Cal Stanford was a Corellian jetball player, who played on AC Coronet for his entire career. He was also the captain of the Corellian Planetary Jetball Team. Stanford was considered one of the best jetball players in history, and retired as the leading scorer for both his club and planetary team.
Biography
Early life
Cal Stanford was born in 50 ABY in Coronet City, the capital of Corellia. He would grow up to be a huge fan of the city's premier club AC Coronet of the Corellian Jetball League. Playing on school and youth teams, Stanford was a talented and athletic center and eventually became one of the most coveted prospects on Corellia.
College
When he was 18 years old, Stanford attended Corellia University on a jetball scholarship, after receiving many other offers from prestigious schools around the galaxy. While at CU, Stanford was moved from center to forward, in a move which would take advantage of his speed and athleticism. While his arm was strong, it was not good enough for him to star in high level college jetball. It would have been good enough for him to get by but from the beginning of his collegiate career, it was obvious Stanford belonged at forward. In just his first year of college, Stanford would be named an All-Galaxy Forward (a spot he would retain for all four years in school). His style of play made him a versatile weapon for CU, as his arm, in the middle of the road by center standards, was exceptionally strong for a forward. As a result, he was able to accurately shoot from 30 and even 40 yards from goal, a range usually reserved for centers. In his time at college, his team also was able to pull off a wide array of trick plays, which usually would focus on Stanford.
Largely because of Stanford's talents, Corellia University would go on to have some of its most successful seasons. In 69 ABY, CU would win it's first CAC title in 37 years. The following year, they would repeat as champions of the Core Athletic Conference, in addition to winning their first GCS Galactic Championship in school history. Following the success of the 70 ABY season, in which Stanford would be named CAC Player of the Year and CJA Young Player of the Year, it was rumored that Cal would skip his final year in college to play professionally. However, Cal shocked the jetball community by announcing he would return to play in his senior year. He would win the CAC POY again but CU would fail to win the CAC. Returning to defend their Galactic title as an at-large bid to the GCS, Corellia would reach the semi-finals before losing to Galactic City University.
Cal Stanford would graduate as CU's leader in goals, interceptions and games played, records which were still standing as of 86 ABY.
Club career
Stanford would be offered numerous contracts from a number of different clubs. The most prestigious club to target him was also the most appealing, as it was his hometown team AC Coronet. Beginning his career in 72 ABY, he would have an immediate impact as the fourth string forward, making him coach Jam Morra's first option off the bench. His first goal would come in the fourth game of the season against the Selonia Rancors. After spending the majority of his first season on the bench, Stanford would be starting full-time by the start of 73 ABY. In his first full campaign, he would score 28 goals. However, Coronet would enter a rare futile run, as it would miss the Corellian Jetball League playoffs for four straight years, from 73-76 ABY, the longest drought in franchise history. This was no fault to Stanford though, as he would continue to star, being named to the league all star team in the latter three years of the dry spell and having his first 30 goal season in 76 ABY. The next season, the club would get back on track, as new coach Zak Yungston would lead the team to its first CJL title in 13 years. The championship run would feature Stanford as the league MVP with 42 goals scored. The following year, AC Coronet would repeat as champions and reach the semi-finals of the CJA Champions League. This season would have another repeat: Stanford, as league MVP, who set a league record with 52 goals. He would be named captain of the club the following season.
By 88 ABY, Cal Stanford would have five more CJL championship rings (83, 84, 85, 86, 88), as well as two Champions League titles (85, 88) and two Galactic Club Championships (86, 88). In this time, he would shatter Foryro's franchise record for goals and approach the CJL record held by Jake Fesbrook.
Interplanetary career
Stanford would make his first appearance for a Corellian planetary jetball team in 70 ABY, when he played for the Corellian Under-21 youth team. He would then make his first appearance for the Senior Corellian team in 73 ABY in an exhibition against Falleen. He would score his first interplanetary goal in this match. By 74 ABY, he was starting on the interplanetary level and led his squad to a 5th place Finnish in that year's Core Jetball Championship. Two years later, he would be named captain of the planetary team. In that season's Galactic Cup on Bespin, Stanford took Corellia to the semi-finals. Their they would take on surging Neimoidia, who they stopped dead in their tracks, thanks to a pair of Stanford interceptions, in addition to a goal from the captain. However, they would go on to lose in the finals to Kashyyyk.
Cal would have a distinguished interplanetary career. After a number of near misses, his first major title at this level of play came in 86 ABY, when Corellia won that year's Core Jetball Championship.
88 ABY Galactic Cup
In his successful career, a victory in the Galactic Cup was one of the few triumphs that had managed to elude Stanford, much to the frustration of the star forward. In 88 ABY, it looked like this would change, as Corellia entered the tournament on Dac with what many believed to be its most talented team in decades. This prognostication looked to be accurate, as Corellia dominated the early rounds of the tournament, conceding only a single goal through its first five games, en route to the quarterfinals.
In the second game of the tournament, Stanford passed Jake Fesbrook to become the all-time leading goal-scorer in the history of the Corellian planetary team.
In its quarterfinal matchup, Stanford's squad was matched with a lightly regarded Rodia team. The Rodians were coming off a surprise win over Kuat, but few in the jetball community believed they could pull off a second straight upset.
This assessment initially seemed to be correct, as Corellia marched down the field with ease on its opening drive, which culminated with a Stanford goal. While at this point it seemed as if it would be a long night for the Rodians, they struck back and equalized soon thereafter, scoring on the seemingly impenetrable Corellian defense.
Corellia's ultimate fate in the tournament would be sealed late in the first half of this game. Driving down the field in an attempt to regain the lead, Stanford was hit hard trying to catch a pass and in the ensuing collision, injured his knee. This would be his last play of the 88 ABY Galactic Cup. On Corellia's next possession, center Ben Hill was injured as well. Without their captain and star center, Corellia fell to Rodia 3-1 in what was considered both one of the greatest upsets in Galactic Cup history and one of the most heartbreaking losses in Corellia history.
A lasting image of the game was that of Stanford, writhing in pain, punching a wall on his way from the bench to the lockeroom soon after his injury.
At this point, speculation was rampant as to whether the 38-year-old Stanford would ever suit up for the Corellian Planetary Jetball Team again.
Honors
All-CAC Team- 68 ABY, 69 ABY, 70 ABY, 71 ABY
HoloNet News Collegiate All-Galaxy Team- 68 ABY, 69 ABY, 70 ABY, 71 ABY
CJA Young Player of the Year- 70 ABY
Corellian Jetball Legue MVP- 77 ABY, 78 ABY
CJL All-Star Team- 73 ABY- 88 ABY
All-CJA Team- 77 ABY, 78 ABY, 80 ABY, 81 ABY, 82 ABY, 84 ABY, 85 ABY, 86 ABY, 88 ABY
CJA Player of the Year- 78 ABY
GJF All-Galaxy Team (1st Team)- 77 ABY, 78 ABY, 85 ABY, 86 ABY, 88 ABY
GJF All-Galaxy Team (2nd Team)- 80 ABY, 84 ABY
CJA Champions League MVP- 85 ABY
All-CJA Champions League Team- 85 ABY, 86 ABY
Galactic Club Championship MVP- 88 ABY
All-Galactic Cup Team- 76 ABY, 88 ABY
Behind the Scenes
Cal Stanford was named after the legendary college football play between the California Bears and Stanford Cardinal, sometimes referred to simply as Cal-Stanford.