Stanford football: 15 greatest quarterbacks in Cardinal history

Throughout the history of the Stanford football program, there have been plenty of elite signal-callers, including guys who would go on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. When it comes to the trailblazing guys, few stand out like Frankie Albert, who was the team’s starter back in the early 1940s.

The starting quarterback for the football program in 1940 and 1941, Albert led the team to a keystone victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers to cap off an undefeated 1940 campaign. In that season, Albert led Stanford to a 9-0 regular-season mark, before taking on the heavily favored Nebraska squad in the Rose Bowl.

Albert led Stanford to a 21-13 victory in the game. Despite the undefeated record, the then-Indians finished the year at No. 2 behind the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Still, this is a guy who was a two-time All-American for Stanford and was the first modern quarterback to run the T-formation, which he had unparalleled success doing.

After his stellar career at Stanford, Albert would go on to be the No. 10 overall pick in the 1942 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He would play seven years in the NFL for the 49ers, being selected to the Pro Bowl in 1950, after throwing for over 1,700 yards and 14 touchdowns. When it comes to Stanford quarterbacks, Albert is on the Mount Rushmore.