There might not be a bigger oxymoron in the Pac-12 than “Stanford football player.”
Stanford students are supposed to treasure their brains, not put them on the line every Saturday. They’re supposed to worry about abbreviations like LSAT and GPA, not CTE.
How can a person who might go on to become a titan of industry consume himself so much with becoming a Tennessee Titan?
But for now, Casey Toohill — starting linebacker for the Stanford Cardinal and three-time Pac-12 all-academic team selection — is putting any concerns about his health and future on hold. He has his sights set on the NFL, risks and all.
“Those concerns are very valid, but there is so much to be learned from the game and the team aspect of the game,” Toohill said. “Resilience, teamwork, response to adversity — there’s no other sport that teaches it better. Football has taught me a lot.”
Toohill brings his brain to the field, of course, where he has gradually begun to match his off-field exploits. The redshirt senior has blossomed into arguably Stanford’s best defender. He ranks second on the team with 38 tackles and leads the Cardinal in sacks with four and tackles for loss with 6.5. He’s now up to 10 sacks for his career and more than 100 tackles.
“Especially with the defense we run and how we want to play, it’s really important to be intelligent out there, to be able to diagnose what you’re seeing, to understand play types,” said Toohill, who is majoring in political science with a secondary track of justice and law. “It’s just as much a mental game as a physical game.”
He’s also brought it off the field, where he has held four offseason internships, including one with the office of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Opportunities like that are one of the reasons he picked Stanford in the first place.
“I don’t know if when I was a freshman or sophomore that it was the first place I was looking at,” he said. “But when I visited, I realized there is no other place I want to be. I really confirmed that when I met the people here. The thing I treasure most is not only do you get a diverse experience, but you everyone here is a pretty good person.
“Everyone has been willing to have conversations about whatever they do.”
Toohill has tried to take advantage of every opportunity at Stanford, or as much as time permits.
“It’s definitely tough to balance, and there’s a certain challenge to having such a rigorous academic and athletic time commitment,” Toohill said. “Once you own time management skills, it’s just like anything else. Being a parent, getting a first job. You just have to adjust.”
Adjust and, well, sacrifice.
There aren’t too many day trips up to Napa for wine tasting. There are no Sunday drives down to Half-Moon Bay. If the Grateful Dead were playing at the Fillmore, you catch it on film.
What’s funny is when people think what gets cut is football or studies. No, what gets cut is any meaningful time for enjoyment, or even simply, life.
Tight end Tucker Fisk appreciates the sacrifice.
“It’s really just about managing your time,” said Fisk, also a Pac-12 All-Academic honoree. “Being in the middle of a football season, you’re limited in your free time at any school. You just have to have diligence to take whatever time you do have to get your work done and prioritize school.”
But, they believe, it’ll all be worth it.
It has to be, right?
