DALLAS -- San Diego State's Kyahva Tezino and Keith Ismael each were named to watch lists recognized by the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) on Tuesday. Tezino made the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List for the defensive player of the year, while Ismael was selected to the Outland Trophy Watch List as the top interior lineman.
It is the third preseason watch list for Tezino, who has also received recognition for the Bednarik Award (college defensive player of the year) and the Butkus Award (nation's best linebacker). Ismael, meanwhile, last week was named to the Rimington Award Watch List for the nation's outstanding center.
Tezino is coming off a fantastic junior season in 2018 when he had 127 tackles (70 solo), including 14.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hurries, en route to earning first-team all-Mountain West honors. Tezino, who won the John Simcox Memorial Trophy Most Valuable Player, the Byron H. Chase Memorial Trophy Defensive Player of the Year and the Dr. R. Hardy/C.E. Peterson Memorial Trophy Captain Award at the team's postseason banquet, had 24 more tackles than No. 2 on the team and a remarkable 67 more than No. 3. His 127 tackles were the third most by an Aztec junior in program history and the eighth most in SDSU single-season history.
Tezino led the Mountain West and ranked 29th in FBS play in solo tackles per game, and was third in the league (35th in FBS) in sacks per game (0.65) and fourth (26th in FBS) in tackles per game (9.77). Tezino, who was the only San Diego State player to play every snap last season, put together two different three-game streaks with at least 10 tackles a year ago.
Tezino also has been named a preseason first-team all-Mountain West selection by the league's media, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Magazine. Additionally, the linebacker was picked for the College Football America Group of 5 Starting Lineup.
The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw "Bronko" Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce five finalists for the 2019 Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Nov. 20. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from those five finalists. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association's full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.
Ismael, meanwhile, racked up his third preseason accolade after being named a first-team all-Mountain West pick by both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Magazine last month. Last season, Ismael was a first-team all-Mountain West selection, the team's offensive lineman of the year and was on the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Offensive Team of the Year. He started all 12 games he appeared in, including six games at center, five at right guard and once at left guard. For his career, Ismael is a two-time all-MW pick and has started all 25 games he has played in.
This season Ismael has been named a preseason first-team all-Mountain West selection by the league's media, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Magazine.
The Aztecs finished 2018 with a 7-6 record, including wins over No. 23/25 Arizona State and rv/No. 24 Boise State. SDSU is one of 14 teams to make a bowl game in nine consecutive seasons. San Diego State returns its leading passer (Ryan Agnew), rusher (Juwan Washington) and tackler (Tezino) from a year ago.
SDSU's Mountain West home schedule features the two teams that finished atop the West Division standings last year (Fresno State and Nevada), and two cross-division opponents with the best league record (Utah State) and the third-best mark on the Mountain Division (Wyoming). Overall, San Diego State's four Mountain West home games come against teams that went a combined 23-9 in league competition, while its four conference road contests are against teams that went 10-22 in league play.
The Aztecs kick off their 2019 season at home on Saturday, Aug. 31 against Weber State at 6 p.m. PT, followed by the KGB SkyShow.
For more ticket information, visit GoAztecs.com, call (619) 283-7378 or visit SDCCU Stadium's Window E between 9 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT.
Kyahva Tezino and Keith Ismael Earn National Recognition
