Stephens Elaborates on Decision

On Friday we were able to catch up with Gaithersburg, Md., native Terrence Stephens to learn he had committed to Stanford University, however the defensive lineman wanted his opportunity to speak at lengths about his decision at another time. On Saturday afternoon we were able to speak with him again and he elaborated on why he chose Stanford.

Terrence Stephens will be investing his future in Stanford University and within this 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle lays a personality that is very different from many of the recruits we come across. The Quince Orchard High School product brings an immense amount of talent to the gridiron, but is equally as impressive off the football field as he is an intelligent, confident and driven individual. Today he spoke at lengths about how he came to his final decision.

“My mother is a single parent, so she obviously had to face the fact that she knows I’m leaving and leaving soon now which was understandably hard for here, but she is very happy in my choice and happy that I’m going to be happy, so I really appreciated that from here,” Stephens explained. “She was thrilled with the education that I’ll be receiving at Stanford above everything else and also really liked the coaching staff. She knew the opportunity for me coming out of Stanford was top-notch and that nothing else compared to it. My mother knew I was making a good choice.”

Like many other high school recruits around the country, the financial stress of taking visits to schools can be absolutely brutal. For a player like Stephens, hard work in the past and some current sacrifice paid off big and allowed him to get out to Palo Alto for an unofficial visit.

“Basically what happened was that I received an award from the Washington Redskins for Scholar Athlete of the Week and because the trip was very, very expensive I wasn’t going to be able to make it at first,” Stephens said. “When I got that award some grant money came with it and just as the check came I realized that Stanford’s junior day was that weekend and that I didn’t have school on Monday, so that would be the perfect opportunity for me to go see a school that I could eventually go to. As soon as I told my coach that he got the approval from my mother and sat down and booked my flight and hotel within the hour and I was on a plane on Saturday morning at 6 am ready to go. When I first stepped onto the campus it was really love at first sight.”

Stephens went on to talk about his experience on campus.

“The campus was absolutely phenomenal and it was like nothing I have ever seen before,” Stephens added. “The atmosphere there was amazing and while the coaches and players were all great with me, so was the public. Everyone was just genuinely nice and I had a ball on the visit. I connected with some of the players and the coaching staff and still keep in contact with some of the current players as we speak. I just felt like it was a home among homes and I completely feel in love and there was nothing that could even compared to the feeling I had there.”

So was that it for the Quince Orchard product?

“At that point yes, Stanford was where I knew I wanted to be. I wanted to see some things and talk to some coaches first, but that is the place I knew I wanted to be at above all others.”

Academics were an extremely high priority for Stephens and he shed some light on what his interests are and what he plans to make of his education.

“I actually want to double major and minor,” Stephens stated. “I want to double major in psychology and forensics or psychology and criminal justice and then take a minor in music. I’ve been watching the show Criminal Minds which deals with criminal profiling and have been interested in that field since I was in the 6th grade, so that’s the path I want to go from the start. I sing too and actually tried out for American Idol back in August, but unfortunately I didn’t make it. They say everything happens for a reason though and after that I was part of a football team that went 14-0 and won a state championship.”

For the record, Stephens audition selection was “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by the Temptations.

Was part of this early decision based on letting Stephens focus on his senior year?

“That was definitely a factor for me. I wanted to relieve the stress, worry and anxiety of all of this so I can focus on being the greatest athlete and having the greatest academic standards for myself this year. I just need to focus on the right things and not have to worry about finding a school, which I can now do.”

What is Stanford getting out of this talented defensive tackle?

“I come in and am not a cocky person. I don’t like cocky people. I expect to come in and make an immediate impact. I’m not shy or timid and am not the type of person who is going to sit by and wait until I’m a senior to make a difference. I’m the type of person who wants to change a program now and wants to help our program by making instant impact. Now that I’ve committed I’ll be doing my own recruiting to get the best overall class in the country for 2009 so we can come in and blow it off the hinges. It is a lot more special for me to be a part of a program that is on the rise and not already established. We are going to establish ourselves as a program and let them know who we are.”

“Like I told Coach Harbaugh, I think the sky is the limit and there isn’t anything that we can’t do, especially with the guys we have coming in,” Stephens offered. “Now we need to turn that potential into something great, into something that people would never have guessed and that is what I expect to give. I expect to make a change there and be a leader. The expectations are to show the country what such an intelligent school can do on the football field.”

Lastly, did anything greatly separate Stanford from his other suitors other then their excellent academic reputation?

“I thought the coaches were genuinely interested in my well-being, interested in me doing great and interested in me making a difference. They trusted me, they trusted in my character and they knew I was an intelligent individual and I appreciate that. You won’t find many schools that really do care about you as an individual and I thought that was very special about Stanford.”

As a junior, Stephens earned first-team Washington-Post All-Met honors. He recorded 10.5 sacks, 56 tackles and two interceptions.

Stephens finished fifth in his weight class (285)as a sophomore at the Maryland state wrestling championships.