SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Wolfe vital to Rebs in final year

June 30, 2009 by James Kaikis 

One of UNLV’s best prepares for big fall season with Rebel football

Senior wide receiver Ryan Wolfe is in the midst of writing the final chapters of a storybook UNLV football career.

The two-time Mountain West Conference First Team Wide Receiver has already set school records in receptions (209), receiving yards (2,735) and 100-yard games (10). Wolfe is also 54 receptions away from becoming the Mountain West Conference’s all-time reception leader.

“Any time you get your name put into something that a bunch of people are going to see for years to come it’s good to know that there’s going to be some recognition in some of the hard work that you’ve put in,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe has been refining his football skills this off-season in preparation for the upcoming season. He is UNLV’s first All-American candidate in years and has the possibility of making it into next year’s NFL draft.

Until then, Wolfe will continue to play a vital role in the turnaround of a Rebel football team that has come from consecutive 2-10 seasons to a 5-7 record last season. The pressure is on the Rebels, and especially the senior leaders, to take the next step to reach the .500 mark.

“There should be pressure on all of us seniors,” Wolfe said. “This is our last year and this is our team.”

“We need to lead the way and show all the guys what kind of standard we need to set,”

Wolfe and the Rebels look to move up in the MWC standings this season. Quarterback Omar Clayton has become more comfortable in the offense and with the emergence of fellow wide receiver Phillip Payne, the offense will look to improve statistically again this year.

The UNLV team will have its hands full this season with home games against Oregon State, Hawaii, BYU and Utah. But the Rebels have their eyes set on Oct 3, when they will travel to Reno in hopes of bringing the Frémont Cannon back to UNLV.

According to Wolfe, the Rebels’ number one goal is to beat Reno and get the cannon back.

“As a team, I think we have a stepping stone of goals, number one to beat Reno… It’s going to be a pretty intense atmosphere going back up [there].”

Wolfe has put up impressive numbers against UNR, catching 16 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns in three games.

Though he will be instrumental in the fight against the Wolf Pack, Wolfe said he doesn’t care much for individual awards or records. He only hopes to be remembered as a player who gave his all and helped turn UNLV into a winning program.

“I want to be remembered as a guy who always went 100 percent no matter what I was doing and a guy who helped turn a program around that came from [two consecutive 2-10 seasons to a winning season].”