Zach Hoffpauir and Dallas Lloyd are senior safeties, communications majors, and share a passion for football. There, the similarities end.
Hoffpauir is a happy-go-lucky, no filter, free spirit. He's as comfortable cracking jokes as opponents. Hoffpauir plays with a chip on his shoulder and bigger than his 6-foot, 202-pound frame. He's excitable, energetic and enjoys doing the dirty work.
Lloyd is a Mormon, an Eagle Scout, a three-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection, and one of two married players on the team. He's 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, has blond hair, perfect manners, and has never said a disparaging word.
While these teammates couldn't be more different, David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football at Stanford, is thrilled to have them.
"They're like medicine," he said. "You need somebody that calms everybody down and you need somebody that jacks everybody up. In those two guys, we've got both."
Hoffpauir and Lloyd have made significant contributions during their Cardinal careers.
A standout outfielder on the Stanford baseball team, Hoffpauir played as a true freshman, excelling on special teams. He's appeared in nearly 50 games.
Selected in the 22nd round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Hoffpauir played pro baseball last year and did not compete for Stanford. He missed football so much, he couldn't watch games on television.
"I knew if I did, it would be painful," said Hoffpauir. "I knew what our record was and who we were playing, but it was rough."
Hoffpauir craved the roars and electricity of the crowd, the physicality and intensity of the sport, and the camaraderie.
"It's the most team-oriented sport there is," he said. "Baseball isn't like that. It's more, 'I gotta get this hit, I gotta do this and that.' In football, it's your job and we have to work together as a team."
Hoffpauir should know. He was a four-sport star at Centennial High in Peoria, Arizona, lettering in football, baseball, basketball, and track and field.
Hoffpauir called Shaw to inquire about returning. While unusual, there is precedence. In 2013, running back Tyler Gaffney came back after a one-year stint with pro baseball and didn't skip a beat, rushing for 1,709 yards and 21 touchdowns.
"Sometimes the dynamics change," said Shaw. "But the last guy I was worried about was Zach. He comes in and befriends people he doesn't know, starts messing with guys, and is a great locker-room guy. Guys that didn't know him 20 minutes ago have their arm around him and are laughing with him. That's what he does to people. Whatever it is that stirs the drink on this team, he's got it."
Lloyd was a dual-threat quarterback at Pleasant Grove (Utah) and rated the state's top prospect at his position. He threw for 31 touchdowns his last two years and was 19-1 as a starter.
He did not play at Stanford in 2012 and appeared in seven games the following year, rushing six times for 16 yards. Coveting more playing time, Lloyd converted to safety in the spring and found a home. He became a starter last season and registered 55 tackles, including nine against Arizona.
"Dallas makes everybody else feel good about what they're doing," Shaw said. "He makes every call and he's never wrong. He makes it loud and strong and he builds confidence. He helps them do their job better by getting them in position. It's a coach's dream."
Teammates showed their respect by selecting him a captain this season.
"One of the biggest honors I've ever had," Lloyd said. "I love and respect every one of them. I'm just going to keep leading by example and try to lift them up like they've lifted me. I'm very humbled."
Lloyd will always be a quarterback at heart.
"That's been one of the coolest things about coming to safety is that I don't have to change that," said Lloyd. "I can read offenses just like a quarterback reads defenses and communicate. I felt at home when I switched."
Lloyd plays instinctively.
"I try to do all my thinking during the week," he said. "Our coaches do an excellent job of preparing us and giving us different looks and calls, and putting us in stressful situations against the scout teams so that on Saturday we can be like a well-oiled machine and play fast."
Initially, Lloyd said it was weird being the only married player. While some consider his wife, Libby, the team mom, she prefers cool sister.
"I had a freshman come up to me the other day and say, 'Hey, how is your wife doing?' '' said Lloyd. "He was like, 'That's so crazy.' ''
Hoffpauir and Lloyd share similar enthusiasm about their final year of college football.
"It's been a journey and a half," Hoffpauir said. "When I first got here, it was a lot of blue collar, hardworking guys that may not have been as highly rated that set a standard. As we've gotten better, we've gotten better athletes, but we're still bringing that blue-collar mentality. That's what we've got going right now and I think it will be something special."
Lloyd agreed.
"We've had a lot of success the past four years and I've come a long way from being a quarterback to a starting safety," he said. "I'll think about all of the success and fun we've had in five years. I'll look at my Rose Bowl rings and maybe other rings. Right now, I have my nose down and my eyes on the prize."
