Aug. 14, 2006
After enjoying a light Sunday filled with primarily meetings, the Rebels took the field again Monday morning in full pads and enjoyed a cool breeze throughout the 24-period session. After a lunch of lasagna and salad, some rest and more meetings, the team was welcomed by a warm sun in the late afternoon as it worked out in helmets and shorts.
Head Coach Mike Sanford said he was pleased with the first part of the morning practice.
"We started off well but then lost some concentration the second half of the practice. We have to have a full effort all the way through," Sanford said. "Tonight we came back out and had some spirited competition and ended the day on a positive note."
POSITION UPDATE: DEFENSIVE SECONDARY
What a difference a year makes for UNLV's defensive backfield. A year ago, the cornerback and safety positions were so undermanned that players were being converted in order to fill out the depth chart. Not so in 2006 as an impressive haul of big-time transfers mixed with an up-and-coming newcomer class now combines with some returning vets to form what may well be one of the top such units in the West.
Veteran DB coach Mike Bradeson said having so many capable candidates for playing time makes everyone better.
"Competition breeds success and we have competition at every spot right now," he said. "We have three cornerbacks in the rotation (returner John Guice, former USC transfer Eric Wright and former UCLA tranfer Mil'Von James) and are developing a fourth and fifth guy. At safety we have four guys competing for one spot and three for the other. Pretty soon we'll have to whittle that number down as we get ready to play so this camp is huge for everyone."
Asked for a pleasant camp surprise, Bradeson said the sudden addition of safety Will Tagoai, who earned a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA just last week, is helping make a deep position deeper.
"Will hasn't played since 2003 but he's healthy now and just getting back in the groove," said Bradeson. "Now he just has to work on going fast and hard all of the time."
REBEL CAMP NOTES:
SUPER BIG GULP
-- The squad is drinking an average of 40 cases of Gatorade sports energy drinks each day during the preseason after staff members hauled approximately 288 cases to the practice headquarters via a semi-truck. There are 24 bottles in each case, which means the Rebels are consuming nearly one thousand 20-ounce servings a day to help stay hydrated.
FAMILY FOOTBALL
-- With freshman defensive back Starr Fuimaono joining the team just in time for the off-campus practices, the Rebels now sport two sets of brothers and one set of cousins on their roster. Starr joined his older brother, senior defensive lineman Howie, in Las Vegas while local products Ryan and Rusty Worthen will both be on the team for the first time this season. Faauo Faga and cousin Omega go into their third year together wearing the Scarlet and Gray while Faauo's older brother Andrew also lettered for UNLV from 2001-03.
