Corner Wayne Lyons will stay at Stanford for fifth year

Senior corner Wayne Lyons (above) will return to Stanford for a fifth year, providing a big boost to a secondary that lost three starters this offseason. (JIM SHORIN/stanfordphoto.com)
Senior corner Wayne Lyons (above) will return to Stanford for a fifth year, providing a big boost to a secondary that lost three starters this offseason. (JIM SHORIN/stanfordphoto.com)
By Joseph Beyda
Jan. 15, 2015, 3:36 p.m.

Senior corner Wayne Lyons announced on Thursday that he will spend a fifth year at Stanford.


Lyons played in each of the Cardinal’s 41 games from 2012-14 and split starting time with classmate Ronnie Harris last season. He finished 2014 with 30 tackles, 3 pass breakups and a forced fumble.

The architectural design major’s return is much-needed news for a Stanford secondary that already lost both of its starting safeties — fifth-year senior Kyle Olugbode and senior Jordan Richards — to graduation and its top corner — junior Alex Carter — to the NFL Draft this offseason. Lyons will be counted on to form the core of the 2015 defensive back unit, which will also return Harris, junior safety/nickelback Zach Hoffpauir and freshman corner Terrence Alexander.

Lyons was projected by some outlets as a late-round draft pick, but he has yet to make a huge splash nationally after coming to Stanford as the seventh-best corner recruit in the country.

After playing in his first two games as a true freshman, Lyons broke his foot and was forced to redshirt. Upon Lyons’ return in 2012, head coach David Shaw claimed that he had the potential to become one of the top defensive backs in the country.

Lyons started every game at corner in 2013, compiling 69 tackles and making a pair of key interceptions in a late-season win against Notre Dame. Upon the arrival of famed defensive backs coach Duane Akina last offseason, Lyons began improving in press coverage in particular, according to his position coach.

Contact Joseph Beyda at jbeyda ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Joseph Beyda is the editor in chief of The Stanford Daily. Previously he has worked as the executive editor, webmaster, football editor, a sports desk editor, the paper's summer managing editor and a beat reporter for football, baseball and women's soccer. He co-authored The Daily's recent football book, "Rags to Roses," and covered the soccer team's national title run for the New York Times. Joseph is a senior from Cupertino, Calif. majoring in Electrical Engineering. To contact him, please email jbeyda "at" stanford.edu.

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