Aug. 26, 2011
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - For the first time, a player who will not take the field for the UNLV football team will be recognized as recipient of the Tom Wiesner (pronounced WEEZE-ner) Award as injured senior Bryce Saldi will have the honor of claiming the Wiesner Jersey, which is designated by special stitching on the back, throughout the 2011 season.
The first Rebel linebacker to earn the award, Saldi continues to recover from a serious brain injury suffered during a skateboarding accident on July 3, 2009. A graduate of Texas prep powerhouse Southlake Carroll High School, he earned his first UNLV letter as a freshman in 2008 by playing in all 12 games, primarily on special teams. The son of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jay Saldi was on vacation in Southern California at the time of the accident but is now rehabilitating at home in Texas. His locker, however, remains his inside the Lied Athletic Complex on campus and you can still find his name attached to jersey No. 54 on all active rosters until after what would have been his final game this fall.
The Wiesner 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 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. He was inducted posthumously into the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
"Our senior class voted on the Tom Wiesner Award and made an outstanding gesture in choosing to honor Bryce Saldi, who would have been in his senior season," said UNLV head coach Bobby Hauck. "From what I've learned about Tom Wiesner since I arrived here, I think Bryce is a great representative for what he stood for in this city and what he meant to this university."
ALL-TIME WIESNER AWARD WINNERSYear Player Pos.2002 Tony Terrell OL2003 Dominic Furio OL2004 Jamaal Brimmer DB2005 Joe Miklos DB2006 Erick Jackson RB2007 Chris Butler TE2008 Jacob Hales DL2009 Ryan Wolfe WR2010 Isaako Aaitui DL2011 Bryce Saldi LB
UNLV opens its 2011 season on Thursday with a trip to Wisconsin. That game will begin at 5 p.m. PT and be shown live on ESPN HD, ESPN 3D and ESPN 3.
The Rebels' home opener is set for Sept. 17 vs. Hawaii at 7 p.m. PT. Season and single-game tickets are on sale now by calling 739-FANS (3267) or logging on to unlvtickets.com.
