July 21, 2017
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -
2017 SDSU Football Preseason Accolades
San Diego State senior Rashaad Penny (Norwalk, Calif.) has earned a spot on the Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced Friday.
Penny is just the third Aztec to appear on the preseason watch list for the Walter Camp Player of the Year award, following in the footsteps of Ronnie Hillman and Donnel Pumphrey. Last year Pumphrey became the first SDSU player to become a semifinalist for the award, which is the nation's fourth-oldest individual accolade.
Penny is one of 40 players on the initial watch list, one of just 10 running backs and one of two kick returners.
The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists in mid-November. The 2017 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 130 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 7. The winner will then receive his trophy at the Foundation's 51st annual national awards banquet on Jan. 13, 2018 in New Haven, Conn.
Last season, Penny rushed for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns on 136 attempts (7.5 avg.), while adding 15 catches for 224 yards (14.9 avg.) and three touchdowns, and returning 20 kickoffs for 624 yards (31.2 avg.) and two additional scores. He was one of just nine players in the country with at least 11 rushing TDs and at least three receiving scores, and the only player with a kick return TD as well (he had two). Penny ranked in a tie for second in the country in kick return touchdowns (2), fourth in kick return average (31.2), tied for 20th in total touchdowns (17) and 29th in all-purpose yards per game (133.3). For his efforts, he became the second kick returner in MW history to win the league's special teams player-of-the-year award twice (also 2015) and was first-team all-MW pick as a kick returner for the second straight season.
Penny has already racked up numerous preseason awards, including being named to the Maxwell Award Watch List (collegiate player of the year), the Hornung Award Watch List (most versatile player), a second-team All-American by Phil Steele's 2017 College Football Magazine as a kick returner and a third-team All-American by Athlon Sports, also at kick returner. Additionally, Penny has been named a preseason first-team all-Mountain West pick by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele's 2017 College Football Magazine at both running back and kick returner, first-team picks at running backs by both Lindy's Sports and Street & Smith's, and first-team at all-purpose by Lindy's Sports.
The Aztecs are coming off an 11-3 season, knocking off Wyoming, 27-24, in the MW Championship game and Houston, 34-10, in the Las Vegas Bowl, to finish with a No. 25 ranking in both the AP Top 25 poll and the Amway Coaches Poll. It is just the second time that SDSU has been ranked in the final AP poll in program history (also 1977). The 11 wins tied a school single-season record as San Diego State became the first team in program history with back-to-back 11-win campaigns.
2017 Aztec football season tickets and mini plans are now on sale. Season tickets start at $125, while mini plans start at $90. Fans can purchase tickets at GoAztecs.com, over the phone by calling (619) 283-7378, or by visiting Qualcomm Stadium's Window E Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT.