Two Football Players May Play for SDSU

SAN DIEGO — Football players Doug Aronson and Rob Hawkins may become members of San Diego State’s injury-plagued and winless basketball team, Coach Smokey Gaines said Thursday.

Gaines said he talked with the players for 45 minutes Thursday afternoon and both expressed a desire to begin practicing today with the Aztecs, who are 0-4.

Aronson, an offensive lineman, is 6-foot 3-inches, weighs 270 pounds and would likely be a power forward, Gaines said. Hawkins, a freshman redshirt quarterback, is 6-5 and would likely play small forward.

Aronson caught the attention of Gaines when he dunked a ball with two hands before a football practice. According to Gaines, Aronson averaged 20 points in an intramural league last year.

SDSU’s only healthy big men are 6-9 freshman center Kevin Brown, 6-8 senior forward John Martens and seldom-used 6-7 freshman forward Jeff Bobin. Aronson and Hawkins could help strengthen a front line that has missed 6-8 center Steffond Johnson the past two games with muscle spasms in his lower back.