Dec. 15, 2009

LAS VEGAS - UNLV's Winter Commencement ceremonies on Tuesday included former Rebel wide receiver Rodelin Anthony being honored as an Outstanding Graduate.

More than 3,000 UNLV undergraduate and graduate students were eligible to go through ceremonies at the Thomas & Mack Center and Anthony was one of seven officially recognized as an Outstanding Graduate. Those seven were selected by UNLV President Neal Smatresk through a semester-long nomination process. Students were chosen based on outstanding academic achievement, community outreach and their ability to overcome adversity.

Anthony, was a four-year letterman for the Rebels out of Immokalee (Fla.) High School. He finished his career with 69 receptions for 1,002 yards and 12 touchdowns despite missing a significant portion of his senior campaign because of injuries.

A true student-athlete, Anthony successfully balanced his role as a starting football player and double major as he earned bachelor's degrees in journalism/media studies and political science. His combination of athletic and academic talent earned him a spot on the Academic All-Mountain West Conference team every year eligible. Additionally, he represented all of UNLV's student athletes at the 2008 NCAA Student Athlete Development Conference and was honored earlier this year as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar by the publication Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Anthony, who is the proud father of a 2-year-old son named Rodenel, also interned with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and plans to attend law school.