Aztecs in the NFL: Week 5

October 8, 2012February 10, 2013 / Hunter O. Hewitt / 1 Comment

Antwan Applewhite returned from injury and recorded his first sack of the season (Brian A. Westerholt/Getty Images)

LB Russell Allen – Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears
The Jaguars suffered a tough loss and fell to the Bears, 41-3. Allen had four total tackles, three of which were solo. He is currently tied for seventh in the league with 47 total tackles this season.

LB Antwan Applewhite – Carolina Panthers vs. Seattle Seahawks
After missing two weeks due to a knee injury, Applewhite was solid in his return. He recorded four total tackles, including a sack for a loss of three yards. It wasn’t enough, however, as the Panthers lost to the Seahawks, 16-12.

LS Aaron Brewer – Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots
In the battle of elite quarterbacks, Tom Brady came out on top and the Patriots knocked off the Broncos, 31-21. Brewer continued to snap well for the Broncos, as they were 3-for-3 on PATs and punted the ball three times for an average of 45.7 yards per punt.

WR Vincent Brown – San Diego Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints
The Chargers lost to the Saints, 31-24, and Brown remains out recovering from a broken ankle suffered in the preseason. In a recent update on Rotoworld, it was reported that Norv Turner said Brown was “right on schedule” in his rehabilitation. He is eligible to return to practice in Week 7.

LB Miles Burris – Oakland Raiders, BYE

OT/OG Brandyn Dombrowski – San Diego Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints
Like Brown, Dombrowski remains on the injured-reserve list with a foot injury. According to an article published by The North County Times, he is expected to return in Week 8.

LB Heath Farwell – Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers
Although Farwell didn’t match the production of his former teammate, Applewhite, it was Farwell whose team got the win. Farwell had one tackle in the game, giving him five total tackles this season.

RB Ronnie Hillman – Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots
Hillman saw a limited number of touches in the loss to the Patriots. He had three carries for 9 yards and one catch for 4 yards. He has 84 yards from scrimmage this season.

QB Ryan Lindley – Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams
The Cardinals lost their first game of the season, as they fell to the Rams in the Thursday night game, 17-3. John Skelton was inactive, and Lindley remains as the backup quarterback behind Kevin Kolb.

OG Lance Louis – Chicago Bears vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Louis and his fellow offensive lineman were dominant in the Bears’ blowout victory over the Jaguars. They allowed just one sack on quarterback Jay Cutler, and helped their team rush for 214 yards.

LB Kirk Morrison – Buffalo Bills vs. San Francisco 49ers
Morrison was inactive once again, and the Bills were beaten by the 49ers, 45-3. Morrison has yet to record any stats this season, and it is uncertain when he will return to action.

WR Kassim Osgood – Detroit Lions, BYE

WR Chaz Schilens – New York Jets vs. Houston Texans
In the Monday night game, Schilens and the Jets came up short and were defeated by the Texans, 23-17. He had four catches for 29 yards, and nearly came up with a surprise onside kick.

Did you miss the “Aztecs in the NFL: Week 4” post? Check it out here!

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by Hunter Hewitt

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Aztecs in the NFL: Week 4

October 1, 2012February 10, 2013 / Hunter O. Hewitt / 3 Comments

Russell Allen had another solid outing on Sunday, and is solidifying himself as one of the top tacklers in the league (Rick Wilson/Florida Times-Union)

LB Russell Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Jaguars fell to the Bengals, 27-10, but Allen continued to rack up an abundance of tackles. He led the team with eight total tackles, including five solo stops. He currently leads the team with 42 total tackles through four games, and is ranked fifth amongst all NFL players.

LB Antwan Applewhite, Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons
In a heated division match-up, the Panthers were defeated by the Falcons, 30-28. Unfortunately, Applewhite was inactive for the second straight week with a knee injury. He currently has two tackles on the season, and his status for next week is uncertain.

LS Aaron Brewer, Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders
The Broncos dominated the divison-rival Raiders; so much so that they didn’t need a single punt in the 37-6 victory. Although he didn’t have any punts to snap for, Brewer continued to snap well on field goals. He yet to record a tackle this season, but has been solid with all his snaps.

WR Vincent Brown, San Diego Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chargers handled the Chiefs, 37-20, but Brown remains out with a broken ankle suffered in the preseason. He is expected to return midseason.

LB Miles Burris, Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos
Burris did not record any tackles in the blowout loss against the Broncos. However, he currently has 14 tackles on the season, and continues to start at weakside linebacker for the Raiders.

OT/OG Brandyn Dombrowski, San Diego Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Like Brown, Dombrowski remains on the injured-reserve list. He is suffering from a foot injury, and his return this season is uncertain.

LB Heath Farwell, Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams
After the controversial Monday night win over Green Bay, the Seahawks failed to execute a successful encore performance and fell to the Rams, 19-13. The veteran Farwell is currently listed as the backup at middle linebacker, and has played a limited role this season. He had one tackle on Sunday, giving him four on the season.

RB Ronnie Hillman, Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders
In the win over the Raiders, Hillman was finally given a chance to show his explosiveness and had two plays of 10-plus yards. He finished with 10 carries for 31 yards, highlighted by a 12-yard run. He also had two catches for 32 yards, including a 29-yard reception.

QB Ryan Lindley, Arizona Cardinals vs. Miami Dolphins
Lindley has yet to see action in a game, but his team has played very well. The Cardinals defeated the Dolphins in overtime, 30-27, and improved to 4-0. With Kevin Kolb playing well and John Skelton coming back from an ankle injury, it is uncertain if Lindley will see action this season.

OG Lance Louis, Chicago Bears vs. Dallas Cowboys
Louis played well in the national spotlight on Monday night, helping the Bears defeat the Cowboys, 34-10. Louis continues to start at right guard, and the Bears improved to 3-1.

LB Kirk Morrison, Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots
The Bills lost to the Patriots, 52-28, and Morrison continues to be a question mark. He was inactive on Sunday, and has yet to record any stats this season. The reason for his absence is uncertain.

WR Kassim Osgood, Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings
In another division battle, the Lions were defeated by the Vikings, 20-13. As usual, Osgood has been a contributor on special teams this season, but has yet to record a tackle.

WR Chaz Schilens, New York Jets vs. San Francisco 49ers
Sunday was a tough day for the Jets’ offense, as they were shutout by the 49ers, 34-0. The offense struggled to move the ball, but Schilens was still able to haul in three catches for 45 yards. He currently has six catches for 69 yards this season.

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Throwback Thursday: Russell Allen

September 6, 2012April 29, 2013 / Hunter O. Hewitt / 1 Comment

Linebacker Russell Allen in the 2006 season vs. Utah (Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations)

Dependability, durability, versatility – three characteristics that lead to success in sports, as well as in life.

These three characteristics perfectly describe former San Diego State linebacker Russell Allen.

Although the first decade of the 2000s was often seen as a dark time for Aztec football, Allen was a consistent bright spot throughout his collegiate career, and is arguably one of the greatest linebackers in school history.

A standout linebacker at Vista High School, Allen chose to stay close to home when he accepted a scholarship offer from San Diego State in 2004.

After redshirting his first season, Allen proved his dependability and wasted no time getting onto the field. He played in all 12 games in 2005, starting seven times, and finished the season with 61 total tackles and two interceptions. Following the season, he was named an honorable mention freshman All-American by The Sporting News.

Allen didn’t slow down one bit the next three seasons, as he continued to be a dominant force on the defensive side of the ball. He finished his career as the third all-time leading tackler in SDSU history, recording 375 tackles over four seasons. He also holds the all-time record for total tackles in a game, as he tallied 22 tackles vs. Utah in the 2007 season.

In addition to his impressive stats, Allen displayed incredible durability. He played in 48 games over four seasons, never missing a game. He also showed versatility on defense, as he played multiple positions on the field. He lined up at both outside and inside linebacker, and even played defensive end at times during his senior year when several defensive lineman were out due to injury.

Allen was very successful on the field, but he also thoroughly enjoyed his time off the field at SDSU.

“My time at SDSU was great,” Allen said. “It’s a unique time in your life, and I miss being around my buddies everyday. It’s the only level of football where you spend all that time together and I bonded with my teammates a lot.”

Following his career as an Aztec, Allen found himself anxiously waiting to hear his name in the 2008 NFL Draft. Although he wasn’t drafted, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed him as an undrafted free agent shortly after the draft.

With the same hard work and determination that helped him become one of the greatest linebackers to ever play at SDSU, Allen made the Jaguars’ 53-man roster for the 2009 season, an impressive feat for an undrafted rookie.

But he didn’t stop there.

Now entering his fourth season, Allen is the starter at one of the outside linebacker spots, and it is a goal of his to keep that job for years to come.

“I’ve found my way into the starting lineup, and I’d like to continue that and be a full-time starter,” Allen said when talking about future goals. “First and foremost, I’d like to help my team win a Super Bowl any way that I can.”

In his three seasons in the NFL, Allen has tallied 136 total tackles, two forced fumbles and one interception. He says that the transition to the next level has been tough, but his time at SDSU prepared him well.

“The expectation level in professional football is so high,” Allen said. “Every day you are practicing to keep your job. It’s a high stress job, and you have to bring your ‘A’ game everyday.

“I leaned a lot in college that really helped me out at this level. We had coaches that knew football well and taught me the game. On top of that, I learned how to deal with adversity. You have to be able to come to work everyday and give your best even when things are down.”

Although being in a different time zone makes it tough for Allen to watch SDSU games, he still tries to follow the team as much as possible.

“I don’t get to watch a lot of the games because they aren’t always on television and they start really late,” Allen said. “I always want to know how they’re doing, though. I’m always checking the scores and stats, and following the kids as much as possible.”

For the legacy he left at SDSU and his continued support of the program, Russell Allen is truly an Aztec for life.

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Aztecs For Life | SDSU Blog

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Russell Allen Jaguars

Aztecs in the NFL: Week 5

Aztecs in the NFL: Week 4

Throwback Thursday: Russell Allen