When Braden Marceau-Olayinka first came to Stanford, he would often go to the top of a campus parking garage to watch the sunset.

Those times encouraged the psychology senior and Cardinal football defensive lineman to remember what’s important, which for him is serving others through his volunteer work, studies, and athletics.

“You can find a lot of joy in everything you do. There’s so much to be grateful for,” said Marceau-Olayinka, who was nicknamed “Big Smiley” as a frosh. “Some of the most fulfilling times, and when I find myself having the most pure joy, are when I’m giving back.”

Although Marceau-Olayinka juggles a busy student-athlete schedule, he makes time for volunteer work that includes visiting patients at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, coaching in the community-centric youth flag football program Next Level Sports, working with the local animal shelter Pets In Need, and speaking on mental health panels through the suicide prevention nonprofit The Defensive Line.

He also hopes to improve the lives of others through his psychology studies, which focus on addressing communication issues between players and coaches to mitigate long-term psychological barriers like burnout and imposter syndrome.

“I want to be able to give back to the game and get into sports psychology because sports psychology helped me so much when I got here,” Marceau-Olayinka said.

In recognition of this work, Marceau-Olayinka was nominated for the 2026 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team, which recognizes student-athletes making an impact through community service, academic achievement, and leadership.

Psychology on and off the field

Marceau-Olayinka struggled with imposter syndrome and performance anxiety when he first arrived on campus. He began meeting with Stanford sports psychologist Dr. Kelli Moran-Miller, who helped him address his fears and anxieties.

“Psychology is a huge part of athletics, especially when you’re trying to get started,” he said. “I was stressing myself out, and I was more worried about messing up than doing what I needed to do.”

Marceau-Olayinka has since learned to slow down and focus on the moment at hand. He did just that during his first game, when Stanford played Oregon State, his freshman year. “As soon as I stepped on the field, I vividly remember looking down and doing a quick body scan: I saw my cleats, my tights, my knee pads, and it felt like high school again, just at a different scale now. Being able to reduce things into smaller components like that helped me a lot.”

Marceau-Olayinka also found support in his team, coaches, and community. “My favorite thing about Stanford is the people,” he said. “The brotherhood we have this year on the team is so special, and having so many people that really care about you as an individual and doing everything to support you is amazing.”

Marceau-Olayinka draws on his experiences as part of his studies. For his senior capstone project, he studied how to improve effective communication between coaches and players to reduce and mitigate risks of long-term mental health blocks.

Steady growth

Cardinal Defensive Line Coach Jamey Mosley said Marceau-Olayinka has an “infectious spirit” that draws in others. Marceau-Olayinka is a natural leader who will gather other senior players after practice to go through extra football drills with frosh to make sure they understand the plays, Mosley said.

“I’ve seen a steady, exponential growth in Braden,” Mosley said. “He’s a phenomenal young man who wants to help and serve people for the betterment of this university and, ultimately, for the betterment of the world. It’s been really cool to see him not only becoming a better football player but an even better person too.” 

Marceau-Olayinka is intentional about developing his leadership skills alongside becoming a better player. He follows his team’s philosophy of servant leadership, doing what needs to be done to support others in doing their best – even just pausing to pick up trash is an opportunity to show that he cares.

“Coach [Tavita] Pritchard has said that if you coach good men, you get better players, and that’s been something that’s really been embodied by the whole staff,” he said.

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Uplifting others

Marceau-Olayinka recently visited patients at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital with a group of other football players led by Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren, who recovered from childhood cancer.

“It’s been a very touching and humbling experience every time, because it’s so easy to get caught up with thoughts like, ‘I wish I would have played better this game’ or ‘Man, I wish school was a little bit easier right now,’” Marceau-Olayinka said. “But you meet these kids, and it’s incredible to see the strength they have, and they look at you like you’re a superhero.”

For Marceau Olayinka, spending time in service to others is rooted in his upbringing and his faith. “I’ve been growing my relationship with God, and service to others is always like a service to the Lord,” he said.

While growing up, Marceau-Olayinka said his mother would often stop the car to have her children get out and help if they saw a senior doing yard work.

“My mom has always implanted that our lives aren’t just about us,” Marceau-Olayinka said. “Everyone is living their own life and it can be easy to only focus on yourself, but the more you give to others, the more fulfillment you see in yourself.”

Annique Marceau said her son has always been particularly considerate of others, making care kits for veterans as part of his Eagle Scout project and often talking with and giving to people who are living on the street.

“We grew up very poor, so I couldn’t offer my children a lot of experiences, but what I could offer them was what I found joy in, and serving others has always been that,” she said. “Braden really took to that. Serving people brings him inner happiness.”

Marceau-Olayinka is now applying to a master’s coterminal degree program in sociology or philosophy for this winter.

“The biggest thing for me is just being where my feet are at and finishing strong academically, being able to really apply myself in the classroom and on the field,” he said. “I want to be the best me I can be, and I know that’s good enough to really help uplift everyone.”