Today marks my last football practice ever at Stanford. Today marks my last day as a student at Stanford. Today marks the day I leave Stanford without a specified return date. Before I board the plane to fly home to Seattle, I wanted to take some time to reflect on my time here.
I stepped onto campus with my parents on June 22, 2012, as a wide-eyed 18-year old kid not knowing what to expect. The team welcomed me with open arms and made me feel at home. That goes to the quality of people Stanford recruits. My teammates have become my brothers, and I love each and every one of them. We have sweated, bled and cried together, while becoming better football players and better people along the way. We continually push each other to be the best individuals and best team that we can be. These guys are probably the biggest thing that I will miss about Stanford. I know I have a brother in each and every one of them, and I will stay close with them for the rest of my life. I also want to thank my coaches, staff, athletic trainers and team doctors for being the best at what they do in the nation and providing me with an unforgettable college experience as a student-athlete. I'll always be Stanford's #1 fan.
Aside from athletics, I have been able to experience so many things, create amazing relationships and make so many memories at Stanford. A big part of that is the people that you find on this Cardinal campus -- I seriously believe they are what makes Stanford the best place in the world. Every year was filled with endless memories for which I am so grateful. I met so many of my closest friends right away in my freshman dorm, Rinconada. Sophomore year I was able to declare my major in human biology and take an amazing breadth of classes that ranged from Human Anatomy and Physiology to my favorite, Critical Issues in Child Health. I embarked on a journey of stem cell research in a prestigious lab on campus. Junior year I was elected the recruiting chair of my fraternity and gave back by bringing a great new class to Kappa Sigma. One of the greatest memories of senior year and my entire time at Stanford was the bonfire many of my senior friends held the night before graduation. To see about a hundred guys and girls crying, smiling, reflecting on our past four years together and not knowing when we will see each other again -- it was so moving.
Playing football for this university these past five years has been nothing but a blast. Sure, we've had many ups and some downs, but the most important thing is that we went through them together as a team. That's why I believe football is the best game on the planet: we do it all as many individuals for the greater good of one team. Playing in a college football game is the most fun I have ever experienced in my life. There is something special about the atmosphere -- the crowd, the feelings, the deep breath you take before you take the field -- it's indescribable. Countless memories have been made on that football field that I will forever cherish. When we take the field for my final collegiate game at the Sun Bowl on Dec. 30, I'll be looking forward to making one more.
Fast forward four years from that June, and I'm receiving my bachelor's of science degree, one of my greatest accomplishments in my life thus far. Only about half of my football recruiting class remain as fifth-year seniors. Where does the time go? This past summer, my team welcomed with open arms a new class of wide-eyed 18-year old kids not knowing the extraordinary journey that lies ahead of them. Today on Dec. 20, 2016, I leave campus as a 23-year old young man. I owe it to all of the people that have helped me along the way. Thank you. It has been an honor to attend Stanford and play the game I love for all of you.
– Michael Rector