Francisco Giants minor-league system.
1995: Mark Butterfield (Steve Stenstrom) - By numbers, four-year starter Steve Stenstrom remains the most productive quarterback in Stanford history. With 10,911 yards, Stenstrom has thrown for more yards than anyone and was the perfect quarterback for the offenses under Dennis Green and Bill Walsh. The senior Butterfield, in his single season as starter, was a solid successor, leading Stanford to a 7-4-1 record under first-year coach Tyrone Willingham and completing 57 percent of his passes. It was Stanford's best record in three years.
2012: Josh Nunes (Andrew Luck) - Nunes, then a junior, won the starting job during the preseason for his command of the offense. His 6-2 record as a starter was highlighted by a 21-14 victory over No. 2 USC. Nunes evaded three defenders who appeared to stop him on a third-and-10 fourth-quarter scramble, to pick up a first down. Two plays later, Nunes connected with Zach Ertz for a 37-yard touchdown for the winning score. However, the offense labored until sophomore Kevin Hogan entered in Game 8 against Colorado and never left, leading the Cardinal to its' first Rose Bowl victory in 42 years. Four-year starter Hogan would become Stanford's all-time winningest starting quarterback.
