He has an impact on the space in Stanford's locker room, too. Out of respect for Madsen's strong religious beliefs, Cardinal players say the locker room has gone from an R to a PG rating the past couple of years.
"I have no control over that," says Madsen, laughing. "I do know I'll walk in some times, and all of a sudden stuff is getting censored. It's not like I'd be offended or get mad, but I appreciate the effort the guys make. It's not something I've asked them to do . It's just something they do."
They wouldn't do it for just anyone. "Not everyone embraces his views, but everybody respects them, " Gelbard says. "He's so eternally positive and optimistic that he might put off people a little at first. But gradually, by sheer force of his personality, he wears you down. It's hard to have an absolute, unended faith in anything.But he just believes what he does, and he lives it every day and you have to admire that."
By David Leon Moore
USA TODAY
