UNLV Athletics Hall Of Fame
UNLV football's first and only consensus first team All-American, Joe Kristosik (1995-98) was a four-year starter as a punter for the Rebels. The former Bishop Gorman High School quarterback walked on to Jeff Horton's squad and turned in a record-setting career to further the program's long line of award-winning punters. Kristosik, who left ranked fifth in school history with a 42.0-yard average, turned in one of the best seasons at his position in college football history as a senior in 1998. In 11 games, he averaged under 43 yards only twice and averaged over 50 three times. Having broken or tied seven school records during his career, in 1998 he became the first and only Rebel booter to lead the nation in punting and also helped UNLV lead the nation in net team punting for the first time. His average of 46.2 that fall was the second-highest in NCAA history for a punter with at least 75 attempts. Of his school-record 76 punts, 27 went at least 50 yards and eight went at least 60. His best game - and arguably one of the best performances by any punter ever -- came at BYU when he launched a school-record-tying 13 attempts for a stunning 52.5-yard average with eight longer than 50 and four longer than 60. Kristosik, who is the first and only Rebel to appear on the prestigious Walter Camp All-America Team, was also a first team choice by the Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America and the American Football Coaches Association while being a finalist for the Mosi Tatupu National Special Teams Player of the Year Award.
