July 11, 2016
2016 SDSU FOOTBALL PRESEASON ACCOLADES
SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State football player Damontae Kazee (San Bernardino, Calif.) has been named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) announced today. It's the second straight season that Kazee is on the watch list for the award, which goes out to the top defensive back.
A senior cornerback, Kazee had eight interceptions in 2015, which tied for the second most in the nation, the most in Aztecs' Division I era (since 1969) and in Mountain West 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. 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).
Kazee is one of only four players from the MW on the 2016 watch list and one of 39 overall. It is the fifth straight season that SDSU has landed a player on the watch list. Additionally, Kazee joins J.J. Whittaker (2014-15) as the only San Diego State players to make the list multiple times.
Kazee is now on two preseason lists, including the Bednarik (collegiate defensive player of the year) and the Thorpe (top defensive back). He's also been chosen the preseason MW defensive player of the year by Lindy's Sports, and a first-team all-MW selection by five national publications - ESPN College Football 2016, Phil Steele's 2016 College Football Preview, Sporting News, Lindy's Sports and Athlon Sports.
The Aztecs are coming off an 11-3 season where they 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.
Jim Thorpe Award Watch List (Top Defensive Back)
CB Damontae Kazee, Sr.