Aztecs linebacker Tano Letuli lost for season with knee injury

by Kirk Kenney

San Diego State junior linebacker Tano Letuli will require surgery to repair a knee injury suffered last week against Wyoming and will miss the remainder of the season.

Letuli tore his right ACL in the first quarter of SDSU’s 24-7 win over Wyoming. He ranks fifth on the team in tackles with 30 despite missing most of the Wyoming game as well as two other games with an upper-body injury. Letuli returned to the lineup two weeks after that injury and had a 31-yard interception return for a touchdown to cap a shutout win at Fresno State.

“He’s a passionate leader, defensive captain, and I feel for him and all the hard work that he’s done,” SDSU coach Sean Lewis said. “Need the program to step up and rally around him. It comes with the territory, unfortunately, in this great game.

“You hate for this to happen to him. You feel for him, empathetic for his situation and still loyal to our goals and need to find a way to continue to be successful in spite of events that we cannot control.”

San Diego State's Tano Letuli, far left, celebrates with his teammates after returning an interception 31 yards for a touchdown during Saturday's game against Fresno State in Fresno.(Justin Truong, SDSU athletics) — San Diego State’s Tano Letuli, far left, celebrates with his teammates after returning an interception 31 yards for a touchdown during Saturday’s game against Fresno State in Fresno.(Justin Truong, SDSU athletics)

Letuli watched practice this week on crutches with a knee brace. He will have surgery as soon as possible. Recovery time for this type of injury will require Letuli to miss spring practice. He could optimistically be ready to participate by fall camp.

“With the medical care, we’ll get him right,” Lewis said. “With the reps that he has accumulated, where he is in his journey, he’s going to be just fine. We’ve just got to get him healthy.”

Letuli led SDSU with 70 tackles a year ago, though he missed two midseason games after surgery to repair a broken right thumb and played with his hand wrapped like a club as he recovered.

This was his second straight year that Letuli, a Cathedral Catholic High School graduate, was voted a team captain.

Senior transfer Mister Williams, who had six tackles against the Cowboys, will move into Letuli’s starting spot. Additional depth will be provided by seniors Brady Anderson and DJ Herman.

“They’ve put in all the work to be ready to play meaningful snaps down the stretch here to win the Danger Zone (fourth quarter). Time to do it. Next man up.”

SDSU (7-1, 4-0 Mountain West) is in the midst of a six-game winning streak as it prepares for Saturday’s conference game at Hawaii (6-3, 3-2 MW).