Christian McCaffrey is only a sophomore, but he has been eager for more playing time since he knew what football was. "I just remember I was 6 years old," he says, "and my older brother had just started tackle football." His brother, Max (now a wide receiver at Duke), was a mere two years older, but that was a profound difference, because of eligibility rules. "You can't put the pads on at 6," explains McCaffrey, "and I just cried all the time, because I wanted so badly to play with him."
That history—his love of the game, plus a relentless competitiveness—is melded with a storied heritage: His father, Ed, '90, MA '91, was a Stanford wide-receiver star who went on to the NFL, earning rings on three winning Super Bowl teams. Now it may be Christian's time to change the context. This may be his era, to the point that his father and brother no longer fit in the conversation. It's fair to say the best expectations for Stanford's season are tied closely to the anticipation of a dramatically larger contribution from McCaffrey in his second year.
McCaffrey is a classically versatile offensive force, a running back who's also a dynamic receiver and kick returner. He made a striking impression as a freshman with only modest playing time, accumulating 796 all-purpose yards that began with a 52-yard touchdown catch on the first occasion he got the ball. Fans and media loudly nominated him for a bigger role, but the intrigue this year is probably less about whether that will happen than exactly how.
"Christian is an explosive player that simply needs to touch the ball for our offense to be as potent as possible," says Mike Bloomgren, the offensive coordinator. "We believe Christian can be an every-down back in the Pac-12, but that doesn't mean we will not flex him out as a receiver also. He has a unique skill set, and it is our job as coaches to utilize those skills."
McCaffrey spent the offseason working on "everything," but he's happy to dissect the specifics, especially when the discussion turns to his instincts in the open field. "I love getting myself in space," he says. "But I think I've also developed skills where I can run between the tackles now." In the next breath, he analyzes different formations, the different places he might line up and the adjustments required of him. "Coach Shaw talks about it all the time: The best backs are the most complete backs. They can catch, they can block, they can run, they have great vision, great patience. So I'm just honing in on all of those, going day by day."
That work ethic also has a family imprint, and it extends well beyond football. His mother, Lisa, '91, was a Stanford soccer player, and his maternal grandfather, David Sime, held the world record in the 100-yard dash in 1956. The lineage also extends to multiple aunts and uncles. But that was back then.
The time for Christian, and hopefully Stanford, is now.
