Kyahva Tezino Season 2018

Final Bio

* 2019 Pro Football Focus Honorable-Mention All-American
* 2019 Phil Steele Magazine Honorable-Mention All-American
* Two-time First-Team All-Mountain West (2018-19)
* Two-time SDSU John Simcox Memorial Trophy Most Valuable Player (2018-19)
* 2019 SDSU Most Inspirational Award
* 2018 SDSU Byron H. Chase Memorial Trophy Defensive Player of the Year
* 2018 SDSU Dr. R. Hardy/C.E. Peterson Memorial Trophy Captain Award  
* 2015 SDSU Defensive Scout Player of the Year
* Three-time MW Defensive Player of the Week
- Oct. 15, 2018 for game vs. AFA
- Nov. 5, 2018 for game at UNM
- Sept. 9, 2019 for game at UCLA
* 2019 New Mexico Bowl Defensive MVP
* 2017 Sports Illustrated All-Bowl Team

Explosive athlete, who entered his final season in 2019 as an All-America and Mountain West Defensive Player-of-the-Year candidate ... Broke out with a solid second half of the season in 2017 as a sophomore ... Then had dominant 2018 and 2019 seasons ... Finished his career ranked eighth all-time at SDSU in assisted tackles (140) and 11th in total tackles (290) ... Numbers over his final 31 games (all starts) - 282 tackles and 29.5 tackles for loss; numbers over his first 17 games (no starts) - eight tackles and 1.5 tackle for loss ... Led the team or tied for the team lead in tackles 18 times for his career (all over his last 31 games) ... Had 11 double-digit tackle games for his career.

SENIOR SEASON (2019)
Was named a honorable-mention All-American by both Phil Steele Magazine and Pro Football Focus ... Also was named a first-team all-Mountain West selection for the second straight season, becoming just the fourth Aztec linebacker to earn multiple all-MW first team honors for his career, joining Calvin Munson (2015-16), Miles Burris (2010-11) and Kirk Morrison (2002-04) ... Was awarded the John Simcox Memorial Trophy as the 2019 team MVP for a second straight season, joining Donnel Pumphrey (2014-16), Kirk Morrison (2003-04), Marshall Faulk (1992-93), Todd Santos (1986-87) and Gary Garrison (1964-65) as the only Aztecs in program history to win the team's MVP award multiple seasons ... Also was voted the team’s most inspirational player, along with Isaac Lessard ... Was also named to the Pro Football Focus MW Team of the Year (first team) and was a first-team all-MW league pick by Phil Steele Magazine ... Was named to three national preseason watch lists, including the Chuck Bednarik Award (college defensive player of the year), Bronko Nagurski Award (defensive player of the year) and the Butkus Award (nation’s best linebacker) ... Also was chosen to the College Football America Group of 5 Starting Lineup ... Was selected to the preseason first-team all-Mountain West by the league’s media, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Magazine ...  Was deemed the 11th-rated draft eligible outside linebacker by Phil Steele Magazine ... Was chosen as a captain by his teammates ... Had a team-high 99 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, and a team-best 31 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles (tied), while adding two interceptions and three pass breakups ... Also led the team in tackles on rush plays (69), 22 more than No. 2 on the team ... Ranked ninth in hte Mountain West in tackles for loss per game (0.81) and 10th in tackles per game (7.62) ... Was named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week four times this year ... Had six tackles (three solo) in a start in the opener with Weber State, adding a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry ... Was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for the second time of his career, and also to the Pro Football Focus National Second-Team of the Week and the PFF MW Team of the Week for his play at UCLA when he came up with nine tackles (seven solo), to go along with one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry at UCLA ... The forced fumble was the first of his career ... Registered seven tackles (three solo) with his first career interception and two quarterback hurries in a start at New Mexico State ... Named to the Pro Football Focus MW Team of the Week for a second straight week ... Had eight tackles (five solo), including a 2-yard tackle for loss, and an impressive four quarterback hurries vs. Utah State ... Had a big game at Colorado State, making 13 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, an 11-yard sack, a forced fumble and two quarterback hurries ... Finished with season highs in tackles (13) and tackles for loss (2.5), while tying season bests with a sack and a forced fumble ... Came up with six tackles and a quarterback hurry vs. Wyoming ... Had a team-high 10 tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, and two quarterback hurries at San José State, being named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... Had 10 tackles (four solo) and two quarterback hurries at UNLV ... Recorded his second straight double-digit tackle game, third of the season and 11th of his career ... Had nine tackles, a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry against Nevada, while being named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... Tied for the team lead in tackles, making it 18 times he has led the team or tied for the team lead in tackles (all over the last 27 games) ... The 2.5 TFL tied a season high ... Came up with six tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, and a quarterback hurry against Fresno State ... Made five tackles, including 0.5 tackles for loss, with a quarterback hurry at Hawai’i ... Came up with seven tackles (four solo) and three quarterback hurries ... Now wanks eighth all-time at SDSU in assisted tackles (138) and 11th in tackles (287) ... Was named the New Mexico Bowl defensive MVP for his play against Central Michigan when he had three tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, an interceptions and a pass breakup ... The interception came on CMU’s opening offensive drive on a third-and-4 situation and led to a San Diego State touchdown.

JUNIOR SEASON (2018)
Earned first-team all-Mountain West honors by the league’s head coaches and media ... Also was named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Defensive Team of the Year ... Racked up numerous awards at the team’s banquet, including the John Simcox Memorial Trophy Most Valuable Player, the Byron H. Chase Memorial Trophy Defensive Player of the Year and a Dr. R. Hardy/C.E. Peterson Memorial Trophy Captain Award ... Was a preseason fourth-team all-Mountain West selection by Athlon Sports ... Started the team’s 13 games ... Had 127 tackles (70 solo), including 14.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 17 quarterback hurries, all which led the team ... His 127 tackles were 24 more than No. 2 on the team and a remarkable 67 more than No. 3 ... His 127 tackles were the third most among an Aztec junior in program history and the eighth most in SDSU single-season history ... Also had two pass breakups ... Led SDSU in tackles on rush plays (96) ... Ranked 29th in FBS (1st in MW) in solo tackles per game (5.38), 26th (4th in MW) in tackles per game (9.77) and 35th (3rd in MW) in sacks per game (0.65) ... Was a team captain in five games ... Played in all 884 of the team’s snaps on defense, the only player on either side of the ball to play every snap ... Had two different three-game streaks on the season with at least 10 tackles ... Opened his season with his third consecutive double-digit tackle game, recording 11 with 0.5 tackles for loss and a QBH at No. 13/13 Stanford ... For his efforts, was named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... Tied for the team lead with seven stops (six solo), a 4-yard tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries in a start vs. Sacramento State ... Was named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week for a second straight game ... Had another good game vs. No. 23/25 Arizona State, making nine tackles (five solo), two tackles for loss and a 2-yard sack ... The nine tackles led the team ... Came up with five tackles (three solo) and a pair of quarterback hurries in a start against Eastern Michigan ... Had a monster game at rv/No. 24 Boise State, making seven tackles (four solo), including a 7-yard sack (and TFL) and five quarterback hurries ... Was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for the first time of his career for his play against Air Force, posting a game- and season-high 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops, while adding a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry ... The 15 tackles were the second most of his career (17 vs. Army West Point on Dec. 23, 2017) ... Had a game-high 12 tackles, including eight solo stops, and 0.5 tackles for loss in a start as a captain against San José State ... Had six tackles (three solo) with one going for a loss in a start at Nevada, while adding a quarterback hurry ... Was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for the second time of the season at New Mexico, recording game highs of 12 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry ... Both the 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss were career highs ... Helped limit the Lobos to just 142 total yards, New Mexico’s fewest since gaining 127 at Texas Tech on Sept. 15, 2012 and fewest in a home game since totaling 130 vs. No. 4 TCU on Nov. 27, 2010 ... Had a game-high 14 tackles (nine solo), a tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries in the start vs. UNLV ... Made a game-high 15 tackles, including a 4-yard sack (and tackle for loss), and added a pass breakup at Fresno State ... Had another good game vs. Hawai’i as a team captain, making seven solo tackles, including two sacks (and two tackles for loss) for 14 yards ... The seven tackles tied Parker Baldwin for the most on the team ... Registered seven tackles with two quarterback hurries vs. Ohio in the DXL Frisco Bowl.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2017)
Played in 11 of the team's 13 games with five starts, all over the final five games ... Had 59 tackles (35 solo), six tackles for loss, two sacks, a pass breakup and six quarterback hurries ... Played in the opener vs. UC Davis, at Arizona State and vs. No. 19/19 Stanford without making the stat sheet ... Did not play at Air Force ... Played three snaps on defense against Northern Illinois without recording a stat ... Had an assisted tackle at UNLV ... Did not play vs. Boise State ... Had two tackles (both solo) vs. Fresno State ... Had a then career-high and team-high seven tackles in his first career start at Hawai'i after entering the game with eight total tackles in the first 17 games of his career ... Also added his first two quarterback hurries ... Had another big game the following week in a second straight start at San Jose State, making a then career-high nine tackles (six solo), a career-best two sacks, a then career-high 2.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries ... For his efforts was named to the Pro Football Focus MW Team of the Week ... Registered nine tackles (five solo) with a 2-yard tackle for loss, a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries in a third straight start vs. Nevada ... Had a then career-high 14 tackles and tied a career high with 2.5 tackles for loss in a start vs. New Mexico ... Had a career-high 17 tackles with a quarterback hurry for loss against Army West Point in the Armed Forces Bowl, earning all-bowl honors from Sports Illustrated ... The 17 tackles were the most by an Aztec since Corey Boudreaux (21) and Andrew Preston (18) on Oct 11, 2008 vs. Air Force ... It was his second straight game with double-digits in tackles.  

FRESHMAN SEASON (2016)
Played in 11 of the team's 14 games, mainly on special teams ... Had five tackles (two solo), including 1.5 sacks (and tackles for loss) for seven yards ... Played in the first three games of the season, including his first three defensive snaps in the opener against New Hampshire ... Did not play in the team's next three games ... Had his first career tackle - a 5-yard sack - in three snaps vs. San Jose State ... Had a career-high four tackles, including 0.5 sacks (and 0.5 TFL) in a career-best 18 snaps at Utah State ... Played his final three defensive snaps of the season the following week vs. Hawai'i without recording a stat ... Also played statless time at Nevada, at Wyoming, vs. Colorado State, at Wyoming in the Mountain West Championship and against Houston in the Las Vegas Bowl.  

REDSHIRT SEASON (2015)
Redshirted his first year at SDSU, where he was named the team's defensive scout player of the year.  

HIGH SCHOOL
Starred on both sides of the ball in his three-year career at Salesian High School in Los Angeles, rushing for 1,704 yards and 13 touchdowns on 178 attempts (9.6 avg.) on offense and making 343 tackles (293 solo) and nine interceptions ... Led the team in tackles all three seasons, making 112 (99 solo) in 2014, 122 (96 solo) in 2013 and 109 (98 solo) in 2012 ... Rushed for 1,063 yards and six touchdowns on 115 carries (9.2 avg.) as a senior and 513 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 51 carries (10.1 avg.) as a junior ... Led the Mustangs to a 23- 4 (.852) record from 2012-13 ... Was a four-star recruit by all four of the major recruiting services - ESPN, Rivals, Scout and 247sports ... Among linebackers, was rated as the 16th best by ESPN, 18th best by 247sports, 19th best by ESPN and 20th by Scout ... Received a grade of 93 by 247sports and an 81 by ESPN.  

PERSONAL
Kyahva Montrell Tezino was born June 21, 1997, in Los Angeles, Calif. ... Son Charles and Kelly Tezino ... Picked the Aztecs over numerous offers, including Boise State, California, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Colorado State, Miami (Fla.), SMU, UCLA, Utah, Washington, Washington State and Wisconsin ... Is majoring in interdisciplinary studies.  

SINGLE-GAME BESTS
Tackles: 17 vs. Army West Point (12/23/17)
Tackles For Loss: 3.5 at New Mexico (11/3/18)
Sacks: 2.5 at New Mexico (11/3/18)
Interceptions: 1 vs. Central Michigan (12/21/19), at New Mexico State (9/14/19)
Pass Breakups: 1, five times
Forced Fumbles: 1 at Colorado State (10/5/19), at UCLA (9/7/19)