When Brittney Blunt graduated from Stanford in 2001, she ordered a frame for her diploma. She also bought one for her boyfriend, Casey Jacobsen.
Two years older, Blunt rowed, played rugby, and was a three-time All-American.
Jacobsen was one of the most prolific players in men’s basketball history, pouring in 1,723 points in three seasons, fourth-most at Stanford. A two-time All-American, he averaged 18.1 per game and appears in the school record book more than 30 times.
A tough, heady shooting guard/small forward deadly from deep and off the dribble, Jacobsen left The Farm following his junior year after helping Stanford reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. He was the 22nd overall pick by the Phoenix Suns in the 2002 NBA Draft.
Jacobsen played in the league for five years with three teams, but didn’t thrive. He went to Europe and found a home with the Brose Baskets, winning German League titles in 2007 and 2010, and was twice named MVP.
By then, he had three daughters and the family had become basketball gypsies. They lived in three countries and six states.
Jacobsen was determined to return to Stanford to complete his degree in communication, but the timing was always off. When he retired in 2014, he resettled in Southern California, where he and Brittney grew up 90 minutes apart.
Tiger Woods gets airborne after Jacobsen’s game-winner against Duke; his frame won’t be empty for long
“Playing in Europe, the seasons were so long, even if I had wanted to take summer school here or anywhere, it wasn’t possible,” said Jacobsen, now 35.
After they married in 2003, Brittney hung his diploma frame on a wall next to hers and repeated the process when they moved. While she never pushed, it was a reminder of unfinished business.
“I told him someday it wasn’t going to be empty,” she said.
Jacobsen resumed his education at UC Irvine. But he needed three core classes and 16 units to complete his degree. He called Earl Koberlein, a senior associate athletic director at Stanford and former Cardinal basketball player, about the possibility of returning.
In March, Jerod Haase was hired as the Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball. The day before his press conference, Jacobsen reached out through Twitter to congratulate him and offer support.
“It meant a ton to me and our program because of what he and the teams accomplished when he was here,” said Haase, who returned the call quickly. “It’s kind of the gold standard of what Stanford basketball can be.”
Soon after, Jacobsen decided to return. He considered becoming a student manager for the men’s team, but it was deemed a potential conflict of interest by the NCAA, since Jacobsen works as a college basketball analyst for Time Warner, FS1 and the Pac-12 Networks. They allowed him to become a part-time practice player for the men’s and women’s teams.
Jacobsen re-enrolled in September and was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame later that month. His return to school was hardly a no-brainer.
Not wanting to uproot his wife and girls, ages 10, 7 and 6, again, he came alone. Jacobsen lives with friends in Palo Alto and rides his bike to campus every day. He has only been home a few times and will finish Dec. 14.
“It’s difficult,” said Jacobsen, a youth group leader for his church. “I miss my family a lot and love being a dad. However, it gives me a chance to really focus on what I’m doing here. It’s one of the reasons I’m working with the basketball teams because I want something else to do with my time and help others.”
By all accounts, he has.
“It’s a phenomenal experience to be around him,” said Haase. “It’s invaluable for our guys to see what a high level professional moves like, talks like, plays like. The more they see him, the better understanding they have of what it takes to play at the highest level.”
Tara VanDerveer, the Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women’s Basketball, was a Jacobsen fan during his playing days on The Farm. She has even more admiration now.
“He’s been great,” she said. “He could dominate out there very easily. But he doesn’t try to block every shot and he passes the ball. Mike Montgomery would be proud of him. He really helps our team get better and it’s not about him.”
Montgomery isn’t surprised. Recently inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame, he recruited and coached Jacobsen all three years.
“I’m so impressed that he has done this because he’s made some sacrifices,” said Montgomery. “It’s just amazing that he’s here and worked it all out. I’m really happy that Stanford made this opportunity available for him.”
Although Jacobsen has been away for 14 years, his transition has been seamless.
“I show him love just like he’s one of the teammates,” said junior forward Reid Travis. “He battles with us. It’s just weird to say he’s been out of college, but I feel like he’s one of the guys.”
Junior guard Dorian Pickens agreed. He’s one of several players who have a class with Jacobsen.
“He fits in perfectly,” Pickens said. “He was a great player in his time here and he obviously knows a lot about the game. He’s been instrumental giving me pointers, on and off the court.”
Jacobsen still has game. His jump shot seems effortless, he can drive and defend, and his competitive mindset hasn’t changed.
“I think I’ll probably be able to shoot a jump shot for the rest of my life,” said Jacobsen, the third of four basketball-playing brothers. “I’m not in as good of shape and not nearly as quick. But if they’re going to leave me open for a three, nothing but the bottom.”
Jacobsen’s father, Von, a construction supervisor, played hoops at San Diego State and built a lighted basketball court complete with breakaway rims for his sons in the backyard. Jacobsen called it Taj-Ma-Hoop.
“I was a psycho competitor,” Jacobsen said. “Every practice, whether they were wearing a Stanford uniform or not. I just wanted to win.”
Jacobsen was deadly on the drive and from deep
Jacobsen didn’t start initially his freshman year, which drove him even harder. He finally got his chance at Washington State and scored a team-high 23 points and never looked back.
“I had confidence, but I never once stepped on the court and thought I had made it,” said Jacobsen. “That’s not how I carried myself. I competed with a chip on my shoulder and never played like I was comfortable.”
Haase hopes it rubs off on his players.
“He does all the little things, whether it’s talking, getting to the proper spot on defense or paying attention when the coach is talking,” said Haase. “Those are the things that hopefully guys are watching and learning from.”
Jacobsen knows what it takes to succeed. He scored in double figures 32 straight games in 2000-2001, and buried a three in 39 in a row.
“One thing I’ve learned in sports is what separates average and good and good to great is consistency,” he said. “Everybody can have a good practice. Everybody who is recruited to Stanford can have a good game. If you want to be the best, you have to do it every game.”
Stanford went 78-17 during Jacobsen’s stay, reaching the NCAA Tournament every year. He knows times have been tough lately, but believes better days are ahead.
“Some kids have a hard time imagining what Stanford can be,” Jacobsen said. “That’s something the program needs to get back to. It’s been done before and it will be done again.”
Travis watched old video of Jacobsen before he arrived and hasn’t noticed a drop off.
“There’s been a few one-on-one drills where guys have had a hand in his face and he let it go and it’s nothing but net,” said Travis. “They think he’s a little bit older and he can’t do it now, but it’s still as pure as I’ve seen on film.”
During a recent women’s scrimmage, Jacobsen collided with a player going for a rebound and sustained a bloody cut on his nose. At first, it was feared it was broken. Jacobsen rode his bike to urgent care, where the wound was glued shut, and was back on the court the next day.
“It made me so happy that it was one of the female players that did it,” said his unsympathetic wife, who sustained four broken noses playing rugby.
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Although he was gone for 14 years, Jacobsen has fit in seamlessly with the men’s and women’s teams
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Chance Meeting
Brittney met her future husband through ex-Cardinal standout Mark “Mad Dog” Madsen, who won two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he is now an assistant coach. Madsen hosted Jacobsen during his recruiting visit.
“It happened during the Activities Fair,” Brittney said. “I was on the rugby team but also Club Sports President. I was manning the booth and Mark brought him over in a golf cart.”
Her first impression?
“I just remember thinking he was cute and kind of a together guy,” she said. “Very mature, knew who he was, what he wanted and where he was going.”
As a student, Jacobsen cruised around campus on a longboard without a helmet and wore shorts and t-shirts. Now he rides a bike, wears a helmet and usually sports a Stanford basketball polo shirt.
Jacobsen scored a CIF Southern Section record 3,284 points at Glendora High and averaged 31.2 as a senior. He was selected a McDonald’s All-American and the California Player of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports.
He narrowed his college choices to Duke and Stanford. Mike Dunleavy Jr., a friend from AAU Basketball, was considering both and played the same position. Jacobsen was leaning toward Stanford, and when Dunleavy committed to the Blue Devils, he became a Cardinal.
“It worked out perfectly,” said Jacobsen. “Mike was a better fit for what Duke was doing and I was a better fit for what Stanford was doing.”
Little did he know how much.
Jacobsen and Brittney became reacquainted his freshman year in 2000. She had several friends on the team and camped out at Maples Pavilion the night before games to ensure coveted tickets to the Sixth Man Club.
Brittney was dating a football player, so she tried to set up Jacobsen with her roommate, but it didn’t work out. As fate would have it, they wound up in a communication class together during winter quarter.
“I would always sit by Mike McDonald, who was one of my best friends,” Brittney said. “Casey would always sit next to Mike because he was his point guard. That’s where we started talking.”
One day during class, Jacobsen passed her a note inviting her to dinner and a movie. With her boyfriend no longer in the picture, she accepted and they began dating.
Jacobsen was 18 and Brittney was 20.
“By the middle of the year, we knew,” she said.
Household Name
Jacobsen had already endeared himself to Cardinal basketball fans. Playing against No. 1 Duke in the Pete Newell Challenge at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, he banked in a fallaway 13-foot jump shot with 3.6 seconds to lift third-ranked Stanford to a dramatic 84-83 victory. The crowd of 19,804 was the largest to see a college basketball game in California history.
The Cardinal trailed by 15 points with seven minutes remaining, then scored on its last 14 possessions, topped by Jacobsen’s game-winner.
“I don’t think about it too often but it is brought up,” he said. “I feel so lucky to be a part of one of the cool moments in Stanford basketball history. We had so many good players on that team. I don’t even get a chance to shoot that shot without Jason and Jarron Collins and Mike McDonald. The Duke game doesn’t belong to me; I just happened to cap it.”
A photo was taken just after the shot with a leaping Tiger Woods in the background. Both have it in their office.
“Playing against Duke was personal,” said Jacobsen. “I wanted to prove, ‘Look what you’re missing.’ ’’
As a sophomore, Jacobsen scorched Arizona State for 49 points, second in school history behind legendary Hank Luisetti with 50. Teammates nicknamed him Iceman.
“Sometimes people get to 25 pretty quickly and get out of their comfort zone,” Montgomery said. “Not Casey. If he has 40, he wants 50.”
Stanford Bloodlines
Brittney’s Stanford roots run deep. Her late father, Bob was a wide receiver from 1964-66, and holds the school record for yards per catch (minimum 30 receptions) at 21.09. Her mother, Sue (Bailey), was a Stanford Dollie. Brittney is one of seven children and older brothers Bobby and Andy played rugby on The Farm.
“We grew up thinking Stanford was a brand of clothing because we had a lot of it,” she said.
Casey and Brittney married on May 31, 2003 in Maui, Hawaii, during what would have been the end of his senior year. He had just finished his rookie season with the Suns. His best man was former Stanford teammate Tyler Besecker.
Changes at Stanford
When Jacobsen was a student, his top priority was basketball.
“I’m not ashamed to admit that,” he said. “I came here with big-time goals. I also came to Stanford because it’s an amazing academic institution and I can get a great education.”
Then, his biggest challenge was time management. Not anymore.
“I’m never in a rush to get anywhere,” said Jacobsen. “I’m never thinking about what party I’m going to or who is texting me. I’m focused on going to class and doing my homework.”
After considering his response, Jacobsen laughed out loud.
“That’s crazy,” he said. “I never used to do ALL of my homework. I tried to do as much as possible within the time frame I had. I enjoy learning now more than I ever did as a student-athlete.”
Prior to a recent football game, a friend asked Jacobsen if he would attend.
“Can’t,” he said. “Two papers to write.”
Jacobsen used AOL Instant Messenger and left one year before the arrival of Facebook. He marvels at the new buildings on campus.
“I’ve noticed all the kids are constantly on their devices and it’s part of the curriculum of the classes I take,” said Jacobsen. “Half of them deal with digital media. It’s changed how we learn and what we talk about.”
Jacobsen makes a conscious effort to introduce himself to classmates and speaks up, something he never did previously.
“I’m here to learn and the only way I can get better is to participate,” said Jacobsen. “If I shut my mouth, I might as well not come to the class.”
Aside from one professor he had during his playing days, no one recognizes him.
“Absolutely not,” Jacobsen said. “It’s been 14 years, so if you look at it that way, a freshman, if they’re 18, they were four the last time I was a full-time student.”
In addition to three communication classes, Jacobsen needed one unit to graduate. After careful consideration, he chose beginning tennis to be outdoors.
The first day of class, Jacobsen arrived early and was mistaken for the instructor.
“He’s a great tennis player, by the way,” Brittney said.
The Message
Jacobsen isn’t the first former student-athlete to return to Stanford to finish a degree, but his story is unique. Others who have returned include Josh Childress, Chad Hutchinson, Kyle Peterson, Logan Tom and Bob Whitfield.
“I look at my kids and how I can teach them by being a good example,” Jacobsen said. “If I’m going to tell them it’s important to finish what they start and be a good student, then I need to do it myself.”
Jacobsen has never taken Stanford for granted. Not for one day.
“Getting in is an accomplishment, but the challenge starts when you get here,” said Jacobsen. “This is not a place that breeds contentment.”
His return has made a lasting impression.
“It shows what a Stanford man is all about,” Travis said. “To put this on his resume is a big thing.”
Brittney gives her husband grief about having more fun, but couldn’t be prouder. This is truly a team effort.
“Right now, it seems excruciatingly long for the girls and myself,” Brittney said. “In hindsight, it will be a blink. We’ll go up to Stanford in June for Father’s Day for graduation and watch him do the Wacky Walk. And our girls will be old enough to remember, which is pretty special.”
So will adding his diploma to the empty frame.
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Tara VanDerveer and Jerod Haase are grateful for his contributions
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