SAN DIEGO -- The Aztec football team kicked off their season with a 28-10 win over New Mexico State on Saturday night and now several former Aztecs will get to start their season in the NFL.
The NFL season opens with Tampa Bay and Dallas on Thursday night. The game will mark safety Damontae Kazee's (2012-16) first game with the Cowboys after spending his first four seasons in Atlanta. Five more former Aztecs will start their seasons on Sunday. Rookie cornerback Darren Hall (2017-20) and Kazee's former Falcons take on Philadelphia. Second-year cornerback Luq Barcoo (2018-19) will join long snapper Aaron Brewer (2008-11) and the Arizona Cardinals as they battle Tennessee. Offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill (2012-16) and San Francisco will head to Detroit to face the Lions. Running back Rashaad Penny (2014-17) and the Seattle Seahawks play Indianapolis. Rookie safety Dwayne Johnson (2017-20), linebacker Calvin Munson (2013-16), defensive lineman Alex Barrett (2013-16) are the defensive players on practice squads with Atlanta, Miami and San Francisco, respectively. On the other side of the ball, offensive linemen Keith Ismael (2017-19), rookie Jacob Capra (2019-20), and tight ends Kahale Warring (2016-18) and David Wells (2014-17) are on the practice squads for Washington, Green Bay, Buffalo, and Atlanta.
In Major League Baseball, first baseman Ty France (2013-15) started all six games for Seattle, batting .286, with a .464 on base percentage, six hits and three runs scored. On the season, France is batting .292 with 16 home runs, 60 RBIs, 71 runs and a .364 on base percentage. The Mariners have been clawing their way back in the playoff race and sit in second place in the AL West, 5.5 games behind Houston, while trailing Boston by just three games for the second Wild Card. Catcher Seby Zavala (2012-14) entered Friday's game for the Chicago White Sox in the sixth inning and started on Sunday, playing the whole game. This season, Zavala is reaching base at a .250 clip with 17 hits, 15 RBIs, 15 runs and five home runs. The White Sox lead Cleveland by 10 games in the AL Central.
On the PGA Tour, Xander Schauffele (2013-15), who is ranked fifth in the world, tied for fifth in the Tour Championship at 12-under-par. Schauffele awaits a possible Ryder Cup pick for USA, which will be announced on Wednesday. Next weekend, Scott Piercy (1999-01) and J.J. Spaun (2009-12) will compete in the Fortinet Championship in Napa, Calif.