The 1976 Stanford Cardinals football team represented
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
in the
Pacific-8 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...
during the
1976 NCAA Division I football season. Led by fifth-year head coach
Jack Christiansen
John LeRoy Christiansen (December 20, 1928 – June 29, 1986) was an American professional football player who became a college and pro coach. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions as a safety an ...
, the Cardinals were 6–5 overall (5–2 in Pac-8, third) and played home games on campus at
Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium on the west coast of the United States, located on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, California. It is the home of the Stanford Cardinal and hosts the university's commencemen ...
in
Stanford, California
Stanford is a census-designated place (CDP) in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is the home of Stanford University. The population was 21,150 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census.
Stanford is ...
After a disappointing season that started at 1–4,
Christiansen was fired the day before the last game of the season, the
Big Game at
Cal;
he coached that final game, which Stanford rallied to win in the final two minutes.
With two seasons remaining on a five-year contract (at
$27,500 annually),
[ Christiansen did not have a losing season at Stanford, was overall, and in conference. The Cardinals had five Pac-8 wins in each of his last four seasons, finishing no lower than third.
Bill Walsh, the ]offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
of the NFL's San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
, was hired as head coach in December,
Schedule
:
Roster
*OT Gary Anderson
*QB Guy Benjamin
Guy Emory Benjamin (born June 27, 1955) is a former American football quarterback who played six seasons in the National Football League.
College career
Benjamin played high school football at James Monroe High School in North Hills, California ...
*LB Gordy Ceresino
Gordon Joseph "Gordy" Ceresino is a former professional American football linebacker who played one season with the San Francisco 49ers in 1979.
Ceresino played college football for Stanford University and was named the most valuable defensive pla ...
*QB Mike Cordova
*QB Steve Dils
*WR James Lofton
James David Lofton (born July 5, 1956) is an American former professional football player and coach. He is a former coach for the San Diego Chargers but is best known for his years in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the G ...
*WR Tony Hill
*DE Duncan McColl
*PK Mike Michel
Michael Walter Michel (born August 4, 1954) is a former American football punter who played for two seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Stanford. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round ...
*QB Turk Schonert
Turk Leroy Schonert (January 15, 1957 – January 17, 2019) was a quarterback, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in the National Football League (NFL). Schonert was the head coach of the United Football League's Sacramento Mountain Lio ...
:
NFL Draft
Five Cardinals were selected in the 1977 NFL Draft.
* List of Stanford Cardinal in the NFL Draft
References
External links
Game program: Stanford at Washington State
– October 23, 1976
{{Stanford Cardinal football navbox
Stanford
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
Stanford Cardinal football seasons
Stanford Cardinals football