Michael Shawcroft Season 2022

Final Bio

HONORS
* 2023 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society
* 2022 First-Team All-Mountain West
* 2021 Honorable Mention All-Mountain West
* Three-time Mountain West Scholar-Athlete (2020-22)
* Four-time Mountain West Fall All-Academic Team (2019-22)
* 2022 San Diego State President's Award High Academic Achievement

Athletic linebacker, who impressed the coaching staff with his speed and tenacity ... Always seemed to be in the right place at the right time ... Played in 2019 as a true freshman, mainly on special teams ... Tied for ninth all-time at SDSU with five forced fumbles.

SENIOR SEASON (2022)
Was named a second-team all-Mountain West selection by the league’s head coaches and media ... Also was a second-team pick by Phil Steele Magazine and an honorable mention pick by College Football Network ... Made the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society ... Was named to the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List and to the Allstate AFCA Good Works team, each for community service, academics and athletics ... Also was named a preseason third-team all-Mountain West selection by Phil Steele Magazine and a fourth-team pick by Athlon Sports ... Was “SDSU’s No. 10 player” by Athlon Sports ... Had a team-high 85 tackles (50 solo), 13 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and seven quarterback hurries, despite missing a game due to injury ... His 85 tackles were 24 more than No. 2 on the team - Patrick McMorris (61) ... Ranks in a tie for fifth in the Mountain West in tackles for loss per game (1.14, T-33rd in FBS) and tackles for loss yards (66, T-38th in FBS), eighth in tackles for loss (13.0, T-52nd in FBS) and sack yards (48, T-60th in FBS), and tied for 10th in total sacks (6.5, T-69th in FBS) and sacks per game (0.54, T-65th in FBS) ... Had a good opener against Arizona on Sept. 3, making a career high and team-high nine tackles (four solo) in 53 snaps in a start ... Registered six tackles (five solo) with two tackles for loss (for five yards), a 2-yard sack, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup, in 55 snaps against Idaho State on Sept. 10 ... Had a big game at No. 14/15 Utah on Sept. 17, recording five tackles (four solo), a 15-yard sack (and TFL), a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry, playing 56 snaps on defense ... Recorded a team-high nine tackles (four solo), including 0.5 for a loss, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry in 61 defensive snaps vs. Toledo on Sept. 24 ... The nine tackles matched a then career high ... Had six tackles (four solo) and 0.5 tackles for loss in a start in 39 snaps at Boise State on Sept. 30 ... Did not dress for the Hawai’i game on Oct. 8 because of an injury ... Was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 24 for his play at Nevada on Oct. 22 when he posted a team-high seven tackles (six solo), including two tackles for loss for 11 yards and a 9-yard sack, and a forced fumble ... The forced fumble was the fifth of his career, which is tied for the ninth most in program history ... It was recovered by Patrick McMorris and returned 30 yards for a touchdown to put SDSU on the scoreboard just 54 seconds into the game ... Also was named one of SDSU’s defensive players of the game ... Recorded a career and team-high 10 tackles (four solo), along with 2.5 tackles for loss and a career-best 1.5 sacks, and a quarterback hurry in 54 defensive snaps at Fresno State on Oct. 29 ... Had a then career-high 11 tackles (five solo), including 1.5 tackles for loss, in 43 defensive snaps in a start vs. UNLV on Nov. 5 ... Somehow did not have a stat in 32 snaps in a start against San José State on Nov. 12 ... Had two assisted tackles in a start and 29 defensive snaps in a start at New Mexico on Nov. 18 ... Had a career-high 12 tackles (nine solo), including a sack and two tackles for loss, in a start and 59 snaps vs. Air Force on Nov. 26 ... The 12 stops tied Jonah Tavai for the most in the game ... Had a team-high eight tackles (five solo), including a 13-yard sack (and TFL), and a quarterback hurry against Middle Tennessee in the EasyPost Hawai‘i Bowl on Dec. 24 in 58 snaps.


JUNIOR SEASON (2021)
Was named an honorable-mention all-Mountain West selection by the league’s coaches and media ... Was chosen as a preseason third-team all-Mountain West selection by Pro Football Focus ... Played 13 of the team’s 14 games with seven starts ... Had 55 tackles (33 solo), including 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, pass breakup, two forced fumbles and six quarterback hurries ... Ranked in a tie for ninth in the Mountain West (T-58th in FBS) with two forced fumbles ... Had a big game in 30 snaps in a reserve role against New Mexico State in the opener on Sept. 4, making three tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack, interception and quarterback hurry ... The interception was the first of his career ... Missed the Arizona game on Sept. 11 with an injury ... Had four tackles (three solo) with a 4-yard sack (and TFL) in 43 snaps off the bench vs. Utah on Sept. 18 ... Logged a quarterback hurry in 30 snaps off the bench against Towson on Sept. 25 ... Had a good game in 29 defensive snaps off the bench against New Mexico on Oct. 9, making four tackles (three solo) with a forced fumble, which was recovered by Dallas Branch ... Finished with a defensive grade of 87.1 by Pro Football Focus, the highest on the team ... Had a big game in 47 snaps at San José State on Oct. 15, recording eight tackles (five solo), a sack, a career-high three tackles for loss and a forced fumble ... Tied a career high with eight tackles ... The sack was his third of the season and he now has 4.5 for his career ... Also had his second forced fumble of the season (second straight game) and fourth of his career ... Had a career-high 90.0 defensive grade by Pro Football Focus, which was the third highest in the country that week (min. 40 snaps) ... Had seven tackles (five solo), including a 2-yard loss, at Air Force on Oct. 23 ... His seven stops tied Patrick McMorris for the most on the team ... Came up with four unassisted tackles and a quarterback hurry in 41 defensive snaps against Fresno State on Oct. 30 ... Made two tackles (one solo) with a pass breakup in a start and 35 snaps at Hawai’i on Nov. 6 ... Registered seven tackles (five solo) in 40 snaps in a start with Nevada on Nov. 13 ... Made a solo tackle in 31 snaps in a start at UNLV on Nov. 19 ... Came up with six stops (three solo) in a start and 43 snaps vs. Boise State on Nov. 26 ... Had seven tackles (three solo) in a start against Utah State in the Mountain West Championship game on Dec. 4. in 36 snaps ... The seven tackles were tied with two others for the second most on the team ... Had two solo tackles and a quarterback hurry in 23 snaps off the bench against No. 24/25 UTSA in the Tropical Smoothie Frisco Bowl on Dec. 21.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2022)
Registered 35 tackles (24 solo) with five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three quarterback hurries in eight games (five starts) ... Tied for the Mountain West lead in fumble recoveries (2, T-12th in FBS) and tied for fourth in forced fumbles (2, T-39thth in FBS) ... Came up with a big opener off the bench against UNLV on Oct. 24, registering a career-high four tackles (three solo) and recovering his first career fumble ... Recording three tackles (two solo) against Utah State on Oct. 31, while forcing a fumble on an Aggie rush and recovering the ball ... It was his first career forced fumble and second straight game with a fumble recovery ... Earned his first career start against San José State on Nov. 6, where he had a team-high seven tackles (five solo) and the first two tackles for loss of his career ... Led the team in tackles for the first time of his career ... Had two assisted tackles, including 0.5 sacks (and 0.5 TFL), with a quarterback hurry off the bench vs. Hawai’i on Nov. 14 ... The 1/2 sack was the first of his career ... Started for the second time of his career at Nevada on Nov. 21, making a career-high eight tackles (six solo) with a quarterback hurry ... Started at Colorado on Nov. 28, making four tackles with a 3-yard tackle for loss ... Started for a third straight game vs. Colorado State on Dec. 5, making three tackles (one solo) with 0.5 tackles for loss ... Started again at No. 14/16 Brigham Young on Dec. 12, where he had four tackles (all solo), a 2-yard sack (and TFL), a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry ... The forced fumble was his second of the season (and career).

TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON (2019)
Played on special teams in the team’s 13 games and six snaps on the defensive side ... Had five tackles (three solo) ... Led the Aztecs with five tackles on special teams, along with Trenton Thompson ... Logged special teams snaps in his first career game in the opener with Weber State, making one tackle on the punt unit ... Also played on special teams at UCLA, New Mexico State and Utah State without recording a stat ... Played his first career snaps on defense, logging three statless ones at Colorado State ... Played statless time on special teams vs. Wyoming ... Logged a solo stop at San José State on the punt unit ... Did not record a stat at UNLV ... Had an assisted tackle against Nevada on special teams ... Had a pair of tackles (one solo) on special teams vs. Fresno State ... Played statless special teams snaps at Hawai’i and against Brigham Young ... Saw three snaps on defense vs. Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl.

HIGH SCHOOL
Played three seasons at nearby Helix High School in La Mesa, the same high school as current Aztecs Jaiden Brown, Rashad Scott and Josh Simmons … Scored seven touchdowns over his high school career on offense (according to MaxPreps, which didn’t list defensive stats) … Led Helix HS to five shutouts in 2017 … Was the 2018 CIF San Diego Section Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time all-CIF first-team selection (2017-18) … Was a three-star recruit by ESPN and 247sports, and a two-star prospect by Rivals … Received a grade of 81 by 247sports and 75 by ESPN.

PERSONAL
Michael Anthony Shawcroft was born Nov. 30, 2000, in San Diego, Calif. ... Son of Jack and Liz Shawcroft… Committed to the Aztecs early in the process over offers from Army West Point, Utah State, Nevada, Hawai’i, Air Force, UNLV, Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Yale and Holy Cross ... Is majoring in kinesiology. 

SINGLE-GAME BESTS
Tackles: 12 vs. Air Force (11/26/22)
Tackles For Loss: 3.0 at San José State (10/15/21)
Sacks: 1.5 at Fresno State (10/29/22)
Interceptions: 1 vs. New Mexico State (9/5/21)
Pass Breakups: 1, four times
Forced Fumbles: 1, five times
Fumble Recoveries: 1 at Utah State (10/31/20), vs. UNLV (10/24/20)