Aztec Football Season Starts Saturday. How Good Will We Be?

We know Rocky Long has built a solid program with good depth. No one class that does well and then fall back. Last two seasons went 11-3. Bowl game every year – the last two very impressive.  3 MW Conference titles. Post season honors for multiple players. Ranked #25 in both polls after 2016 season.

Will all this continue in 2017? There are challenges. A tough schedule. Loss of key players – DJ Pumphrey, Damontae Kazee, Nico Siragusa and more. But plenty of talent to take over, and the same proven coaching staff.

One challenge we face is our offensive line. Lots of departures. Lots of talented young newcomers but with little or no experience. Happily, our OL Coach Mike Schmidt has met a similar challenge successfully, year after year. The test is hardest in the early going, when the youngsters are still learning.

An interesting schedule. Unlike the usual 6-6 split of a 12-game schedule, this season we have 7 home games. Even more amazing, 5 games will be played in September! Heck when I first got into Aztec sports, Fall practice didn’t start till about Labor Day.

Christian Chapman (Ken Ables)

Let me single out one Aztec who I think doesn’t get enough credit – QB Christian Chapman. Most seem to think he’s good but not special. Where are the big passing stats that were traditional for Aztec QBs? But here’s what’s impressive…

In 2015, an inexperienced Freshman, he had to take over for injured Maxwell Smith to lead the Aztecs against Air Force in a tough Mountain West Championship game and he won. Then he spearheaded the Aztecs’ impressive 42-7 win over Cincinnati in the Hawaii Bowl.

Last year, in Laramie’s elevation and cold weather, he QB’d the Aztecs to a hard fought 27-24 win over Wyoming for the Mountain West tile again. Then, in the Vegas Bowl, he was at the helm for one of the greatest victories in Aztec football history – a come-from-behind 34-10 win over highly regarded and favored Houston. And did it after suffering a painful thumb injury early in the game.That does it for me. Keep winning, Christian.

Rashaad Penny (Ernie Anderson)

One Aztec to be sure you keep an eye on is Rashaad Penny. As DJ’s back-up - in addition to his talented kick-off returns – Penny ran for more than 1,000 yards. It marked the first time in NCAA history that a team had both a 2,000- and 1,000-yard running back. It will be exciting to see how he does as the #1 back this season.

The Aztecs are favored to win the West Division; Boise State, the Mountain Division. Boise is pretty good and we play them here Oct. 14 in Aztec Warrior Stadium. But their reputation for “dominating” the Mountain West is not true. They have won only one outright Mountain West title, and one split 3 ways with SDSU and Fresno State. It will be interesting to see what happens, so be sure you are there to support our Aztecs!

If I may inject a personal note, this season (my 72nd) will be a challenge for me, too. Since mid-March and a hospital battle, I’ve been in rehab with mixed results. As recently as August 7, thinking I could do more than I can, I wound up taking a hard fall. Luckily, no real damage, but a painful reason not to try too much. So, I know I will make all our home games, but I can’t be sure I’ll make all the road games. Even if I do, can I stand on the sideline with my team through a whole game? Believe me, my dedication has not slackened, just my physical well being. Trust me. I will be trying!

If you are an Aztec fan you probably already have seen, and may have a copy of my book, GO AZTECS! Now there is a new edition. The cover features an Ernie Anderson photo of DJ Pumphrey's 15-yard run in the Las Vegas Bowl that upped his total to an all-time NCAA record. Inside, all records have been updated, there's a full chapter addition to the Rocky Long Era, and more of Ernie's photos. 

GO AZTECS! is available on Amazon and shopaztecs.com.

Purchase tickets through GoAztecs.com.

GO AZTECS!

June Marks 70th Anniversary of My Public Relations Career

Here it is June and time for the NCAA Track and Field Championships which reminds me that it’s exactly 70 years since June 1947 and the first day in my lifetime career in public relations – thanks to the Aztecs! 

I had just gotten out of the Navy and started at San Diego State in the fall of 1946. Because most of the men had just gotten back from World War II, there was no class hierarchy, so as a true freshman I became the sports editor of the weekly Aztec (not yet a daily), which was an amazing thing. I loved it! 

Willie Steele

Willie Steele, one of the all-time Aztec greats, and our first world-class athlete, was on campus at that time. In the spring of 1947 Willie was one of the top broad jumpers (as the long jump was known back then) in the world, and had qualified for the NCAA Track and Field championships in Salt Lake City. At the time there was no sports publicity director at State. Charlie Byrne was the overall PR guy for the college. 

One day Charlie came in and asked me if I would be interested in going to Salt Lake City and doing the advance work and publicity on Willie Steele and Bill Morales, who was our outstanding javelin thrower. In a nanosecond I said yes, I could do that! And so I went with Willie, Bill, track coach Choc Sportsman, and Bill Terry who was the athletic director at the time. 

At the meet, Willie was absolutely incredible! I happened to be down on the field at the time. His winning jump of 26’6” just barely missed Jesse Owens’ world record at that time, 26’8¼”. 

In 70 years, the long jump distances have hardly changed. Willie’s jump in 1947 would have been good for second place in the Long Jump at the 2016 Men’s Division I Track and Field Championships, and he would have won it in 2014 (winning distance: 26’3”). Think about that: a jump 67 years earlier would have won in 2014! I wonder if this year’s winner will jump farther than Willie did 70 years ago. 

I remember standing there watching Willie as he jumped several inches back on the board to make sure he did not foul. From toe to landing, he had to have flown at least 26’9”. And the world record would have come back with him to little San Diego State College! 

The point I have always made was that Willie Steele was the greatest all–around athlete that we’ve ever had at State in the 71 years I’ve been involved. I’m proud to say that the first story I ever sold to a magazine was one about Willie, called “The Steele Spring.” It appeared in Collier’s Weekly in 1948 and described how he could jump and leap. 

Seems just like yesterday

The trip to the NCAAs in Salt Lake City led to my being named the sports publicity director when I was still a freshman, earning 75¢ an hour. That may not sound like much now, but it was double what I had earned working at the Dixie Lumber Co. (now Dixieline Lumber). Later on, they decided to put me on salary. Now that I was working even longer hours, I figured out that I was now making 65¢ an hour. No complaints: it was like getting paid for your hobby. I managed to carry virtually a full-time job and still graduated in four years. 

This should help you see one more good reason why I am so proud to be an Aztec loyalist forever – an Aztec for Life! At this point I have no intention of ending my active involvement. If you have read my book GO AZTECS! you hear about many more reasons. The latest updated edition – including the dramatic windup to the 2016 season and DJ Pumphrey’s NCAA rushing record – is now available through the Aztec Bookstore and Amazon. (To order, just click the Order Now button at top left.) 

Right now I can hardly wait for the start of the Aztec football season – my 72nd season with the Aztecs! Hard to believe there will be five games in the month of September, and three at home: UC Davis on the 2nd, Stanford on the 16th and Northern Illinois on the 30th. I’ll see you at the Q! 

UPDATE:

The men’s long jump finals were held June 7. The winning jump: 26’5”. That’s 1-1/2” LESS than Willie Steele’s winning jump in 1947. Think about that: The winning long jump from 70 years ago would have taken first place in 2017!

GO AZTECS!

Of All the Stadium Possibilities What’s Best for Our Aztecs?

Day after day it seems there is another article or commentary about a new stadium solution. There is a wide range of viewpoints. One letter to the San Diego Union-Tribune from an “Aztec fan” said he was dumping our Aztecs because they won’t support the SoccerCity plan. Ridiculous! 

Without delving into all the political aspects, who’s stealing from whom and the other accusations, let me tell you how I feel. 

First of all, I love Aztec Football, am very pleased with the progress we’ve made under Rocky Long. Being ranked #25 in both major polls at the end of the 2016 season is proof of that progress. And I am convinced the best is yet to come, IF… 

If the Aztecs have a suitable stadium for their games. While Qualcomm has been good for us in many ways, it really is too big. Now one of the options is a soccer stadium seating only 30,000. Too small. The average home crowd for Aztec home games last year was 37,000+, with three games drawing more than 40,000. With this year's schedule and Aztec success, it should increase. 

There are other factors. An expanded campus versus housing and a shopping center? How much money invested and by whom? But I will leave that to others. 

My viewpoint may be simplistic, but as a rabid Aztec Football fan, I just know we need a bigger stadium than a soccer stadium to succeed. For successful recruiting. For revenue. Maybe it's 45,000 – 50,000, but not soccer size. And the bigger stadium is a must for the long-successful Holiday Bowl. 

From a San Diego sports standpoint, Aztec Football must have an appropriate stadium, just as the Aztec Basketball program has accomplished in our on–campus arena. 

30,000 is not enough (photo by Ernie Anderson)

 GO AZTECS!

25th-Ranked Aztecs Prove Quality; Send 8 Players to NFL

The 2017 NFL draft was a great weekend for Aztec Football. Eight Aztecs – one-third of the senior class – will be in NFL camps this summer. Nico Siragusa (Ravens, #122), DJ Pumphrey (Eagles, #132) and Damontae Kazee (Falcons, #149) were selected in the draft, and five other Aztecs signed free agent contracts: Calvin Munson (Giants), Malik Smith (Texans), Alex Barrett (Lions), Daniel Brunskill (Falcons) and Kwayde Miller (Ravens). 

DJ Pumphrey, Nico Siragusa, Damontae Kazee (Ernie Anderson)

Three draftees was the most of any Mountain West team, and only 22 schools had more players selected. As AD John David Wicker Tweeted, that’s more than 38 Power 5 schools. And that’s more than Stanford, Arizona and Oregon combined.

Interesting NFL draft notes: @Aztec_Football had more draftees than 9 @Big12Conference, 10 @bigten, 7 @theACC, 6 @pac12 and 6 @SEC schools!

— John David Wicker (@jdwicker) May 1, 2017

A testament to the great program Rocky Long and staff have built. 

The 2017 draft reminded of another great draft, one that seems like just a couple of years ago, but was actually 50 years ago.

The 1967 draft was the first common draft by the NFL and AFL (prior to ’67, each league held their own draft). Eight Aztecs from the College Division National Champs were drafted that year, including QB Don Horn, who was the first Aztec to be selected in the first round (#25), by the Packers. 

Four Aztecs were taken in the second round: DE Leo Carroll (Falcons, #31), RB Don Shy (Steelers, #35), DB Bobby Jones (Bears, #36) and DB Bobby Howard (Chargers, #48).  WR Nate Johns was taken in the sixth round by the Chargers (#147), DB John Williams by the Eagles in the seventh (#174) and WR Craig Scoggins by the Chargers in the 15th (#381).  Eight draftees in one year is still the Aztec record, 50 years later.

There were only 26 pro teams back then. Leo Carroll was the 31st pick; that’s a first round pick in in 2017. Several of those Aztecs had long NFL careers, including Bobby Howard’s 13 seasons (Chargers, Patriots, Eagles), Don Horn’s eight (Packers, Broncos, Chargers) and Don Shy’s seven (Steelers, Saints, Bears, Cardinals).

Don Horn, Leo Carroll, Don Shy, Bobby Howard

The 1966 Aztecs were Don Coryell’s first great team: 11-0 National Champs with a high-powered offense (the original Air Coryell/West Coast Offense), stifling defense (four shutouts; six others scored 18 or less); and two future NFL Hall of Fame coaches on the staff (John Madden, Joe Gibbs). That great team laid the foundation for the Aztecs move to Division 1 three years later.

Congratulations to the 2017 Aztecs in the NFL, and congratulations to the 1966 Aztecs!

GO AZTECS!

New Edition of GO AZTECS! Book Focuses on Historic Achievements in 2016

Spurred by San Diego State’s impressive 34-10 win over the Houston Cougars in the Las Vegas Bowl, coupled with a list of record-breaking accomplishments, we’ve just completed the fourth edition of GO AZTECS!  

The cover features a great full-color photo by Ernie Anderson that captures the 15-yard run by D.J. Pumphrey in the fourth quarter of the Vegas Bowl to establish a new all-time NCAA record for career rushing yards. 
 
Pumphrey’s feats, plus a lengthy list of both offensive and defensive new records, are all spelled out in detail, along with more of Ernie’s new photos. Among the impressive records is the one set by D.J. and Rashaad Penny, the first college teammates ever to rush for 2,000 and 1,000 yards in one season. 

With all the national TV exposure of the bowl win over a Houston team who had beaten two ranked teams – Oklahoma and Louisville – the Aztecs wound up ranked #25 in both the two major polls for 2016. 

Having now been to 783 of the Aztecs’ 787 football games in 71 seasons since I saw my first as a Freshman in September 1946, I can’t think of a more dramatic way to close the year. I’m ready for the 2017 season and liked what I saw in the first Spring scrimmage. My goal? Of course, it’s still stands at 1,000. 

The new edition is available now on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mngTIp 

GO AZTECS!