Meet the Aztecs: Q&A with Nico Siragusa

Photo Credit: Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations

The 14th in a daily series of Q&A’s with the 2012 signing class.

Nico Siragusa is a 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive lineman from Chula Vista, Calif. A local product, Siragusa comes to San Diego State from Mater Dei Catholic High School, where he was an All-CIF first-team selection and first-team all-state. Siragusa picked SDSU over several other schools that showed interest, and he is a perfect example of keeping local talent in San Diego.

Siragusa is still very new to the game of football, as he has only played the sport for two years. It wasn’t until his junior year that Siragusa transitioned from baseball and basketball and began playing football. With Division 1 coaching and training, Siragusa has the potential to be a solid contributor on the offensive line for years to come as he matures and learns more about the game. He will wear No. 56 for the Aztecs.

GoAztecs.com player profile
Rivals recruiting page

Q: Why did you choose SDSU?
A: I chose SDSU because it’s my hometown. I love the atmosphere and the environment. I love where it’s going and I like the program overall.

Q: How were the summer workouts for you?
A: The summer workouts were hard. They were the hardest workouts I’ve ever done. The plate pushes and the lunges were really tough.

Q: Have you picked your major yet?
A: I want to major in communication. Eventually I would want to be an analyst on ESPN, that would be really cool.

Q: What are you most excited for leading up to your first semester at San Diego State?
A: I am just excited for getting into the mix of school and being on my own. I’m excited for the season to start too it’s going to be fun.

Q: What do you like to do during your spare time?
A: I’m a pretty chill guy. I like to hang out with my friends, go lift weights, go to the beach, all that stuff.

Q: Who are your favorite professional sports teams?
A: I’m an Oakland Raiders fan even though I’m from San Diego. I also like the Padres and the Lakers.

Q: Is there any athlete that you look up to or try to model your game after?
A: I try to model my game after Maurkice Pouncey of the Pittsburgh Steelers because he’s a beast. I also like to watch Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James.

Q: If you weren’t a football player, what sport would you be playing?
A: I’d probably be playing baseball. I played varsity my freshman and sophomore year, but after that I didn’t want to play anymore because of football and basketball.

Q: Since you are from San Diego, what is your favorite thing about the city?
A: I like the weather, the people, and all the fun things there are to do. San Diego is the greatest city on earth.

Q: What is your most memorable sports moment from high school?
A: In the Spanos All-Star Classic, I was playing with all my friends from other high schools that I never got to play with. On one of the last plays, I pulled from left guard and I made a key block to help us win the game.


By Hunter Hewitt

Meet the Aztecs: Q&A with Arthur Flores

Photo Credit: Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations

The 13th in a daily series of Q&A’s with the 2012 signing class.

Arthur Flores is a 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman from Denver, Colo. He comes to San Diego State after an impressive career at J.K. Mullen High School, which is the same school that current SDSU offensive linemen Alec Johnson and Jimmy Miller attended. As a senior, Flores was named to the all-state and all-conference teams in both football and track.

Flores has the versatility to play either guard or tackle, and might see time at both spots early on at SDSU. He will likely redshirt in 2012, but with four senior offensive lineman set to depart following this season, Flores will compete for a starting position in 2013. He will wear No. 70 for the Aztecs.

GoAztecs.com player profile
Rivals recruiting page 

 

Q: Why did you choose SDSU?
A: I chose San Diego State because it felt like home. The coaches made everything really comfortable for me and reminded me of my high school coaches. I also felt like it was a really good school and the weather is really nice.

Q: How were the summer workouts for you?
A: The summer workouts went well. I thought I came in pretty good shape, but then I got here and the tempo was ridiculously increased. Coach Hall is a tough guy and I loved the workouts.

Q: Have you picked your major yet?
A: I am going to major in computer engineering. I am hoping to work with program developers or to do other stuff with computers because I’m pretty good with them.

Q: What are you most excited for leading up to your first semester at San Diego State?
A: I’m pretty excited just to be around the football team and seeing how the games go. I’m excited to be a part of everything.

Q: What do you like to do during your spare time?
A: I like to just relax. I usually try to focus on football stuff like plays and goals that I have.

Q: Who are your favorite professional sports teams?
A: I am big San Francisco Giants Fan. I also like the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Nuggets. My dad is from San Francisco so everyone on his side of the family likes the Giants and Raiders.

Q: Is there any athlete that you look up to or try to model your game after?
A: I like Michael Oher. The movie “The Blind Side” was pretty inspiring. I also like Tim Tebow, I think he has the right mindset and he is a good player.

Q: If you weren’t a football player, what sport would you be playing?
A: I played basketball and did track in high school, but I also played baseball when I was younger. I would have to say baseball.

Q: How much of an impact did coming from the same high school as Jimmy Miller and Alec Johnson have on your decision to come to San Diego State?
A: It was pretty cool knowing that they came through the same route. It was good to have a connection with those guys and that helped my decision.

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

SDSU Football Fan Fest and other updates

Aztec fans –

I’m sorry I haven’t been able to post as much as I wanted to during camp, it’s been a grind for all of us.

Here are some of the latest updates:

Tomorrow is the SDSU Football Fan Fest. It will take place at Cathedral Catholic High School and it will start at approximately 12 p.m. The event is free and gates open at 11 a.m. Be sure to come out and support the 2012 Aztecs!

There will be a scrimmage that lasts approximately two hours. There will also be a chance to purchase Aztec apparel and an autograph session following the scrimmage. More information about the SDSU Football Fan Fest can be found here.

Be sure to check out all of the Q&A stories on the 2012 signing class. There have been 12 of them released so far.

As for practices, we are still working hard preparing for Washington. We have 15 days remaining, and we are trying to use each practice as an opportunity to get better as a unit.

Here are some recent video interviews with Brice Butler, Leon McFadden, and Colin Lockett:

GO AZTECS