March 12, 2012
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - A total of 74 players suited up for the first day of 2012 UNLV Football Spring Practice on Monday at Rebel Park on campus. An overcast sky and light wind combined for good football weather as the first of 15 sessions went for just over two hours. Third-year head coach Bobby Hauck was pleased with what he saw.
"It was great to be back out here with the guys," Hauck said. "I'm not a big fan of no-pad practices but overall the players worked hard to make it a good practice. We need to make all 15 count. "
QB QUARTET Four quarterbacks are in spring camp this season as former QB Taylor Barnhill moved to defense to try his hand at linebacker. Two started games in 2011 - Caleb Herring, who will be a junior in the fall, and Sean Reilly, who will be a senior. One - Nick Sherry - redshirted last season and will vie for time on the field for the first time in 2012 as a freshman. The other - James Boyd - is a new face who is one of two midyear transfers for the Rebels. The 6-5, 255-pound Boyd was a highly recruited athlete out of Jordan High School in Los Angeles when he signed with USC in February of 2009. He left the Trojans a year ago and attended West L.A. College before choosing the Rebels. Now he's hoping to make a dent on the UNLV depth chart at quarterback. Boyd also practiced as a tight end and defensive end while at the Pac-12 school but said he is focused on being a signal caller.
"Practice was good out there today, still learning the plays and getting everything down," Boyd said. "I'm a quarterback right now and I'm going to work hard at being a quarterback."
SUPER DUPER Former Rebel great Hunkie Cooper (1990-91) attended practice on Monday. Cooper, who starred for many years with the Arena Football League's Arizona Rattlers, is now the head coach at Las Vegas' Canyon Springs High School.
UP NEXT The Rebels' next practice will be Wednesday. The team will then pull on the full pads starting with Friday's session. All spring dates this year are scheduled to run from 3:45 to 6:00 pm and are open to the public. The Spring Showcase is set for Friday evening, April 20 at Rebel Park.
UNLV 2012 SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE - OPEN TO THE PUBLICPLEASE NOTE: ALL DATES AND TIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGEMarch 14 Wednesday Practice 2 No Pads 3:45-6:00 pmMarch 16 Friday Practice 3 Pads 3:45-6:00 pmMarch 19 Monday Practice 4 Pads 3:45-6:00 pmMarch 21 Wednesday Practice 5 Pads 3:45-6:00 pmMarch 23 Friday Practice 6 Pads 3:45-6:00 pmMarch 26 Monday Practice 7 Pads 3:45-6:00 pmMarch 28 Wednesday Practice 8 Pads 3:45-6:00 pmMarch 30 Friday Practice 9 Scrimmage 3:45-6:00 pmApril 2-6 Spring Break No PracticesApril 9 Monday Practice 10 Pads 3:45-6:00 pmApril 11 Wednesday Practice 11 Pads 3:45-6:00 pmApril 13 Friday Practice 12 Scrimmage/Coaching Clinic 3:45-6:00 pmApril 16 Monday Practice 13 Pads 3:45-6:00 pmApril 18 Wednesday Practice 14 Pads 3:45-6:00 pmApril 20 Friday Practice 15 SPRING SHOWCASE 5:00 pm at Rebel Park
