Aug. 24, 2012

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Before UNLV's season-opening game on Thursday vs. Minnesota, senior tight end/H-back Aaron Reed 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 2012 season.

The second Rebel tight end and first non-scholarship player to earn the honor, Reed is back for his final year after missing all of 2011 with an injury. The Las Vegas native graduated from Silverado High School in 2008 before walking on to his hometown team. He played in both 2009 and 2010 and picked up his first career reception in a game at West Virginia.

"Aaron Reed personifies what the Wiesner Award is all about," said UNLV head coach Bobby Hauck. "He really does bleed Scarlet and Gray every day."

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.

ALL-TIME WIESNER AWARD WINNERSYEAR   PLAYER          POS2002   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     LB2012   Aaron Reed      TE/H