As the National Football League (NFL) season rolls into October, Stanford’s footprint across the league remains strong. Twenty-nine former Cardinal are currently on active rosters or practice squads. Week Five brought a mix of highlight moments, quiet outings and a few teams still looking to find their rhythm.
**Standout performances**
While there weren’t many huge breakout performances from Stanford alumni this week, several players made steady contributions for their teams, proving the Cardinal continue to show up all over the field.
**Christian McCaffrey ’18 (Running Back, San Francisco 49ers)** – McCaffrey totaled 57 yards on 22 carries in San Francisco’s 26–23 overtime win against the Rams. Though he didn’t reach the end zone, he continues to anchor the 49ers’ offense with his reliability and presence.
**Dalton Schultz ’18 (Tight End, Houston Texans)** – Schultz put together a respectable outing over the weekend, catching five passes for 60 yards as Houston rolled past Baltimore, 44-10. He’s quickly becoming one of C.J. Stroud’s most dependable options in the passing game.
**Bobby Okereke ’18 (Linebacker, New York Giants)** – Okereke was all over the field for the Giants, tallying 10 tackles (five solo, five assisted) and a stuff in their 26-14 loss to the Saints. Even as New York continues to search for answers, Okereke continues to lead by example.
**Paulson Adebo ’23 (Cornerback, New York Giants) –** Adebo also had a solid outing for New York over the weekend with six solo tackles in the Giants’ loss to New Orleans.
**Joshua Karty ’24 M.S. ’26 (Keeper, Los Angeles Rams)** – Karty went 1-for-2 on field goals and 2-for-3 on extra points, with a long of 48 yards. His one miss went wide right from 53 yards, but the second year kicker, showed good poise overall in the Rams’ narrow overtime loss to the 49ers.
**Kyu Blu Kelly ’23 (**Cornerback**, Las Vegas Raiders)** – Kelly logged three tackles in a tough 40–6 loss to the Colts. He continues to carve out a bigger role in the Raiders’ secondary.
**Other Notable Contributions**
* **Elijah Higgins ’23 (Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals)** – Two catches for 10 yards in a close 22–21 loss to Tennessee.
* **Michael Wilson ’22 M.A. ’22 (**Wide Receiver**, Arizona Cardinals)** – Two catches for 16 yards in the same Arizona game.
* **Brycen Tremayne ’22 (**Wide Receiver**, Carolina Panthers) –** One catch for nine yards in Carolina’s 27–24 win over Miami.
* **Solomon Thomas ’18 (Defensive Tackle, Dallas Cowboys) –** Recorded one tackle in a 37–22 win over the Jets.
* **Thomas Booker IV ’22 (Defensive Tackle, Las Vegas Raiders) –** Added a tackle and a pass defended in limited snaps.
* **Justin Reid ’19 (Safety, New Orleans Saints) –** Two tackles in the Saints’ first win of the season.
* **Harrison Phillips ’18 (Defensive Tackle, New York Jets) –** Four total tackles in a 37–22 loss to Dallas.
* **Curtis Robinson ’20 (Linebackers, San Francisco 49ers) –** One assisted tackle in the Niners’ overtime win.
* **Elic Ayomanor ’26 (Wide Receiver, Tennessee Titans) –** Two catches for 18 yards in Tennessee’s first win of the season, a 22–21 victory over Arizona.
**By the Numbers**
Stanford alumni combined for over 200 offensive yards, 44 tackles, but no touchdowns in Week Five. It was a quieter slate overall, but with veterans like McCaffrey, Schultz and Okereke setting the tone, and younger players earning more snaps, the Cardinal’s NFL impact remains steady.
Come back next week to see how your former Cardinal are doing in the NFL.