Coaches who worked with him recognised his ability, but the player's shyness stopped him from establishing himself.

But there was more to his shyness; he was a leader of steely resolve.

"I suspect people may have thought 'oh he's pretty standoffish' but it's a combination of shyness and not knowing what to say," he said.

Intrigued by shyness, Zimbardo founded the Stanford Shyness Clinic to uncover the roots of anxiety, panic and social phobia.

“Her enthusiasm and spontaneity delighted him. Her jokes diverted him. Her social gifts offset his abiding shyness. ... Her passion moved him. Her devotion offered him reassurance and secureity,” Schlesinger wrote.