July 5, 2016
SAN DIEGO -
2016 SDSU FOOTBALL PRESEASON ACCOLADES
San Diego State senior football players Donnel Pumphrey (Las Vegas), Damontae Kazee (San Bernardino, Calif.) and Calvin Munson (St. Charles, Mo.) have been named to National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) watch lists, which was released today.
Pumphrey is on the Maxwell Award Watch List, which goes out to the collegiate player of the year. Kazee and Munson, meanwhile, are on the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, which honors the collegiate defensive player of the year. It is the second straight season that Pumphrey has earned consideration for the Maxwell Award, while Kazee and Munson are on the Bednarik Award Watch List for the first time of their career.
Last year, Pumphrey rushed for 1,653 yards and 17 touchdowns on 309 attempts (5.3 avg.), while leading the team with 28 catches for 416 yards and three touchdowns en route to being named a Sports Illustrated Honorable-Mention All-American, the MW Offensive Player of the Year and an all-MW first-team selection for a second straight season.
A cornerback, Kazee had eight interceptions in 2015, which tied for the second most in the nation, the most in SDSU's Division I era (since 1969) and in MW history. He also added 75 tackles (team-high 58 solo stops), seven pass breakups, 5.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles, eventually being named a second-team USA Today All-American, a honorable-mention Sports Illustrated All-American, the MW Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-MW pick.
Munson led SDSU in multiple categories in 2015 at linebacker, including tackles (98), tackles for loss (15), sacks (9.5) and fumble recoveries (2, tied), while adding two interceptions (both returned for a touchdown), two forced fumbles and seven quarterback hurries. Munson and Kazee led a defense that finished among the top 10 in FBS in each of the four main categories, including fifth in total (287.3), seventh in scoring (16.4) and rushing (108.7), and 10th in passing (178.6).
San Diego State is coming off an 11-3 season where it tied a school record for the most wins in a single year, finished with a 10-game winning streak (second-longest active FBS streak heading into 2016), won the MW title (20th conference title in program history) and beat Cincinnati, 42-7, in the Hawai'i Bowl.
SDSU season tickets are now available and can be purchased through GoAztecs.com, over the phone by calling (619) 283-7378, or by visiting Qualcomm Stadium's Window E between 9 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT. Fans who purchase season tickets will receive a free Donnel Pumphrey bobblehead.
The bobblehead (one per voucher while supplies last, which will be attached to the season ticket) can be picked up at either the Marketing Suite at Fowler Athletics Center (FAC1010 at the San Diego State campus) from Aug. 23-26 from 9 a.m. PT-5 p.m. PT, outside the Aztec Athletic Ticket Office (Window E) at Qualcomm Stadium from Aug. 30-Sept. 2 from 9 a.m. PT-5 p.m. PT, or before SDSU's opener on Sept. 3 vs. New Hampshire at the table in the Aztec Village (Qualcomm Parking Lot C1 / D1) from 2:30 p.m. PT-4:30 p.m. PT.
Maxwell Award Watch List (Collegiate Player of the Year)
RB Donnel Pumphrey, Sr.
Chuck Bednarik Watch List (Collegiate Defensive Player of the Year)
CB Damontae Kazee, Sr.
LB Calvin Munson, Sr.