STANFORD, Calif. – Thomas Booker, a Cardinal captain and defensive end, announced on Saturday that he will return to Stanford for his senior season.
Statement from Booker:
"I have been so fortunate to attend Stanford, play football, and make so many connections that will last a lifetime.
I've been able to learn from some of the best professors in the world while competing with teammates that I now call my brothers. They make me better and hold me accountable.
I've also been afforded an incredible platform to speak on issues of racial and social justice. I've seen, firsthand, just how important it is for us as athletes and human beings to use our voices.
Last year was just a glimpse of our potential as a team. And because of that, we have unfinished business to take care of...
I cannot wait to get back to work and finish my degree with a double major in Economics and Communication. I am returning for my senior season for one last ride with my brothers, and to compete for a Pac-12 Championship. Go Cardinal! #Year4"
A junior from Baltimore, Md., Booker will wear No. 4 in 2021 after donning No. 34 his first three seasons. He is a double major in economics and communication and plans to graduate following the winter quarter in 2022.
He was named All-Pac-12 first team at the special teams spot in 2020, along with garnering second team recognition by both the league's coaches and Phil Steele at the defensive end position.
In six starts this season, Booker made 21 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. He blocked two extra points, had two pass breakups and one fumble recovery. His PAT block at Cal sealed the Cardinal's Big Game victory, while his PAT block the following week in the win at Washington made him the first Stanford player since Gordon Banks in 1979 to block a placekick in back-to-back games.
In his first three seasons on campus, Booker has been extremely productive, playing in all 31 games at defensive end. He has totaled 99 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, to go along with eight passes defended, one forced fumble, one interception and two fumble recoveries.
In addition to his accolades this season, he was named honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2019, along with 247 Sports True Freshman All-American in 2018. He capped off his true freshman season by being named the Jimmy Rogers, Jr. Most Valuable Lineman of the 2018 Sun Bowl.