For Immediate Release Contact: Jamie McConeghy
August 16, 2017
SDSU’s Rashaad Penny Named to Third Preseason All-America Team
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Penny named a 2017 CBS Sports preseason third-team All-America selection
SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State football senior Rashaad Penny (Norwalk, Calif.) has been named a 2017 CBS Sports Preseason Second-Team All-American as a kick returner, which was announced today on CBSSports.com. It is the third preseason All-America team that Penny has made as a kick returner as he was also a second-team honoree by Phil Steele Magazine and a third-team pick by Athlon Sports.
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Penny has also been named to four watch lists for national awards - Maxwell (Collegiate Player of the Year), Walter Camp Player of the Year (Nation’s Most Outstanding Player), Hornung (Most Versatile Player) and CFPA National Performer of the Year (Player of the Year). Additionally, he was chosen as the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year and a first-team all-MW selection at both running back and kick returner by the league’s media. Penny has also been named a consensus preseason first-team all-MW honoree by Athlon Sports (running back and kick returner), Lindy’s Sports (running back and all-purpose), Phil Steele Magazine (running back and kick returner) and Street & Smith’s (running back).
Last season, Penny rushed for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns on 136 attempts (7.5 avg.), while adding 15 catches for 224 yards (14.9 avg.) and three touchdowns, and returning 20 kickoffs for 624 yards (31.2 avg.) and two additional scores. He was one of just nine players in the country with at least 11 rushing TDs and at least three receiving scores, and the only player with a kick return TD as well (he had two). Penny ranked in a tie for second in the country in kick return touchdowns (2), fourth in kick return average (31.2), tied for 20th in total touchdowns (17) and 29th in all-purpose yards per game (133.3). For his efforts, he became the second kick returner in MW history to win the league’s special teams player-of-the-year award twice (also 2015) and was first-team all-MW pick as a kick returner for the second straight season.
SDSU is coming off an 11-3 season, knocking off Wyoming, 27-24, in the MW Championship game and Houston, 34-10, in the Las Vegas Bowl, to finish with a No. 25 ranking in both the AP Top 25 poll and the Amway Coaches Poll. It was just the second time that San Diego State has been ranked in the final AP poll in program history (also 1977). The 11 wins tied a school single-season record as the Aztecs became the first team in program history with back-to-back 11-win campaigns.
SDSU has been picked to win the West Division for a third straight year and for a second consecutive season garnered all the first-place votes in the division.
Aztec football season tickets and mini plans are now on sale. Season tickets start at $125, while mini plans start at $90. Fans can purchase tickets at GoAztecs.com, over the phone by calling (619) 283-7378, or by visiting Qualcomm Stadium's Window E Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT.
The Aztecs kick off the 2017 season at Qualcomm Stadium Sept. 2 against UC Davis at 5:30 p.m. PT.
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