Nov. 29, 2000
LAS VEGAS - A year after having no such honorees, UNLV saw four players named All-Mountain West Conference First Team in a vote by the eight head coaches, the league announced Wednesday.
Leading the way for the Rebels was senior offensive tackle John Greer (Apple Valley, Calif.), who was one of only three unanimous first-team selections and the only one on offense.
"It means a lot to me that all eight head coaches voted for me," Greer, who has started all but one game of his four-year career, said. "I think that says something about our entire offensive line this season."
Joining Greer on the first team were tailback Jeremi Rudolph (Apopka, Fla.), who leads the league in rushing with 76.9 yards per game and needs 154 more yards to reach 1,000.
On defense, junior cornerback Kevin Thomas (Sacramento, Calif.), who leads the MWC in pass breakups with 14, was one of four defensive backs on the team. Defensive end newcomer Anton Palepoi (Salt Lake City), who lived up to his billing after transferring in as a junior-college All-American and leads the team in quarterback sacks with seven, also made the first team.
No Rebels made the second team but seven UNLV players earned honorable mention: SS Randy Black, FS Sam Brandon, RB Kevin Brown, P Ray Cheetany, PR Troy Mason, OL Tony Terrell and WR Nate Turner.
Second-year head coach John Robinson tied MWC champion Colorado State head coach Sonny Lubick for the league's coach of the year award. Only two other UNLV football coaches have won such an award - Harvey Hyde in 1984 and Jeff Horton in 1994 - both as members of the Big West Conference. Robinson previously won league coaching honors in 1976 and '78 while at USC and was named national coach of the year in 1979 after leading the Trojans to the national championship.
2000 MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE AWARDS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Mike Thiessen, QB, Air Force Matt Newton, QB, Colorado StateDEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Rick Crowell, LB, Colorado StateFRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Brandon Ratcliff, DB, New Mexico Jason Kaufusi, DL, UtahCOACH OF THE YEAR John Robinson, UNLV Sonny Lubick, Colorado State
2000 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Matt Newton Colorado State senior Mike Thiessen Air Force seniorRB Jeremi Rudolph UNLV seniorRB Cecil Sapp Colorado State sophomoreWR Ryan Fleming Air Force juniorWR Pete Rebstock Colorado State juniorOL John Greer* UNLV seniorOL Tim Stuber Colorado State seniorOL Doug Kaufusi Utah juniorOL Justin BorvanskyColorado State seniorOL David HildebrandAir Force seniorTE Jose Ochoa Colorado State juniorPK Owen Pochman BYU seniorKR Pete Rebstock Colorado State junior
DEFENSE
DL Anton Palepoi UNLV juniorDL Brian Johnson New Mexico juniorDL Patrick ChukwurahWyoming seniorDL Setema Gali BYU seniorLB Rick Crowell* Colorado State seniorLB Kautai Olevao Utah seniorLB Justin Ena BYU juniorDB Kevin Thomas UNLV juniorDB Andre Dyson* Utah seniorDB John Howell Colorado State seniorDB Will Demps San Diego State juniorP Aaron Edmonds BYU junior
* Unanimous Selection
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
WR Steve Smith Utah seniorWR J.R. Tolver San Diego State sophomoreOL Jon Samuelson New Mexico seniorOL Adam Goldberg Wyoming sophomoreOL David Moreno San Diego State juniorOL Jason Scukanec BYU juniorOL Matt Dayoc Air Force seniorTE Tevita OfahengaueBYU seniorRB Adam Tate Utah juniorRB Luke Staley BYU sophomorePK Dave Adams Air Force seniorPR/KR Steve Smith Utah senior
DEFENSE
DL Chris Hoke BYU seniorDL Hans Olsen BYU seniorDL Jerome Haywood San Diego State juniorDL Pete Hogan Colorado State sophomoreLB Mike Barnett New Mexico seniorLB Jomar Butler San Diego State juniorLB C.J. Zanotti Air Force seniorDB Jared Lee BYU seniorDB Ricky Sharpe San Diego State sophomoreDB Justin GallimoreColorado State juniorDB Stephen Persley New Mexico juniorP Brian Simnjanovski San Diego State sophomore
Because of a tie for first-team quarterback,there was no second-team quarterback
HONORABLE MENTION
Air Force: Terrance Barreau, OL, Qualario Brown, RB,Wes Glisson, DB, Chris Jessop, TE, Scotty McKay RB,Ben Miller, OL, Corey Nelson, LB, Justin Pendry, DL,Matt Pommer, LB. BYU: Ben Archibald, OL, Margin Hooks,WR, Aaron McCubbins, OL, Ford Poston, OL, Dustin Rykert, OL.Colorado State: Jamie Bennett, DL, Broc Finlaysaon, OL,Joey Huber, P, C.W. Hurst, PK, Broderick Lancaster, OL,Mike Mackenzie, DL, Frank Rice, WR, David Shohet, OL,Aaron Sprague, DB, David Vickers, LB. New Mexico: Jarrod Baxter, RB,Walter Bernard, DB, Rantie Harper, DB, David Mauer, LB,Cort Moffitt, P, Brandon Ratcliff, DB, Henry Stephens, DL,Holmon Wiggins, RB. San Diego State: Brian Berg, LB,Mike Houghton, OL, Johnathan Ingram, OL, Chester Pitts, OL,Brian Russell, DB, Lon Sheriff, QB. UNLV: Randy Black, DB,Sam Brandon, DB, Kevin Brown, RB, Ray Cheetany, P, Troy Mason, PR/KR,Tony Terrell, OL, Nate Turner, WR. Utah: Andy Bowers, DL,Brandon Dart, DB, Patrick Dyson, DB, Jordan Gross, OL,Jason Kaufusi, DL, Ma'ake Kemoeatu, DL, Steve McKane, OL,Matt Nickel, TE, Jason Potter, DB, Michael Richardson, OL/TE,Cliff Russell, WR, Garrett Smith, DL, Ed Ta'amu, OL, Wes Tufaga, LB.Wyoming: Aaron Elling, PK, Lamar James, DB, Ryan McGuffey, WR,Kwabena Peprah, LB, Jay Stoner, QB
