Aug. 24, 2008
LAS VEGAS - Before UNLV's season-opening football game vs. Utah State on Saturday night, senior defensive tackle Jacob Hales will be recognized as this year's recipient of the Tom Wiesner Award and will have the honor of wearing the Wiesner Jersey throughout the 2008 season.
The team's leader on defense went down with an elbow injury late in preseason camp but looks to return to the field soon after turning in a dominating performance in the spring and summer.
The 6-5, 295-pound run-stopper from Las Vegas (Las Vegas High School) started all 12 games for the Rebels a year ago and is also one of the program's top students, having already earned a bachelor's degree in university studies. A three-year member of the Rebel Leadership Committee has earned academic All-Mountain West Conference each year eligible.
Last season, Hales turned in a career-high 36 tackles and three quarterback sacks to go with one fumble recovery. He is the first defensive lineman to earn the Wiesner and first player from his side of the ball to get the special patch added to his jersey since safety Joe Miklos in 2005.
The award, which debuted in 2002 and is voted on by the coaching staff and senior class, was created to honor one Rebel senior that best exemplifies the late Mr. Wiesner's courage, enthusiasm, dedication and toughness.
A Wisconsin native and three-time letterman on the Badger football team, Mr. Wiesner sought his fortune out West and became one of the Las Vegas' leading businessmen, philanthropists, politicians and ambassadors.
The founder of the successful restaurants that are part of Big Dog's Hospitality Group, Mr. Wiesner helped guide Rebel Athletics from their infancy and was inducted into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Contributor in 1994. Also a member of the Nevada Board of Regents, he died in 2002 at the age of 63 after a battle with Leukemia.
Mr. Wiesner, in fact, is being inducted posthumously into the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame this Friday night in Madison. "Jacob Hales embodies the spirit of this award in the fullest sense and he is a very deserving winner," said UNLV head coach Mike Sanford. "I know his coaches and teammates can't wait to get him back on the field."
The Rebels will kick off their home season at 7 p.m. at Sam Boyd Stadium. Season and single-game tickets are available by calling (702) 739-FANS or logging on to www.unlvtickets.com.
ALL-TIME WIESNER AWARD WINNERS2002 Tony Terrell, OL2003 Dominic Furio, OL2004 Jamaal Brimmer, DB2005 Joe Miklos, DB2006 Erick Jackson, RB2007 Chris Butler, TE2008 Jacob Hales, DL
