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GMC Interview: Tyler Bridges, Author of Five Laterals and a Trombone

Forty years ago this week, in November of 1982, Stanford and Cal produced one of the most memorable college football games of all time and certainly the most amazing play, whether we Stanford fans like it or not. In a new book released this month, Five Laterals and a Trombone, author Tyler Bridges dives into the drama, skillfully weaving perspectives from both sides to create the most thorough examination of the game ever written.

As Shakespeare once wrote, "The Play's the thing wherein we'll catch the attention of the readers," (kind of), and such is the case here. You'll come to hear details of that fateful final play, but Bridges gives us so much more than knees that may or may not have been down. He delves into the history of the rivalry between the schools (and the two bands), he tells stories about the Stanford Axe and attempts by either side to steal the trophy from the other, and he gives in depth profiles of all of the key characters who played parts in the drama that afternoon in 1982.

I admit to being hesitant to read this book -- I already knew the ending, after all -- but I'll also freely admit to loving it. I devoured it over the course of a weekend and enjoyed every page. I laughed aloud at the stories I already knew, and I was intrigued by those I didn't. If you're a fan of this rivalry, you'll be a fan of this book, I promise. You can get your copy from Amazon, or you can order directly through the author's website and get an autographed copy. (You can also find my Twitter account, assuming Twitter still exists when you're reading this, and enter to win a FREE copy!)

Cardinal Conversation: Glyn Milburn

The legacy of Stanford running backs stretches back to Ernie Nevers and extends forward to include names such as Darin Nelson, Tommy Vardell, Toby Gerhart, and Stepfan Taylor. Most of those players would be described as power backs, but Glyn Milburn, unquestionably one of the greatest players in Stanford history, was more dash and flash than smash and crash. (Check out this highlight video for evidence.)

Milburn arrived as a transfer from Oklahoma in 1990, and over the course of the next three seasons he made a huge impact on the college football world and left his mark on the Stanford record book. Perhaps the most versatile player in Cardinal history, Milburn holds the Stanford record for all-purpose yards in a single game (379) as well as the two highest season totals, 2234 in 1992 and 2222 in 1990. Not surprisingly, he was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.

Last week Mr. Milburn was kind enough to spend some time talking to me about all this, as well as what brought him to Stanford in the first place, and his journey through the NFL and beyond after leaving the Farm. Enjoy...

Cardinal Conversation: Tommy Vardell

Much has been made, and rightly so, about the legacy of quarterbacks at Stanford University, but few schools in America can match the rich history of running backs who have worn the Cardinal and White. Brad Muster was a senior when I was a freshman, so the first great tailback whose career I followed completely was Tommy Vardell. A bruising back, Vardell ended his career at or near the top of must Stanford rushing lists and held the mark for career touchdowns scored until Toby Gerhart passed him a few years ago. If you weren't lucky enough to watch Vardell play, click here and be thankful you weren't playing linebacker or defensive back in the Pac-10 back in the early 90s.

Vardell's playing days are obviously behind him, and rather than running through would-be tacklers, he instead spends his free time wrangling sheep, goats, pigs, a horse, and a cow on a five-acre farm in Northern California. Last fall he was kind enough to spend some time talking to me about his playing days with Stanford and in the NFL. I know you'll enjoy our conversation, so I'll get out of the way now.

"I want to put 50 on these motherf***ers."

If you had to put your finger on a single on-field moment that announced the transformation of Stanford football, it would be easy. November 14, 2009, just a bit past 3:00 PM Pacific time in the Los Angeles Coliseum. You know what happened. After a drive that took the heart out of a heartless USC team, the upstart Cardinal took a commanding 48-21 lead with 6:47 to play. Instead of accepting that, head coach Jim Harbaugh famously kept his offense out on the field and went for two. Afterwards he innocently explained that he only wanted to keep his team's positive momentum going.

"I just honestly thought there was an opportunity coming off the ball," he explained, "the way our backs were running and the way we were playing." No one believed him then, but now in an excerpt from its upcoming e-book Rags to Roses, the Stanford Daily reveals the truth we all suspected. Up until now, the best quote we knew from that game was Harbaugh's "What's your deal?," but now we've got another from Harbs -- "I want to put 50 on these motherfuckers." Quite honestly, it doesn't get any better than that. Full for the full story, click here.

 

2012 Stanford Hall of Fame: Ron George

Younger fans might not remember former Stanford linebacker Ron George, but he was a force to be reckoned with on the field. He was a fearsome pass-rushing linebacker, and last fall we named him to the Silver Squad, a list of the top 25 Stanford players of the past 25 years. Now he's been inducted into the Stanford University Hall of Fame. (Some would say that's an even bigger honor than the Silver Squad.)

In the insightful interview below he reflects on his time at Stanford and discusses how those four years impacted the rest of his life. Here's a hint -- it's not about football. Stanford fans will love this, especially those who remember Ron George, but this should be required viewing for every aspiring college football player. Great stuff.

Silver Squad #2: RB Toby Gerhart

I've been writing in this space for the past fifteen months, and if there's one regret I have about starting when I did it's this. I never had the chance write about Toby Gerhart (2006-09).

You remember Toby. 

Even though he had put up some astounding numbers in high school, expectations were low for him upon his arrival at the Farm. Other Pac-10 schools had recruited him, but most had seen his bruising running style and physical frame and figured he translated into a fullback at the collegiate level. Stanford offered him a chance to compete at the tailback position -- and play baseball as well -- so Toby became a Cardinal.

He played in every game as a freshman, and even started once, but his contribution was modest: 106 carries for 375 yards. Even so, he entered his sophomore campaign as one of the top backs on the squad and rushed for 140 yards on just twelve carries in the season opener against San Jose State... before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the third quarter.

Expectations are obviously reduced for any running back returning from a serious knee injury, but Gerhart had a phenomenal junior season, one of the best of any Stanford running back in history. He broke Tommy Vardell's single-season school rushing record, racking up 1,136 yards, and also ran for fifteen touchdowns. Following the season he was named second-team All-Pac-10 and seemed poised for an historic senior season.

Silver Squad #3: OT Bob Whitfield

The first time I heard about Bob Whitfield (1989-91), he was still in high school, but he was already creating a buzz. A Sports Illustrated piece speculating about the future of the NFL included a projected All-Pro team for five or ten years down the road, and Whitfield was selected as a starting offensive lineman even though he was yet to play a single down as a collegian.

The Best Big Game Ever

It's hard for me to believe that this game took place more than twenty years ago, but the 1990 Big Game simply has to be the best in the history of the rivalry. (Last year I wrote about my experience at that game; take a read if you have the time.) If you were to ask a Cal grad, of course, you'd get a different -- and obvious -- answer, but that's part of what made this game so great. The Travesty of 1982 had only happened eight years earlier and was still a tangible part of Big Game's recent history. With that defeat as subtext, the improbable victory in the 1990 game was even sweeter.

The good folks at Stanford Football have just released a video recap of the 1990 game, and it's a must-watch. Enjoy.

Silver Squad #4: FL Troy Walters

The first thought that comes to mind when I think about Troy Walters (1996-99) is his odd position listing. He was obviously a wide receiver, but for some reason he was archaically listed as a flanker, as if he were playing for Gil Thorp instead of Tyrone Willingham. My friends and I had lots of fun with this, noting that he was frequently referred to in game summaries as "Flanker Walters." We liked to wonder if there were people out there who might think that was his actual name. During his third season, we'd see phrases like "the junior flanker scored a touchdown in the third quarter." Junior Flanker -- another great name.

Silver Squad #5: RB Brad Muster

I first started hearing stories about Brad Muster (1984-87 within the first few days after my arrival on campus as a freshman in the fall of 1987. I had been a huge sports fan for all of my young life prior to then, but sadly I knew only two things about Stanford football: there was John Elway, and there was the Play. I had never heard of Brad Muster.