22  Andrew Preston Class: Senior Hometown: Centennial, Colo. High School: Arapahoe High Height / Weight: 6-1 / 215 Position: Defensive Back Birthdate: 01/26/1988 Experience: 3L

One of the Aztecs' top defensive players ... Made the move from linebacker to defensive back for his senior campaign to take advantage of his play-making ability ... Physical player, who always seems to be around the ball ... A consistent performer, he has appeared in 35 games over the last three seasons, starting at weakside and strongside linebacker ... Five career games with 10 or more tackles ... Has 200 career stops ... Preseason all-Mountain West Conference third team by Phil Steele Magazine ... Atop the depth chart despite the position change at the Aztec spot entering 2010.

2009: Appeared in every game for the second year in a row ... Did not log a start, but was still the team's sixth-leading tackler ... Posted 46 tackles, including four for a loss, a sack and three pass break-ups ... Had two tackles with one behind the line of scrimmage at UCLA ... Season-high seven stops in the win over Southern Utah ... Four tackles vs. both Idaho and New Mexico State ... Made five stops against BYU ... Came through with a sack for a loss of 10 yards in the win over New Mexico ... Six tackles in back-to-back outings against Wyoming and Utah.

2008: Played in all 12 games, starting 11 times ... Career-best 82 tackles ... Starter at weakside linebacker vs. Cal Poly, making four stops ... Moved to strongside LB against Notre Dame, recording five tackles ... Career-high 15 tackles, including two for a loss and a sack, at San Jose State ... Starter at weakside linebacker vs. Idaho, making five stops ... Six tackles, with one for a loss, and a pass breakup at TCU ... Career-high 18 tackles, including 12 solos, vs. Air Force ... His 12 solos tie for ninth in school history ... Blocked a field goal and added seven tackles at UNM ... Four stops vs. CSU ... Missed most of the Wyoming game and his first start with a shoulder injury ... Returned as a starter at BYU, logging four stops ... Team-best 12 tackles vs. No. 8 Utah ... Forced a fumble in the finale with UNLV ... Was 18th in the MWC in stops per game (6.8).

2007: Appeared in 11 contests, starting nine times ... Fifth on the team in tackles with 72 and second in tackles for a loss with 7.0 ... Played in his first career game vs. Washington State, making three tackles ... Three stops, including first career TFL, at ASU ... First career start in the win over Portland State, tallying four tackles, including his first career sack ... Starter vs. Cincinnati, making seven tackles ... Team-best nine stops, including six solos, in the win over Colorado State ... Career-high 13 tackles at Utah ... Did not play due to injury against New Mexico ... Returned against Wyoming, making seven stops and logging one TFL ... Team-best nine tackles at UNLV, including two for a loss of seven yards ... Had 10 stops against Air Force ... Had seven solos, including two tackles for loss, versus TCU ... Was 14th in the MWC in tackles per league game (7.9/g).

2006: Redshirted his first season on campus ... Voted the team's defensive scout player of the year.

High School: Named second-team all-state and first-team all-conference as both a linebacker and running back at Arapahoe High School ... Named team most valuable player and served as team captain his senior season ... Had two, four-touchdown games as a senior ... Enjoyed a stellar senior campaign in which he recorded more than 1,000 all-purpose yards, 21 touchdowns, 726 yards rushing, 156 yards receiving and averaged 33.5 yards per return ... On defense, he had 65 tackles, including 44 solo stops ... Added four interceptions, three fumble recoveries and nine PBUs ... Also an award winner in track.

Personal: Born Jan. 26, 1988, in Denver, Colo. ... Parents are Chris and Maureen Preston ... Is a communications major.

PRESTON'S CAREER STATISTICS

Career Highs: Tackles: 18 vs. Air Force (10/11/08); TFL: 2.0 at SJSU (9/13/08), at UNLV (11/10/07); Sacks: 1.0 at SJSU (9/13/08), vs. PSU (9/22/07); PBU: 1 at TCU (10/4/08); FF: 1 vs. UNLV (11/22/08).

PRESTON GAME-BY-GAME