Aug. 7, 2003

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV football program enjoyed record success in the classroom as no less than 30 players earned at least a 3.0 grade point average during the spring 2003 semester.

The best academic year on record for the program included the highest combined semester GPA of 2.56 and as well as the highest-ever cumulative GPA of 2.54 at the close of the school year.

Also, three Rebels were named this week as Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athlete Award winners, which is a new honor this year for players from all sports who have played in at least one varsity contest and hold a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA. Former wide receiver Toby Smeltzer (3.63 in hotel administration), former cornerback Chameion Sutton (3.58 in social science studies) and sophomore Michael Freund (3.59 undeclared) were the UNLV gridders on the list.

"Our overall academic program has made great strides in our time here and the rewards are really beginning to show," head coach John Robinson, who is heading into his fifth season at the school, said. "We are seeing real results in the graduation rates of the last two classes, the overall GPA numbers and especially the increasing amount of players who are achieving academically."

Other individual honors were abundant as well, with nine UNLV football players earning spots on the 2002 Academic All-Mountain West Conference Team. That list was highlighted by the league's first-ever group of four-time honorees, half of which were Rebels: Smeltzer and former UNLV running back Joe Haro.

Earning their second league awards were junior quarterback Kurt Nantkes and Sutton, who additionally was voted Verizon First Team Academic All-District VII by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

In fact, academic advising for football, which is headed by Janice D. Henry, has produced 37 Academic All-MWC honorees in the last four years, which is easily a school record for any such time period.