SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State has announced that 10 former football players will be legacy ambassadors for the 100th Aztec football season in 2022. The 10 ambassadors include Willie Buchanon, Fred Dryer, Marshall Faulk, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, Haven Moses, Kirk Morrison, Rashaad Penny, Donnel Pumphrey, Todd Santos and Brian Sipe.
Two of the legacy ambassadors - Pumphrey and Sipe - have already been named honorary head coaches for the 2022 Spring Game, which will take place on Thursday (March 24). Pumphrey will coach the White Uni's while Sipe will lead the Black Uni's. There will be an autograph session with Pumphrey and Sipe at 5:30 p.m. PT and free posters featuring the 10 legacy ambassadors.
The March 24 Aztec Spring Game will take place on the practice fields behind PS7 and is open to the public with free admission. The gates will open at 5 p.m. PT with fan activities featuring free mini-stadium replicas, SDSU buffs and 100th season stickers, band/cheer/dance appearances, cornhole games, inflatable games for kids, a DJ, SDSU Bookstore merchandise sale and concessions.
The Aztecs will start warm-ups at 6 p.m. and will officially start the scrimmage at 6:30 p.m.
Buchanon (1970-71) was a 1971 first-team All-America selection by The Sporting News, Time Magazine and Pop Warner. Buchanon was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the 1972 Green Bay Packers, where he was named the 1972 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. A charter member of the 1988 Aztec Hall of Fame, Buchanon also was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1993.
Dryer (1967-68) was a 1968 Little All-American before being drafted in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft, and playing 13 seasons for the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Dryer starred in the long-running television series "Hunter" following his professional career. Dryer was inducted into the 1988 Aztec Hall of Fame and the 1997 College Football Hall of Fame.
Faulk (1991-93) was a three-time All-American (1991-93) and two-time unanimous All-American (1992-93), recording back-to-back NCAA rushing titles (1991-92). Faulk, who was second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1992 and fourth in 1993, went on to be the second pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, where he was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and was the 2000 NFL MVP. Faulk was inducted into the 1998 Aztec Hall of Fame, 2011 NFL Hall of Fame and 2017 College Hall of Fame.
Gbaja-Biamila (1999-02) was an honorable-mention all-Mountain West selection as a senior in 2002, when he amassed 45 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and five sacks. A team captain as a senior, Gbaja-Biamila went on to play in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders. Gbaja-Biamila eventually found a role in TV, including the last nine years as a co-host for American Ninja Warrior.
Moses (1966-67) was a first-team All-America selection by The Sporting News and Time Magazine as a senior in 1967. Moses ended up being picked in the first round of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, where he became a Pro Bowler in 1974. Moses was inducted into the 1988 Aztec Hall of Fame.
Morrison (2001-04) capped off his 2003 junior season by being named a first-team College Football News All-American and the MW Defensive Player of the Year, before repeating as the league defensive player of the year in 2004. A third-round NFL Draft pick to his hometown Oakland Raiders in 2005, Morrison spent eight seasons in the NFL with Oakland, Jacksonville and Buffalo. Morrison, who currently works as a college football analyst for ESPN, was inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame in 2014.
Penny (2014-17) earned consensus first-team All-America honors as a senior in 2017 and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting after rushing for an FBS-leading and school-record 2,248 yards. A three-time MW Special Teams Player of the Year (2015-17) and 2017 MW Offensive Player of the Year, Penny was drafted in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks in 2018. Penny recently signed a contract extension with Seattle in the offseason.
Pumphrey (2013-16) garnered first-team All-America accolades in 2016 by Walter Camp and Sports Illustrated, ending his collegiate career with a FBS-record 6,405 rushing yards. A two-time MW Offensive Player of the Year (2015-16) and three-time first-team all-MW selection (2014-16), Pumphrey was a 2016 Doak Walker Award finalist. Pumphrey was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.
Santos (1984-87) was a third-team All-America selection by The Sporting News in 1987 after throwing for a school-record 3,932 yards and 26 touchdowns, and twice garnered honorable-mention accolades from the Associated Press (1986-87). Santos was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 1988 NFL Draft. He was inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame in 1996.
Sipe (1969-71) was a two-time honorable-mention All-America selection (1970-71 AP and United Press (AP)). Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1972, Sipe went on to play for 10 years in the NFL, where he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1980 and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection (1979-80). Sipe was inducted into the 1988 Aztec Hall of Fame.
San Diego State finished the 2021 season ranked 25th in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll with a 12-2 record. Playing in its 99th season of football, SDSU had a school-record 12 victories and was one of just 10 programs nationally with at least 12 victories. Only four teams had more wins than the Aztecs, including national champion Georgia, and CFP teams Alabama and Cincinnati. San Diego State played five teams who reached double-digit victories on the season, securing wins over Pac-12 Champion/Rose Bowl participant Utah (10-4), UTSA (12-2) and Air Force (10-3).
The Aztecs kick off their inaugural season at Snapdragon Stadium on Sept. 3 against Arizona.
Those interested in securing season tickets or learning more can submit a Ticket Interest Form at https://snapdragonstadium.com, call (619) 283-7378, or email seating@snapdragonstadium.com.