April 19, 1999

LAS VEGAS - Former UNLV defensive end standout Talance Sawyer became the first Rebel drafted in four years when he was chosen in the sixth round Sunday by defending NFC Central champion Minnesota.

Sawyer, a two-time First-Team All-WAC performer, led the conference in tackles for loss in both 1997 and '98. He left UNLV ranking second all-time with 50 tackles for loss in only three years on defense. The Bastrop, La., native played tight end as a freshman.

The 6-2, 250-pound Sawyer became the 31st UNLV football player ever drafted by the NFL and the first since wide receiver Henry Bailey went in the seventh round to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1995.

Sawyer, who was the 16th pick of the sixth round and the 185th player taken overall, is the first Rebel ever to be drafted by the Vikings but will join former UNLV All-American Randall Cunningham who is currently Minnesota's starting quarterback. Sawyer is the third defensive end to be drafted from UNLV and the first since 1982 when Todd Liebenstein went to the Washington Redskins in the fourth round.

Sawyer has already been told he will get a chance to play rush end with Minnesota rather than being moved to linebacker as some scouts had predicted before the draft. Vikings defensive line coach Andre Patterson told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that Sawyer "is one of the most natural pass rushers I've seen on film in a long time."