He wasn't successful this time, but he was still smiling. The previously fractured left ankle that cost him half the 2007 season and plagued him at times last year felt fine. Felt great, in fact, keeping Udofia (6-2, 315) upbeat about the coming Stanford football season.
Defensive Front Four Holds Key to Winning
The fifth-year defensive lineman will have a big say in how the Cardinal performs this season. He's part of a strong front that also includes sophomore Thomas Keiser (6-5, 257), sophomore Matt Masifilo (6-3, 285), senior Brian Bulcke (6-4, 281), junior Sione Fua (6-2, 305), senior Tom McAndrew (6-5, 262) and senior Erik Lorig (6-4, 275) and is charged with slowing down potent running tacks and keeping quarterbacks honest.
No offseason surgery, no rehab, and more importantly, no pain means no restrictions for Udofia as Stanford prepares to open the season at Washington State on Sept. 5 at 3 p.m.
"I'm feeling great and pushing hard," Udofia said. "Right now it's all about working and finishing the job. We have to start fast and at Washington State, it's going to be tough."
He was considered one of the top recruits in the nation out of Chaparral High in Scottsdale, AZ and he performed past expectations during his redshirt freshman season, earning third team freshman All-American honors, and was named to the Pac-10's All-Freshman team.
Udofia finished the 2006 season with 43 tackles (18 solo, 25 assists), the second-highest total among defensive linemen. He also added a sack and had 1 1-2 tackles for loss and recovered a pair of fumbles.
Recovering from Ankle Injury
Udofia suffered a major injury to his ankle during his senior season in high school that required surgery to repair. His redshirt season was helpful in mending the ankle and giving him the opportunity to perform at a high level.
His sophomore season was different. Bothered by the ankle most of the year, he missed two games with a high ankle sprain and then was gone for the season when an X-ray showed a small fracture near the hardware that was implanted in the ankle in Arizona.
The recovery process lingered, costing him precious training time and it affected his play last year.
As the Cougars' game looms, Udofia has no lasting remnants of his injury and is playing at full strength for the first time in years.
"There are no more excuses," he said. "We have to get the job done."
Cardinal Wants to Finish Close Games
The defensive line is already taking responsibility for Stanford's chances this year, especially after the Cardinal dropped a pair of games in the final seconds and keeping the team from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2001.
Stanford lost three games by a touchdown or less and finished 5-7 last year. The current seven-year streak of losing seasons is the longest in Stanford football history. Udofia figures it's time for a change.
"It starts with us," he said. "Defense wins championships. We have to be able to stop offenses. We have to be physical and relentless. It's our time to seize the moment."
Stanford ranked 77th out of 120 teams nationally in rushing defense last year, giving up an average of 152.9 yards a contest. That figures to improve this season with a more experienced group, including a healthy Udofia.
The Cardinal ranked 19th in rushing offense last year, with senior Toby Gerhart returning from setting a school record last year.
"We were so close in a couple of games," Udofia said. "We've emphasized finishing games. We feel capable of playing with any team. We're going to go out there with that mindset. It should show up on the field."
Rick Eymer - I have written for The San Mateo Times, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and am currently working part-time as an assistant sports editor at ...
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