Aztecs for life

Meet the Aztecs: Q&A with Derek Largent

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / Leave a comment

Photo Credit: Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations

The seventh in a daily series of Q&A’s with the 2012 signing class.

Derek Largent is a 6-foot-4, 235-pound linebacker from Manhattan Beach, Calif. He played at Mira Costa High School, where he was an outside linebacker and a tight end. After high school, Largent played one season at El Camino Community College before coming to San Diego State. In his one season at El Camino Community College, Largent was a first-team all-Northern Conference selection.

Largent has a unique combination of size and athletic ability, and could make an impact on the field immediately. To demonstrate his athletic ability, Largent performed a standing backflip after singing the SDSU Fight Song in front of all his teammates one night during training camp. He will enter the 2012 season as a sophomore, and he will have four years of eligibility to play three seasons. He will wear No. 50 for the Aztecs.

GoAztecs.com player profile
Rivals recruiting page

Q: Why did you choose SDSU?
A: I chose SDSU because it’s close to home. They have a great program. When I took my visit, all the coaches were great and I met some players that were awesome. I’m glad that I came here. Nothing compares to this.

Q: How were the summer workouts for you?
A: The workouts were great. It’s definitely different from junior college. I’ve never thrown up during a workout before and it happened to me here two consecutive days, so that’s how they were.

Q: Have you picked your major yet?
A: I chose to be a business major with an emphasis in finance. I want to be a business owner, mainly so I could be my own boss.

Q: What are you most excited for leading up to your first semester at San Diego State?
A: I’m really looking forward to getting the pads on and getting to play at the Division 1 level. That’s pretty huge and exciting for me.

Q: What do you like to do during your spare time?
A: I like to play video games. The latest one I’ve been playing is Arma 2, it’s a military simulator for a computer.

Q: Who are your favorite professional sports teams?
A: Since I grew up in Los Angeles, I’d have to say the Lakers and Dodgers are my two favorite teams that I like to support.

Q: Is there any athlete that you look up to or try to model your game after?
A: I like watching Tom Brady play. He’s not really the biggest guy on the field but he’s a psychopath and he’s awesome.

Q: If you weren’t a football player, what sport would you be playing?
A: I’d be playing baseball. It was the first sport that I played and I had a good time with it but football just ended up working out better. I played all four years in high school.

Q: What has the transition from junior college to a Division 1 football program been like for you?
A: So far it’s been pretty huge. I expect the game to be a lot faster than junior college football. There’s a lot more discipline and rigidity in regards to the schedule. In junior college I was on my own for a lot of stuff, but now it’s very serious in terms of weights and running. 

Q: What do you like so far about the city of San Diego?
A: I like that it barely ever gets below 70 degrees during the day. The beach is close by, there’s good food and good people.

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Week 1 of camp

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / Leave a comment

I’m not really sure what day of camp it is. Most of the time I don’t even know what day of the week it is or what the date is. At this point, the only things that I know is that there are 20 days until Washington and that I need to be at the athletic center in a few hours.

If you ask most players, that’s how camp usually is. Once you get into the routine, you feel like a broken record. You’re never quite sure what day it is, all you know is each day you wake up you have another opportunity to take the field and play the greatest game ever created. You have another opportunity to get better.

The first week is complete, and it feels good to move one step closer to the season. For me, it’s my last training camp ever here at SDSU, and it’s bittersweet. I’m trying to cherish every moment during these grueling three weeks of work.

I feel like we are definitely making good progress as a team, but there is a lot of work that still needs to be done. Luckily, we still have some time to get mentally and physically prepared for the season.

That’s all I have for now. Be sure to check out the latest Q&A on Kendrick Mathis. Also, stay tuned for the next Q&A on linebacker Derek Largent, which will be posted sometime this afternoon.

Lastly, here is a picture of another beautiful San Diego sunset that a friend of mine took during practice a few days ago.

If you get a chance, check out the latest radio and video interviews from GoAztecs.com:

Meet the Aztecs: Q&A with Kendrick Mathis

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 2 Comments

Photo Credit: Ernie Anderson/Aztec Media Relations

The sixth in a daily series of Q&A’s with the 2012 signing class.

Kendrick Mathis is a 6-foot-1 defensive back from Ventura, Calif. He played on both sides of the ball at Buena High School, excelling at safety and quarterback. Mathis often ran when he was under center, and tallied 10 rushing touchdowns during his senior season. On the defensive side of the ball, he had 36 tackles along with six interceptions and one forced fumble.

Due to his impressive versatility and ability to play multiple positions, many schools recruited Mathis as an athlete because they were unsure of where he would line up on the field. At San Diego State, he will likely play either the Warrior or Aztec position. He will wear No. 32 for the Aztecs.

GoAztecs.com player profile
Rivals recruiting page

 

Q: Why did you choose SDSU?
A: I chose SDSU because I felt very comfortable here. Out of all the coaches I met, I liked the staff here the most.

Q: How were the summer workouts for you?
A: They were hard. Definitely the hardest workouts I’ve ever done. Coach Hall definitely knows what he’s doing so I have no problem with working this hard.

Q: Have you picked your major yet?
A: I picked criminal justice. I might want to try to work in a crime lab.

Q: What are you most excited for leading up to your first semester at San Diego State?
A: I’m most excited for the first game against Washington.

Q: What do you like to do during your spare time?
A: I like to get some sleep because I usually don’t get enough sleep at night. I also like to try and spend some time with my family.

Q: Who are your favorite professional sports teams?
A: I like the Los Angeles Lakers. I also like the Oakland Raiders, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Dallas Cowboys.

Q: Is there any athlete that you look up to or try to model your game after?
A: I looked up to my cousin Eric Turner. He played in the NFL. He went to UCLA and he was the second pick in the draft and played for the Raiders. I have always wanted to play safety since I was a little kid because of him. I also like Patrick Peterson, Darrelle Revis, and Charles Woodson.

Q: If you weren’t a football player, what sport would you be playing?
A: I would probably be playing basketball. I played it since I was a little kid, and I played it in high school until my senior year.

Q: What is your most memorable sports moment from high school?
A: My most memorable moment was my first touchdown run on varsity. It was my sophomore year on a sweep to the outside.

Q: How much do you know about the 3-3-5 defense and what about it are you most excited for?
A: I know that the Aztec gets to play freely a lot and fly to the ball. I’m definitely most excited for that because I will be able to come up and fill the hole, almost like a linebacker.

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS