SDSU football

Aztecs in the NFL: Week 4

/ 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

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by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Throwback Thursday: Lynell Hamilton & Doug Deakin

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 1 Comment

Lynell Hamilton and Doug Deakin are two past Aztec warriors who now serve as graduate assistants for the SDSU coaching staff.

Both are a big part of the history of SDSU football, and are continuing to contribute to the success of the program even after their playing days are complete.

Lynell Hamilton: The Player

Lynell Hamilton carries the ball against UTEP in the 2003 season. Photo Credit: Ernie Anderon/SDSU Media Relations

Despite battling multiple injuries, Lynell Hamilton still solidified himself as one of the top running backs to ever play for San Diego State.

As a true freshman in 2003, Hamilton took the Mountain West Conference by storm, rushing for 1,087 yards and four touchdowns in just 10 games. Although he was sidelined for the final two games with an ankle injury, he still garnered multiple honors for his performance on the field.

Hamilton was named a first-team freshman All-American by Rivals.com and The Sporting News. He was also picked as the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, and was named first-team all-conference.

Unfortunately, the ankle injury was the first of many for Hamilton during his time at SDSU, and he spent the rest of his career on and off the injury report.

Hamilton finished his career with 2,052 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. His career rushing total currently ranks him at No. 11 on SDSU’s all-time rushing list.

Lynell Hamilton: The Coach

Lynell Hamilton helps coach LeCharls McDaniel (Ernie Anderson)

Following his collegiate career, Hamilton signed with the New Orleans Saints. His best season came in 2009, when he rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns and became a Super Bowl Champion when the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

After moving on from the NFL, Hamilton decided he wanted to stay involved with football.

He received an opportunity to work as a graduate assistant for his alma mater, and has been helping with the team since the summer of 2012.

After working in the weight room in the summer, Hamilton now helps primarily with special teams. He is also a mentor to the young running backs, giving them advice on what it takes to be a top-tier running back at the collegiate level.

 

 

 

Doug Deakin: The Player 

Doug Deakin during the 2009 season (Ernie Anderson)

When Doug Deakin came to San Diego State in 2006 as a student, he wanted nothing more than to be a part of the football team. Unfortunately, there were no open roster spots, and Deakin was unable to join the team as a walk-on.

But Deakin didn’t give up there.

After getting in touch with the football offices, he found a way to join the program as a volunteer member of the video staff and helped filmed practices.

In the spring of 2007, Deakin was given the chance to walk-on to the team, and took full advantage of the opportunity.

After a few seasons of playing on the scout team, Deakin worked his way onto the field in the 2009 and 2010 seasons on special teams.

His hard work and positive attitude inspired teammates, and he was voted as a team captain for the 2010 season. Following the season, he was also voted as the most inspirational player.

Deakin capped off his collegiate career playing in the Poinsettia Bowl, helping the Aztecs win their first bowl game since 1969.

 

 

 

Doug Deakin: The Coach

Doug Deakin helping freshman tight end Nick Rudolph in a special teams drill. (Ernie Anderson)

After volunteering during the 2011 season, Deakin was given the opportunity to become a graduate assistant in 2012.

He works primarily with special teams, and also helps out with everyday duties around the football offices.

As expected, Deakin has carried over his incredible work ethic from his playing days and been a huge asset to the coaching staff and the SDSU football program.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Hunter Hewitt

GO AZTECS

Warrior Wednesday: Tom Ables

/ Hunter O. Hewitt / 3 Comments

“SuperFan” Tom Ables (Ernie Anderson/SDSU Media Relations)

In today’s world of sports, the term “diehard fan” is often misused. Many sports fans are content with casually supporting their team, and assume that wearing their jersey the day after a win makes them a major supporter.

These same fans typically have trouble naming more than a dozen players on their favorite team’s roster, and are quick to badmouth a team when losing streaks occur.

In a world filled with casual fans and bandwagoners, San Diego State supporter Tom Ables is the epitome of a diehard fan.

A graduate of SDSU, Ables has displayed what it means to truly support your team through thick and thin. Although his team has not always been the most successful program, he never turned his back on his alma mater.

Ables enrolled at SDSU in 1946, and since then has been to over 700 football games and over 1,000 basketball games. He attended his 700th football game in 2010, when SDSU defeated the University of Wyoming, 48-38.

Since 1946, Ables has only missed two Aztec football games. He missed a game in 1952 because of money concerns and one in 1964 because of an illness.

In 1993, Ables became the first non-athlete and non-coach to be elected into the Aztec Hall of Fame. He has also received national recognition, as he was listed as No. 3 in an ESPN story about the top 20 “super fans” before the 2010 season.

For his continued support of SDSU athletics, Tom Ables is this week’s Wednesday Warrior.

Tom Ables interviewed at his 700th Aztec football game