As the Cardinals were in the middle of an OTA last week, tight end Elijah Higgins got into the offensive huddle and for the first time saw both wide receivers Michael Wilson and Simi Fehoko joining him.
The three had been teammates at Stanford and now they were having a reunion of sorts in Arizona.
"I looked around and thought, 'This is pretty sweet,'" Higgins said.
The last time they were all together, in the pandemic-ravaged 2020 season, Fehoko and Higgins were Stanford's top two receivers. Wilson, in the middle of an injury-filled college career, was also a key pass catcher for the Cardinal.
Their roles have changed now that they are back together. Wilson has emerged as the Cardinals' (with an "s" now) No. 2 receiver behind Marvin Harrison Jr. Higgins moved to tight end in the NFL, a reliable target alongside Pro Bowler Trey McBride. Both have already been teammates since coming into the league in 2023.
Fehoko, the first of the trio to go pro, signed with the Cardinals this offseason as a free agent, now on his fourth NFL team trying to find a special teams spot. He has 10 career catches in 24 games over his four NFL seasons.
As Stanford freshmen, Fehoko and Wilson were roommates for a time.
"We would talk, even the next year when Elijah came in, that we could be in the league together, we could be on a team together, that there is always a chance," Fehoko said. "Just to have it come to fruition is kind of crazy."
When the news broke that Fehoko would be signing, Wilson's wife Sophia – herself an accomplished Stanford athlete – told Wilson she couldn't believe his new team was collecting his old teammates. Wilson has enjoyed the nostalgia of the moment.
"Your success in the pros affects your lifestyle at home," Wilson said. "Naturally, and I fall victim of this myself, you're going to be a little more self-interested in the NFL than college because (the money and job) affects your life outside of the building. In college, it feels so genuine, you're going to be there three to five years, living with teammates, eating with them. In the pros, you practice and you go home."
Now, eating breakfast or lunch together brings the three back to that time in Palo Alto. They have looked up Snapchat memories and old photos.
But Fehoko has also tapped into the practicality of having the two as teammates again, leaning on Higgins and especially Wilson for questions about the playbook just like he did in college.
"It comes full circle," Fehoko said with a smile.
The trio can afford to feel memory lane for now. This is the time of year where players learn without the heavy pressure of knowing cuts are imminent. Wilson and Higgins are certainties to be on the roster come September; Fehoko has work to do to remain with his longtime friends as the offseason-ending mandatory minicamp begins this week.
But as GM Monti Ossenfort and coach Jonathan Gannon continue to reshape the roster, it can't hurt to have the kind of players who are smart enough to have attended Stanford.
"Stanford guys are known for taking things seriously and do things the right way," Higgins said. "I think the two guys and myself, we do the right thing more times than not. It's special to be on the same team."
