May 16, 2013
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State senior defensive back Nat Berhe was named to the 2013 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List on Thursday.
The 42 student-athletes from 37 different colleges around the country represent players who have made the biggest IMPACT on their teams both on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. Berhe is one of just two players from Mountain West Conference schools to earn a spot on the list.
Berhe, who earned second-team all-Mountain West Conference honors last season as a junior, recorded a team-high 94 tackles in 2012, with two interceptions, one forced fumble and five PBU. His tackle total was the highest for a San Diego State player since head coach Rocky Long took over the Aztec defense in 2009.
A native of Colton, Calif., Berhe was one of four players to start all 13 games for SDSU last season and helped guide the Aztec defense to a No. 1 conference ranking in rushing defense and No. 3 rating in both total defense and scoring defense. He recorded 12 or more tackles three times last season, including a career-high 15 stops in San Diego State's victory at Nevada. His 13 solo tackles against the Wolf Pack, were the ninth-highest total in the country during the 2012 regular season. Earlier in the campaign, he earned conference defensive player-of-the-week honors when he recorded 14 tackles in the win over Army.
In his three-year career, Berhe has 200 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and 14 PBU. He enters his senior campaign with 27 consecutive starts. He has helped guide the Aztecs to a 26-13 record, with three bowl game appearances and the 2012 Mountain West championship in his three seasons on the field.
Voting for the award is held throughout the season by a national voter panel of former college coaches and players, select members of the media, past winners of the award and the board of directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, the sponsors of the award. The 10th annual Lott IMPACT Trophy Black-Tie Awards Banquet will be Dec. 8, at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach, Calif.
SDSU is accepting new account deposits on 2013 season tickets through the Aztec Ticket Office. The home schedule includes games against defending co-league champions Boise State and Fresno State, as well as a marquee matchup against Alamo Bowl participant Oregon State. Fans can purchase tickets through GoAztecs.com, over the phone by calling (619) 283-7378, or by visiting Qualcomm Stadium's Window E Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT.
Lott IMPACT Trophy 2013 Watch List
Henry Anderson, DL, StanfordGeoffrey Bacon, LB, ArmyCalvin Barnett, DL, Oklahoma StateAnthony Barr, LB, UCLANat Behre, DB, San Diego StateChris Borland, LB, WisconsinMax Bullough, LB, Michigan StateIbraheim Campbell, DB, NorthwesternRoss Cockrell, CB, DukeAaron Colvin, CB, OklahomaScott Crichton, DL, Oregon StateAlden Darby, DB, Arizona StateAaron Donald, DL, PittSteele DiVitto, LB, Boston CollegeAhmad Dixon, S, BaylorIfo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, OregonAntone Exum, CB, Virginia TechJake Fischer, LB, ArizonaChase Garnham, LB, VanderbiltBryce Hager, LB, BaylorJackson Jeffcoat, DE, TexasA.J. Johnson, LB, TennesseeLamarcus Joyner, S/CB, Florida StateEric Kendricks, LB, UCLADevon Kennard, DL, USCJames Morris, LB, IowaC.J. Moseley, LB, AlabamaDamien Proby, LB, NorthwesternEd Reynolds, S, StanfordBradley Roby, CB, Ohio StateD.T. Shackleford, LB, Ole MissRyan Shazier, LB, Ohio StateDanny Shelton, DT, WashingtonSpencer Shuey, LB, ClemsonDerron Smith, DB, Fresno StateJohn Timu, LB, WashingtonStephon Tuitt, DE, Notre DameJack Tyler, LB, Virginia TechKyle Van Noy, LB, BYUJason Verrett, CB, TCUAvery Williamson, LB, KentuckyTy Zimmerman, S, Kansas State