June 2, 2011

STANFORD, Calif.-- The ultimate success story happened the last four years with Ryan Whalen. A recruited player without a scholarship from the East Bay city of Alamo and Monte Vista High, Whalen earned a scholarship, was named captain and was drafted in the sixth round by the Bengals.

This year's incoming players hope to follow in Whalen's footsteps: eight-year minor league baseball player and 26-year old Jordan Pratt (Monmouth, OR); two second generation Stanford  legacies in wide receiver Rollins Stallworth III (Reno, NV) and 6-7 and 300-lb. offensive linemen Brian Moran (Menlo Park, CA); an Arizona duo of, quarterback Adam Brzeczek (Queens Creek, AZ) and all-region defensive end Alex Yazdi (Cave Creek, AZ); all-league tight end Matt Kasner (Granite Bay, CA), All-Minnesota outside linebacker Torsten Rotto (Woodbury, MN), All-CIF inside line backer Sam Mercer (Thousand Oaks, CA) and Orange County long snapper Austin Tubbs (San Clemente, CA). Also joining the team following spring practice is former Stanford rugby player Cason Kynes, who will be a junior.

Pratt spent eight seasons in the minors, after signing with the Dodgers as a fifth round pick in 2003. He compiled a 24-36 record and 5.78 ERA, reaching Triple-A Albuquerque with the Dodgers at the age of 25. He originally signed a NLI with Washington State as a wide receiver and will be a freshman in the fall. Pratt's best season was when he went 8-4 with a 4.85 ERA over 34 appearances in 2006 for Single-A Columbus in the Dodgers organization. He was also 4-3 with Single-A Inland Empire with a 4.83 ERA in 42 games and had a 2.63 ERA in Single-A West Michigan over 19 games last year. He spent his first two years of Rookie ball as a starter before spending the last six as a reliever.

Moran is a second generation Cardinal player, as his father, Matt, was an offensive guard for Stanford from 1981 to 1985 and was a sixth round pick in the 1985 NFL Draft. The Sacred Heart prep star was a two-time All-CIF pick as a linemen.

Stallworth is also a second generation Cardinal player, as his uncle, Herbie Berry, played for the Cardinal from 1987 to 1991. He was an all-state receiver out of Nevada's Robert McQueen High. He led the state in 2010 with 24.0 yards per catch, catching 16 passes for 388 yards and five touchdowns for the Nevada state runners-up.

Kynes also has a football pedigree, as the Stanford junior-to-be had both his grandfather and father play football at Florida State. One older brother was also a walk-on quarterback at Florida, understudying for Tim Tebow.

Brzeczek, a quarterback out of Arizona's Queen Creek High School, tossed 2,238 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior and threw for 14 TD's and 1412 yards as a junior. He also played baseball, batting .409 with 32 RBIs as a senior and .372 as a junior. He stole 30 bags over two seasons. Also on defense, Yazdi, defensive end, out of Cactus Shadows High, was an all-region offensive and defensive linemen out of Arizona, making 140 career tackles with 14 sacks and six fumble recoveries.

Rotto is an all-Minnesota linemen out of Woodbury High, making 40 solo tackles and 33 assisted tackles as a senior, 16 for a loss. He made 8.5 sacks.

Granite Bay High's All-Metro League tight end, Kasner caught 32 passes for 539 yards with 10 touchdowns as a senior.  

Tubbs is the youngest of four children, playing for San Clemente High in Southern California. The long snapper had 60 punt snaps and 50 field goal attempts his senior year. Also out of Southern California, Mercer out of Chaminade College Prep, was an All-CIF pick on defense.

This group of ten new additions, hopes to replicate Whalen's accomplishments.

Click on Each Player to See Their Latest Bios:
QB Adam Brzeczek, 6-0, 195 lbs., Queen Creek, AZ, Queen Creek HS
TE Matt Kasner, 6-4, 235 lbs., Granite Bay, CA,  Granite Bay HS
SS Cason Kynes, 5-9, 185 lbs., Annandale, VA, Annandale HS
ILB Sam Mercer, 6-0, 217 lbs., Thousand Oaks, CA, Chaminade College Prep
OT Brian Moran, 6-7, 305 lbs., Menlo Park, CA, Sacred Heart Prep.
WR Jordan Pratt, 6-3, 217 lbs., Monmouth, OR, Central HS
OLB Torsten Rotto, 6-3, 233 lbs, Woodbury, MN, Woodbury HS
WR Rollins Stallworth III, 6-4, 175 lbs, Reno, NV, Robert McQueen HS
LS Austin Tubbs, 6-0, 225 lbs., San Clemente, CA, San Clemente HS
DE Alex Yazdi, 6-1, 255 lbs., Cave Creek, AZ, Cactus Shadows HS