Tariq Thompson Season 2018

Final Bio  

* 2017 FWAA Freshman All-American
* 2017 USA Today Freshman All-American
* 2020 First-Team All-Mountain West
* Three-time Second-Team All-Mountain West (2017-19)
* 2017 SDSU Co-Outstanding Freshman Award
* MW Defensive Player of the Week
- Nov. 27, 2017 for game vs. New Mexico  

Athletic safety who impressed the coaching staff in fall camp in 2017 as a true freshman and started right away ... Reads the offense extremely well ... Is good in pass coverage ... Always seems to come up with the big play ... Tied for third all-time at SDSU in fumble recoveries (6), was fifth in interceptions (12) and tied for sixth in forced fumbles (6) ... Started all 47 games since coming to San Diego State from 2017-20 ... Father, Tracy, also played safety at San Diego State from 1982-85.

SENIOR SEASON (2020)
Landed on the all-Mountain West first team for the first time of his career after earning second-team honors each of his first three seasons ... Became the first Aztec in program history to earn all-league (first or second team) in four separate seasons, and joined Rashaad Penny (first-team kick returner from 2015-17, first-team running back in 2017) and Kirk Morrison (honorable mention in 2001, first team from 2002-04) as the only SDSU players to earn all-conference honors four times ...Received numerous preseason accolades, including landing on the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List (college defensive player of the year) and the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List (best defensive back) ... Also was a preseason first-team all-Mountain West selection by MW media, Athlon Sports, Phil Steele Magazine and College Football News ... College Football News had him as the “second-rated player in the MW” and “SDSU’s best defensive player” ... ESPN listed him as “One of SDSU’s five-best returning players” ... Led the team with 41 tackles (25 solo), while adding 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery ... Ranked in a tie for eighth in the Mountain West in passes defended (4) and pass breakups (3) ... Started for the 40th consecutive game in the opener with UNLV on Oct. 24, coming up with nine tackles (seven solo) and 1.5 tackles for loss ... The nine stops tied a career high, were the second most on the team (Dwayne Johnson Jr., 9) and tied for the second most in the game ... Had three tackles (one solo) in a start at Utah State on Oct. 31 ... Had six tackles, an interception and a pass breakup in a start against San José State on Nov. 6 ... Recorded his first interception of the season and 12th of his career ... The 12 interceptions are the third most in SDSU’s Division I history (1969), and tied with Ed Ricketts (1950-51) and Dick Adair (1947-49) for the fifth most in program history ... It was his fourth interception over the last seven games ...  Had another good game vs. Hawai’i on Nov. 14, making seven tackles (five solo) with a forced fumble ... Tied for the team lead in tackles with Seyddrick Lakalaka and Caden McDonald ... The forced fumble was his sixth of the season, which is tied for the sixth most in program history ... Came up with five tackles (three solo) at Nevada on Nov. 21 ...  Registered five stops (two solo) in a start at Colorado on Nov. 28 ... Had two tackles (one solo) and two pass breakups in a start against Colorado State on Dec. 5 ... Had four tackles (three solo) and a fumble recovery in his final game as an Aztec ... The fumble recovery was the sixth of his career, tied for the third most in program history.

JUNIOR SEASON (2019)
Made the all-Mountain West second team for a third consecutive season as voted on by the league’s coaches and media, becoming the first Aztec safety to make a MW first or second team three times in league history ... Also made the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Year (first team) ... Was on the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, which goes out to the best defensive back in the country ... Was chosen as a preseason first-team all-Mountain West selection by the league’s media, Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Magazine ... Phil Steele Magazine had him as the eight-rated draft eligible free safety ... Started the team’s 13 games this season at Field Warrior ... Had 55 tackles (44 solo), three tackles for loss, a sack, four interceptions, eight pass breakups, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries for 48 yards ... Ranked third on the team for the most tackles on passing plays on the team (38) ... Tied for sixth in SDSU single-season history in fumble recoveries (3)  ... Tied for first in the Mountain West (T-6th in FBS) with three fumble recoveries and tied for eighth with 0.92 passes defended (INT + PBU) per game ... Was named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week three times on the year ... Started for the 27th straight game at Field Warrior vs. Weber State, making five tackles (four solo), three pass breakups and an interceptions ... For his efforts, was named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... The three PBUs tied a career high ... Had another good outing at UCLA, recording six solo tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup ... Had two assisted tackles at New Mexico State and returned a fumble 45 yards in the fourth quarter to effectively seal a 31-10 San Diego State win ... It was his second straight game with a fumble recovery ... Came up with six tackles (five solo) and a 2-yard tackle for loss in a start vs. Utah State ... Had three tackles (one solo) and two pass breakups in a start at Colorado State ... Had four tackles (all solo) and a pass breakup vs. Wyoming en route to being named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... Made four stops (three solo) with a pass breakup at San José State ... Had two tackles (one solo) at UNLV, playing 70 of the 73 snaps ... Missed three snaps because of an injury, the first snaps he has missed all season ... Had four tackles (three solo) in a start vs. Nevada ... Came up with three solo stops, a tackle for loss and an interception in a start vs. Fresno State ... Had three solo tackles at Hawai’i ... Was named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week for the third time of the season for his play against Brigham Young, when he had nine tackles (eight solo), a forced fumble, fumble recovery, interception, sack and tackle for loss ... The nine tackles tied a career high and were his most in a game this season ... The forced fumble was his first of the season and fourth of his career ... The fumble recovery was his third of the season (T-6th in SDSU single-season history) and fifth of his career (T-5th in program history) ... The sack was the first of his career ... Had another good game against Central Michigan in the New Mexico Bowl, making four tackles (three solo), and adding an interception and a forced fumble ... The interception was his fourth of the season and 11th of his career (T-7th in program history) ... It was his third interception over the final four games.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2018)
Was named a second-team all-Mountain West selection for the second straight season, voted on by the league’s coaches and media ... Also landed on the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Defensive Team of the Year for the second straight season ... Was a preseason first-team all-Mountain West selection by the league’s media and Street & Smith’s, and a second-team pick by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Magazine ... Started all of the team’s 13 games for a second straight season ... Recorded 60 tackles (38 solo), including five tackles for loss, two interceptions for 41 yards, eight pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery ... Started for a 14th straight game at No. 13/13 Stanford in the opener, registering five tackles (three solo) with 0.5 TFL and a pass breakup ... Registered an assisted tackle in a start vs. Sacramento State ... Had four tackles (three solo) in a start vs. No. 23/25 Arizona State ... Made three solo tackles and added a pass breakup vs. Eastern Michigan, where he was named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... Had four tackles and an interception at rv/No. 24 Boise State ... The interception was his first of the season ... Had a then season-high six tackles (four solo) in a start against Air Force ... Had two tackles and an interception returned for 41 yards in the fourth quarter against San José State en route to being named to the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week ... The interception led to John Baron II’s game-winning field goal ... The pick was his second in three games, second of the season and seventh of his career ... Had another good game in a start at Nevada, making four tackles (three solo), including a career-high two tackles for loss for nine yards and a pass breakup ... Made the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week for his efforts ... Had a huge game in a start at New Mexico, making a season-high eight tackles (five solo) with 1.5 tackles for loss ... Landed on the Pro Football Focus Mountain West Team of the Week for a third straight week and team-leading fourth time of the season ... Had five solo stops and a forced fumble in a start vs. UNLV ... The forced fumble was his first of the season and second of his career ... Tied a season high with eight tackles at Fresno State, while adding a PBU ... Had a good game in the regular-season finale vs. Hawai’i, making three tackles (two solo), a forced fumble, fumble recovery and a career-high three pass breakups ... Came up with seven tackles (five solo), a 3-yard tackle for loss and a pass breakup vs. Ohio in the DXL Frisco Bowl.

FRESHMAN (TRUE) SEASON (2017)
Was named a freshman All-American by both FWAA and USA Today ... Also was a second-team all-Mountain West selection by the league's coaches and media ... Also was chosen as a Pro Football Focus first-team all-MW pick and a second-team all-MW pick by Phil Steele Magazine ... Earned the Co-Outstanding Freshman Award (with Keith Ismael) ... Started the team's 13 games, making 63 tackles (46 solo), with three tackles for a loss of 27 yards, five interceptions for 83 yards and a touchdown, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, four pass breakups and three quarterback hurries ... Tied for the FBS lead among true freshmen with five interceptions, while ranking in a tie for second among all FBS freshmen ... Tied for the MW lead and tied for 15th nationally in interceptions per game (0.38) ... Was the only freshman in the country with multiple interceptions in multiple games ... His 63 tackles tied Trey Lomax (2014) for the most tackles among freshmen in the Rocky Long defensive coordinator era (since 2009) ... Became the first Aztec true freshman to start on defense against UC Davis since Leon McFadden started at Colorado State on Oct. 24, 2009 ... Was also the first SDSU true freshman to start an opener on defense since McFadden started the 2009 opener at UCLA ... Was the first Aztec true freshman to start on either side of the ball since current fullback Nick Bawden started at quarterback at Fresno State on Oct. 3, 2014 ... Had an impressive debut with a game-high-tying four tackles (all solo), including a 3-yard tackle for loss, an interception and a forced fumble ... The interception led to a John Baron II field goal to put the Aztecs up, 3-0 ... Had another good outing at Arizona State in a start, coming up with three solo tackles and a fumble recovery (first of career) ... Made two tackles (one solo) in a third straight start against No. 19/19 Stanford ... Had four tackles (three solo), including a 23-yard tackle for loss on a high snap on a punt at Air Force ... Finished with six tackles and a career-best two interceptions against Northern Illinois ... Had an 83-yard interception return for a touchdown, SDSU's longest since Leon McFadden had a 96-yard interception score at Fresno State on Sept. 29, 2012, the fourth longest by an Aztec since at least 1996 and tied for the 18th-longest interception in FBS play ... Came up with four stops (two solo) and a quarterback hurry in a sixth straight start at UNLV ... Had six tackles (five solo), while adding a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry in a start vs. Boise State ... Registered four tackles (three solo) in a start against Fresno State ... Had two tackles (one solo) in a start at Hawai'i ... Registered three tackles (one solo) in a start at San Jose State ... Made a career-high nine tackles (seven solo) vs. Nevada ... Was named the MW Defensive Player of the Week and to the Pro Football Focus MW Team of the Week for his play against New Mexico, when he had eight tackles (six solo), a career-high-tying two interceptions, a career-high two pass breakups and a tackle for loss ... Was one of four FBS players with multiple interceptions in multiple games and the only freshman on that list ... His eight-plus tackle game and two-plus interception contest was just the 11th in FBS play at the time and the only one by a freshman ... Finished his season with a career-high-tying nine tackles (seven solo), a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry against Army West Point in the Armed Forces Bowl.

HIGH SCHOOL
Earned four letters at St. Augustine High School here in San Diego ... Led the Saints to a pair of 10-3 seasons in 2015 and 2016 ... Finished his four-year career with 217 tackles (139 solo), four tackles for loss, 11 interceptions for 151 yards, 38 pass deflections, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a sack and two blocked field goals, according to MaxPreps ... On the offensive side of the ball was used as a receiver, where he made 85 catches for 1,167 yards (13.7 avg.) and 15 touchdowns over the past three seasons ... Had a total of 17 touchdowns over his career, including 15 receiving, one interception and one kick return ... Was a two-time all-CIF selection and a three-time all-Eastern League pick ... A three-star recruit by ESPN, and a two-star recruit by Rivals and 247sports ... Received a grade of 78 by 247sports ... Also played basketball at St. Augustine High School. 

PERSONAL
Tariq Edward Thompson was born Aug. 9, 1999, in San Diego, Calif. ... Son of Anne Ford-Thompson ... Chose the Aztecs over offers from Fresno State and Northern Arizona ... Is majoring in interdisciplinary studies.

SINGLE-GAME BESTS
Tackles: 9, four times;
Tackles For Loss: 2.0 at Nevada (10/27/18)
Sacks: 1.0 vs. Brigham Young (11/30/19)
Interceptions: 2 vs. New Mexico (11/24/17), vs. Northern Illinois (9/30/17)
Pass Breakups: 3 vs. Weber State (8/31/19), vs. Hawai’i (11/24/18)
Forced Fumbles: 1, six times
Fumble Recoveries: 1, six times;
Defensive Touchdowns: 1 vs. Northern Illinois (9/30/17)