June 21, 2018
SAN DIEGO - Former San Diego State football players Ryan Lindley and Jordan Thomas have joined the staff as defensive graduate assistant coaches, head coach Rocky Long announced today. Lindley will assist with the secondary, while Thomas will help coach the linebackers.
Lindley quarterbacked the Aztecs from 2008-11 and went onto play in the NFL, while Thomas lettered with SDSU from 2010-13. The duo each played in the 2010 Poinsettia Bowl, the program's first bowl appearance since 1998. San Diego State has not missed a bowl since, playing in eight consecutive bowl games, one of just 17 active schools in FBS to accomplish the feat.
Lindley was a four-year starter with the Aztecs from 2008-11, where he set program passing records in yards (12,690), touchdowns (90), completions (961), attempts (1,732), starts (49), consecutive starts (44) and victories (23), the latter which Christian Chapman has tied entering his final campaign in 2018. Lindley was a second-team all-MW selection in 2010, a three-time MW Offensive Player of the Week and a four-time Byron H. Chase Memorial Trophy honoree (SDSU's outstanding offensive player).
Lindley was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. For his NFL career, he played in nine games at Arizona and started six times, and later played in one game for Indianapolis during the 2015 season. Lindley finished his professional career with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2017, throwing for 391 yards and a touchdown, and scoring five touchdowns on the ground.
Since graduating SDSU in 2011, Lindley has helped coach numerous players leading up to the NFL Draft, including quarterbacks Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Mitch Trubisky, CJ Beathard and Luke Falk.
Thomas, meanwhile, started 34 times over his career at San Diego State at defensive end, while playing in all 52 games from when he arrived on campus in 2010 through the 2013 campaign. Thomas, Bryce Quigley and Rene Siluano became the first Aztecs in program history to play in four consecutive bowl games without redshirting a season.
Over this career, Thomas totaled 61 tackles (38 solo), 14 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In 2013, Thomas was named the team's defensive lineman of the year.
After leaving San Diego State, Thomas spent the 2016 season coaching the tight ends and defensive line at Mission Hills High School, before working with the linebackers at Division II Texas A&M - Kingsville as a graduate assistant in 2017.
San Diego State finished 2017 with a 10-3 record, its school-record third consecutive season with at least 10 victories. The Aztecs are one of just seven schools in the nation to win at least 10 games in three straight seasons (also Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin). SDSU is scheduled to return seven starters on offense and seven on defense, along with its kicker and punter.
San Diego State is accepting new account deposits on 2018 season tickets through the Aztec Ticket Office, while current season-ticket holders can also renew their tickets for the 2018 campaign. Fans can purchase tickets through GoAztecs.com, over the phone by calling (619) 283-7378, or by visiting SDCCU Stadium's Window E between 9 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT.
The Aztecs kick off their season at Stanford on Friday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. PT, and begin a three-game homestand against Sacramento State on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. PT.