Alex Barrett, Damontae Kazee, Calvin Munson, Donnel Pumphrey and Nico Siragusa will lead the Aztecs this season
Source: goaztecs.com press release
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
August 24, 2016 (San Diego) - San Diego State Football has named Alex Barrett (Mesa, Ariz.), Damontae Kazee (San Bernadino, Calif.), Calvin Munson (St. Charles, Mo.), Donnel Pumphrey (Las Vegas) and Nico Siragusa (Chula Vista, Calif.) as its captains for the 2016 campaign, head coach Rocky Long announced today.
Kazee was recently named a preseason second-team All-American by SI.com and is the preseason Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. Kazee had eight interceptions in 2015, which tied for the second most in the nation, the most in Aztecs' Division I era (since 1969) and in Mountain West history. He was named a second-team USA Today All-American, an honorable-mention Sports Illustrated All-American, the MW Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-MW pick.
Barrett came up with 62 tackles a year ago with 13 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two interceptions (one for a touchdown) and seven quarterback hurries. Barrett backed a defense that finished among the top 10 in FBS in each of the four main categories, including fifth in total (287.3), seventh in scoring (16.4) and rushing (108.7), and 10th in passing (178.6). Barrett was also an all-MW first-team pick.
Munson led SDSU in multiple categories in 2015, including tackles (98), tackles for loss (15), sacks (9.5) and fumble recoveries (2, tied), while adding two interceptions (both returned for a touchdown), two forced fumbles and seven quarterback hurries. Munson was also a Phil Steele Magazine third-team All-American and an all-Mountain West first-team pick.
The preseason offensive player of the year, Pumphrey rushed for 1,653 yards and 17 touchdowns on 309 attempts (5.3 avg.), while leading the team with 28 catches for 416 yards and three touchdowns en route to being named a Sports Illustrated Honorable-Mention All-American, the MW Offensive Player of the Year and an all-MW first-team selection for a second straight season. He was one of just four players in all of FBS to lead his team in rushing yards and receptions.
Siragusa anchored an offensive line that helped the Aztecs rush for a school-record 3,226 yards and have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers for the first time in program history (Pumphrey and Chase Price). He was also a first-team all-MW selection by the league's media and coaches last year.
SDSU is coming off an 11-3 season where it tied a school record for the most wins in a single year, finished with a 10-game winning streak (second-longest active FBS streak heading into 2016), won the MW title (20th conference title in program history) and beat Cincinnati, 42-7, in the Hawai`i Bowl.
The Aztecs kick off the 2016 season at Qualcomm Stadium against New Hampshire on Sept. 3 at 5:30 p.m. PT.
Comments
Five captains?
That's usually how football works.
Like I know for my Patriots, Tom Brady's a captain, but also some guys on defense that are veterans too. It could work the way hockey captains do, where you have one main captain who wears the C and a bunch of alternate captains that wear As.
Unity of command
Football isn't the military, a government agency or a corp.
Sorry.
Let's see how they do
"Fuzzy, diluted leadership"?
Uh...really? Have you seen all the awards Pumphrey's racked up? Have you seen all the records he's broken? He's a true leader. Same thing with Kazee. He was named a Preseason All-American by Sports Illustrated. Read this and tell me he's not good enough to be a leader. http://eastcountymagazine.org/node/22131
Having five people in charge
Clearly you're not a hockey fan.
In hockey, there are more than five people in charge on the ice. It wins games. Same thing in football. Also clearly, you didn't pay attention to this team last season. Undefeated in Mountain West play with more than one captain. So obviously, this is not a failure of a team like you're so desperate to believe.
"Leadership is the ability to lead other people to achieve set goals" Mountain West conference championship win last year. Hawaii Bowl win. Undefeated in Mountain West play. Yeah, this team DEFINITELY has a leadership problem. *eye roll*
You are my fount of sports knowledge so
"No cogent reason"
the ref usually turns to the QB. I know that because during Pats games when there's a penalty, the ref talks to Tom Brady. And they're not all going to run over to the ref; Rocky Long will assign some type of hierarchy. Like one guy will be senior captain, second in command, etc.
Okay, so I forgot.....tell me again
I have told you why.
More captains = more leadership. A football team has 53 guys. One guy can't handle 53 players. So, you need more to take on leadership roles. And again, like I told you (which you ignored, but again, that's none of my business), it could function like hockey, where you have one main captain and a bunch of alternate captains.