Nov. 6, 2008

LAS VEGAS - Senior Casey Flair went from a walk-on from Alaska to UNLV football's all-time leading receiver. Now, the 2007 community service All-American has also become the first Rebel football player ever voted First Team Academic All-District in two consecutive years.

Flair, who has at least one catch in all 44 games of his career and boasts a total of 193 with three games left as a Rebel, earned one of two receiver spots on the 2008 CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Eight team, which was released Thursday. Flair now advances to voting for the Academic All-America teams by virtue of his place on the district first team. Counting UNLV senior DL Jacob Hales in 2006 and Flair last season, head coach Mike Sanford's program has had at least one district winner in three straight seasons.

Currently holding a 4.0 grade point average in graduate school, Flair is pursuing a master's in public administration after already earning his bachelor's degree in psychology from UNLV with a 3.55 GPA.

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) selects Academic All-America teams in 12 programs throughout the year. Players who are starters or important reserves on their teams and are at least in their second year at a school and hold at least a 3.30 career GPA are eligible for the academic awards, which are voted on by sports information directors from across the nation.

UNLV's district includes four-year institutions from the states of California, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Idaho and Nevada.

2008 CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 8 First TeamUniversity Division
POSITION        PLAYER          SCHOOL          YEAR    GPA    MAJORPunter          T.J. Conley     Idaho           Sr.     3.6    Civil EngineeringQuarterback     Brian Johnson   Utah            Sr.     3.34   Mass CommunicationsReceiver        Casey Flair     UNLV            BS      3.55   Psychology                                                Grad.   4.00   Public AdministrationReceiver        Vinny Perretta  Boise State     Sr.     3.68   HistoryTight End       Colt Sampson    Utah            Sr.     3.39   Parks & RecreationRunning Back    Vince Pascoe    Fresno State    So.     4.0    Mechanical EngineeringRunning Back    Richie Brockel  Boise State     Jr.     3.71   AccountingOffensive Line  David Oswald    BYU             Sr. 3.85   International RelationsOffensive Line  Chris Thomas    E. Washington   Jr.     3.77   Biology/Pre-MedicineOffensive Line  Andrew Jackson  Fresno State    So.     3.93   Business AdministrationOffensive Line  Micah Hannam    Washington St.  So.     3.57   Civil EngineeringOffensive Line  Derek Hoke      Utah State      Grad.   3.55   Human DevelopmentOffensive Line  Zane Beadles    Utah            Jr.     3.48   Mechanical EngineeringKicker          Louie Sakoda    Utah            Sr.     3.73   Business MarketingDefensive Back  Beau Hadley     Weber State     Jr.     4.00   Technical SalesDefensive Back  Kellen Fowler   BYU             Sr.     3.82   FinanceDefensive Back  Scott Johnson   BYU             Jr.     3.83   Exercise ScienceDefensive Back  Moses Harris    Fresno State    Jr.     3.55   Business-FinanceLinebacker      Matthew Bauman  BYU             Jr.     3.92   FinanceLinebacker      Mike Nixon      Arizona State   Jr.     4.00   Political ScienceLinebacker      Clayton Swan    Weber State     Sr.     3.72   Technical SalesLinebacker      Dallas Dobbs    Boise State     Grad.   3.88   AccountingDefensive Line  Nick Reed       Oregon          Sr.     3.44   HistoryDefensive Line  Christopher Gianelli San Diego  Sr.     3.57   Electrical EngineeringDefensive Line  Jacob Kragt     E. Washington   Jr.     3.85   BiologyDefensive Line  Aaron Fernandez Southern Utah   Sr.     3.46   Physical education