Stanford Cardinal football The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac - 12 Conference ' s North Division . Stanford , the top - ranked academic institution with an FBS program , has a highly successful football tradition . The team is known as the Cardinal , referring to the color , not the bird . The team was known as the Indians from 1930 to 1972 and the Cardinals ( also referring to the color ) from 1972 to 1981 . Stanford began playing football in 1892 , and participated in the first ever Rose Bowl against Michigan in 1902 . Its annual Big Game against California is the oldest and most storied rivalry in the Pac - 12 and the western United States . The Cardinal also compete for the Legends Trophy against independent rival Notre Dame . The program has an all - time record of 676 – 454 – 52 for a winning percentage of . 594 and has winning series records against all of its Pac - 12 North rivals , except for the Washington Huskies , against whom they are 38 – 40 – 4 . Led by legendary coach Glenn " Pop " Warner , who still has the most wins in Cardinal history , Stanford claimed a National Championship in 1926 . The 1940 team went unbeaten and untied after defeating Nebraska 21 – 13 in the 1941 Rose Bowl , but the team ranked # 2 in the final AP poll released before the game was played . Pop Warner ' s era predated the AP poll , but Stanford has finished at least one season in the Top 10 in six different decades under seven different coaches , including Claude E . Thornhill in 1934 , Clark Shaughnessy in 1940 , Chuck Taylor in 1951 , John Ralston in 1970 and 1971 , Bill Walsh in 1992 , and Jim Harbaugh in 2010 . Stanford ' s most recent season finish in the top 5 was in 2010 after the # 5 Cardinal dismantled ACC Champion Virginia Tech 40 – 12 in the 2011 Orange Bowl to finish with a school record 12 wins and 1 loss . Stanford finished # 4 in both the AP and Coaches polls . Quarterback Jim Plunkett is the only Stanford player to win the Heisman Trophy , doing so in 1970 . Three Stanford players have finished second in Heisman voting : quarterback John Elway was second to Herschel Walker in 1982 ; running back Toby Gerhart was second to Mark Ingram in 2009 ; and Andrew Luck finished second in Heisman voting to Cam Newton in 2010 . The Cardinal have played in 22 bowl games in their history , including 13 appearances in bowls now comprising the Bowl Championship Series , specifically one in the Orange Bowl and twelve in the Rose Bowl . College Football Hall of Fame . The following Stanford players and coaches are members of the College Football Hall of Fame : Pro Football Hall of Famers . The following Stanford players are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame : Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame . The following Stanford players and coaches are members of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame : Stanford ' s All - Century Team . Coach Glenn " Pop " Warner ( 1924 – 32 ) Offense QB : Jim Plunkett " ( 1968 – 70 ) " RB : Darrin Nelson " ( 1977 – 81 ) " RB : Ernie Nevers " ( 1923 – 25 ) " TE : Bill McColl " ( 1949 – 51 ) " OL : Bob Whitfield " ( 1989 – 91 ) " OL : George Buehler " ( 1966 – 68 ) " OL : Vic Lindskog " ( 1940 – 41 ) " OL : Chuck Taylor " ( 1940 – 42 ) " OL : Bob Reynolds " ( 1933 – 35 ) " WR : Troy Walters " ( 1996 – 1999 ) " WR : Ken Margerum " ( 1977 – 80 ) " PK : John Hopkins " ( 1987 – 90 ) " Defense DL : Pat Donovan ( 1972 – 74 ) DL : Pete Lazetich " ( 1969 – 71 ) " DL : Paul Wiggin " ( 1954 – 56 ) " DL : Kailee Wong " ( 1994 – 97 ) " LB : Gordy Ceresino " ( 1975 – 78 ) " LB : Dave Wyman " ( 1982 – 84 , ' 86 ) " LB : Jeff Siemon " ( 1969 – 71 ) " DB : Toi Cook " ( 1984 – 86 ) " DB : Randy Poltl " ( 1971 – 73 ) " DB : Benny Barnes " ( 1970 – 71 ) " DB : John Lynch " ( 1990 – 92 ) " P : Frankie Albert " ( 1939 – 41 ) " Current NFL players . The following Stanford players are currently playing in the NFL :