Even if you do remember DeRonnie Pitts (1997-2000), you're probably wondering how he managed to sneak onto this list. The only question with Pitts, however, is whether or not he should be ranked higher than #21. He played in the shadow of Troy Walters for the first three years of his career at Stanford, so the numbers he amassed become even more impressive when you consider he wasn't the primary receiving option until his senior year. Take a look at some of his totals, with all-time Stanford ranks in parentheses:
- 222 career receptions (2nd)
- 77 receptions in 2000 (3rd)
- 74 receptions in 1998 (4th)
- 13 receptions vs. USC in 2000 (2nd highest total)
- 2,942 career receiving yards (2nd)
- 24 career receiving touchdowns (3rd)
- 10 career 100-yard receiving games (2nd)
- 3,463 all-purpose yards (9th)
In addition to those numbers, it should be noted that Pitts is one of only four men in Stanford history to gain a thousand receiving yards in a single season, and he earned All-Pac-10 honors as a senior. Any questions? Pitts definitely belongs on the Silver Squad.*
Previously ranked:
#22 Anthony Bookman
#23 Sione Fua
#24 Richard Sherman
#25 John Hopkins
*My first thought was to try to come up with a list of the best Stanford football players of all-time, but I quickly realized that I'm not qualified. I've only been watching Stanford football since the fall of 1987, so I can't really comment intelligently on players who suited up before then. Sure, I know that Jim Plunkett belongs, but I know nothing about Randy Vataha. Sports Illustrated once named Ernie Nevers the greatest college football player of all-time, and that's certainly good enough for me, but how can I possibly rank him against players of a more modern era? So I decided to create a list of the best Stanford players that I've actually seen in my time as a fan, and since that's roughly twenty-five years, I'm calling it the Silver Squad. (Catchy, isn't it?) Anyway, I'd love to hear your own memories of these players, and I won't be offended if you argue about who should or should not have been included on this list. Enjoy.
[Photo Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images]
