San Diego State football coach Sean Lewis was ittedly unsettled with what transpired last year, when the Aztecs closed out the season with six straight losses.
“I was really embarrassed at the way that that ended,” Lewis said. “The lack of pride that we had in our performance, and the lack of leadership that I had going all the way back to when we first got here.
“This is such a prideful program with such a rich tradition that I wanted to make sure that we kind of reset and stripped everything down to the studs.”
An example of that came when SDSU players returned from winter break to begin the strength and conditioning phase of preparations for the 2025 season. For workouts, each player was issued a white T-shirt and black shorts that did not include school logos.
The Aztecs would have to earn their colors and, in some cases, earn their numbers as well.
“In this era that we’re in,” Lewis said, “I think it’s critically important that we’re intentional about having the guys know where they’re at, knowing the history of what came before in this great team game, that they earn the trust and respect of their teammates and they’re willing to sacrifice for the people and place that they’re at and that they’re serving.”
During a team meeting in early February, Lewis outlined the expectations that included a pair of bullet points:
• Do you respect being a part of this program and something bigger than yourself?
• Can your teammates trust you consistently?
“The guys that have proven that and done that over the long haul, they’ve gotten their colors,” Lewis said. “They’ve earned their red shirts and the right to wear the logo.
“Those that haven’t, they’re still in a white shirt when we’re training and working out.”
Lewis presented red shirts to five team leaders in that first meeting — edge rusher Trey White, linebacker Tano Letuli, kicker Gabriel Plascencia, cornerback Chris Johnson and center Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli.
“Nothing’s going to be handed to you in this game,” White said when spring practice began three weeks ago. “You’ve got to earn it. It takes hard work to get to the place we want to be and the level we want to reach.
“We started with a clean slate with the white shirt. Everybody is the same until you earn that new color and earn the right to wear the Aztec logo.”
There are 95 players on SDSU’s spring roster. Lewis said nearly half of the players on the team now have earned their colors.
Of course, when asked, each player says he will live up to the standards set for the program.
“Words are cheap,” Lewis said. “Actions speak.”
What actions?
“Doing everything to the standard and the expectation of the program,” he said. “And then in talking with the guys that have their colors, (asking), ‘What do you think? This is your team, your program. I want you to take ownership of it. You guys know what winning requires at the level that we’re chasing. Who’s sacrificing for their teammates? Who’s sacrificing for the program? Who loves generally being here and loves doing the work that we’re doing?’”
The red T-shirts, purchased in bulk, can’t cost more than a few dollars apiece. Each one has an Aztecs logo on the front and F.A.S.T. acronym — Focused. able. Smart. Tough. — on the back.
“If you’re an outsider and you don’t know, yeah, it’s a red shirt,” Lewis said. “But you can’t put a price on what they represent. … When you put it on each and every single day, it means that you’re going to uphold the standard today, and that you are going to love being where you are, love the work you’re doing and love who you’re doing it with and being an individual in our program who can be trusted.”
The jersey numbers team leaders wear is another component of being held able.
While Nos. 10 through 99 are issued by the equipment room on a basis of seniority (and some NCAA numbering restrictions), 0 through 9 require the head coach’s approval.
“It doesn’t matter what level of football it is,” Lewis said, “everybody knows the single-digit guys are held in very high regard. Those belong to the program. … It’s a very real currency. Like the T-shirt, the number matters. The guys are driven and motivated by it. We’re using that as a leverage point to champion and get the behaviors that we want.”
Lewis said everything was reset from last year.
So senior cornerbacks Bryce Phillips and Johnson, who wore Nos. 0 and 1, respectively, had to earn the honor again this year. Same thing with senior safety Eric Butler (No. 6) and junior safety Dalesean Staley (No. 9).
White, who was among the nation’s leaders with 12½ sacks last season, switched this year from No. 47 to No. 2, which happened to be his jersey number at Eastlake High School.
On offense, No. 2 was given to sophomore wide receiver Jordan Napier, who wore No. 19 during last year’s breakout season. Napier was switched to No. 12 after the first week of spring drills, however.
“The expectations are going to be significantly higher for you individually if you’re a single-digit guy,” Lewis said. “Those are the elite of the elite.
“So if you’re Jordan Napier and you come out in Week 1 and you’re in a single digit because over time your actions have shown that you’re one of our dudes, but in Week 1 of spring football you don’t value the football and you put it on the deck in three of the four practices, then, yeah, you’re going to be in (No.) 12 the next week and you’re going to earn the right to get back in that single digit.”
Transfer quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. was given the No. 5 worn last year by starting quarterback Danny O’Neil. Backup quarterback Kyle Crum has been wearing No. 9 since he arrived with the Class of 2021.
Nos. 3, 4, 7 and 8 have not been issued at this point. It remains to be seen if someone earns them.
Running back Lucky Sutton, who wore lucky No. 7 last year, has been wearing No. 27 during spring practice.
Lewis praised Sutton’s efforts in last week’s scrimmage at Corona’s Centennial High School, saying, “I think Lucky keeps taking really, really good, positive steps.”
Apparently not enough steps yet to get back in No. 7. Sutton was still in double digits at practice this past week.
Butler has gone from No. 6 to No. 16 and back to No. 6 during spring practice.
“Zero to nine mean a lot,” Lewis said. “Those are the guys in all three phases that we’re going to build game plans around. Sorry, not sorry. If we’re going to build a game plan around you, you don’t get to have a bad day. So figure it out.”
