Stanford sagely built what it is calling an "alumni locker room" when it expanded its facilities last year, and the addition will pay off this spring, with a number of high-profile Cardinal alums expected to work out on campus this offseason.
One is Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, who took in one of the Cardinal's spring practices Tuesday.
"It's unbelievable, man," Sherman told ESPN.com about the alumni locker room. "It feels nice to have somewhere to go when you come here. You don't have to borrow or bum any of the young guys' lockers."
Sherman used the opportunity to try to impart a little wisdom to Stanford's defensive backs during drills.
"He's trying not to coach from the sidelines, but he can't help himself sometimes," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "Just the fact that he's here, just the fact that he's around, kind of reaffirms why some of these guys are here."
Chances are, Stanford's defensive backs appreciate the tutoring because Shaw still is in the process of hiring a secondary coach. Despite the loss of starting free safety Ed Reynolds, the secondary should be a team strength this fall. Strong safety Jordan Richards is a star, and Stanford returns both starting corners, Alex Carter and Wayne Lyons. Perhaps not coincidentally, Carter (6-foot, 200 pounds) and Lyons (6-1, 196) are "big" corners -- the kind many NFL teams crave after watching Sherman (6-3, 195) and his secondary mates shut down passing attacks on a weekly basis during their Super Bowl-winning season.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is another Cardinal alum expected to work out in Palo Alto, and Stanford linebacker/defensive end Trent Murphy said Tuesday on NFL Network's "NFL AM" that former Stanford star offensive tackle Jonathan Martin was on campus and working out.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
