May 15, 2008

LAS VEGAS - Four-year UNLV star linebacker and current NFL player Beau Bell leads a contingent of 13 current and former Rebel gridders scheduled to make a well-earned walk across the stage at Saturday's Spring Commencement Ceremonies at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Bell, the 2007 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, is back in town after becoming the top pick of the Cleveland Browns in last month's annual NFL Draft, going in the fourth round (104th overall). On Saturday morning he'll earn his degree in university studies after just four years on campus.

While he is set to return to Ohio on Sunday to take part in his new team's Offseason Training Activities, Bell said he wouldn't miss getting his diploma for anything.

"I'm excited because other than my playing career at UNLV, the biggest accomplishment in my life is graduating from college," said the native of Tustin, Calif. "My mom is more proud of me for getting my degree than getting drafted in the NFL. Luckily, I got to do both."

Another Rebel who is graduating this semester but will instead return to wear the Scarlet & Gray in the fall is three-year starting wide receiver Casey Flair. On track to become UNLV's all-time receptions leader in 2008, the native of Anchorage, Alaska, will have to break the record as a graduate student after earning his bachelor's degree in liberal arts. Also returning to the team after graduating will be Las Vegas native and third-year linebacker Rusty Worthen (university studies).

Other former players scheduled to graduate are KC Asiodu (liberal arts), Adrian Bradley (urban affairs), Tony Cade (university college), Tim Goins (engineering), Marques Q. Johnson (urban affairs), Bradley Niles (university college), Daniel Rankin (liberal arts), Elton Shackelford (university college), Jay Staggs (liberal arts) and Nate Wederquist (urban affairs).