The UNLV Runnin' Rebels football program is not known for producing NFL talent. You may be surprised at some of the names in their past and present, and they're not without future talent.
[divider]UNLV Football: Schedule & Results | Roster | Stats[divider]
| PLAYER | POS | DRAFT YEAR |
|---|---|---|
| Randall Cunningham | QB | 1985 |
| Kennan McCardell | WR | 1991 |
| Mike Thomas | RB | 1975 |
| Charles Dimry | DB | 1988 |
| Eric Wright | DB | 2007 |
| Wymon Henderson | DB | 1994 |
| Ickey Woods | RB | 1988 |
| Keith Washington | DE | 2004 |
| Talance Sawyer | DE | 1999 |
| Lonnie Palelei | OL | 1993 |
Yeah, you remember Randal Cunningham, at least if you're older enough to be president. He was a star in the NFL — four-time Pro Bowl pick and 1st-Team All-Pro in 1998 — and by far the best UNLV player to play in the NFL. He's the football equivalent to Larry Johnson. You know, GrandMama.
The rest of the above group pales in comparison but Keenan McCardell was a very good receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Ickey Woods is best known for the shuffle.
| PLAYER | POS | DRAFT YEAR |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Hawley | C | 2010 |
| Torry McTyer | CB | 2017 |
| Josh Shirley | LB | 2016 |
| Jeremiah Valoaga | DE | 2017 |
Joe Hawley has had a solid career and the other three are just getting started. Hawley has started 52 games in seven seasons with Atlanta and Tampa Bay.
| PLAYER | POS | DRAFT YEAR |
|---|---|---|
| Devonte Boyd | WR | 2018 |
| Nathan Jacobson | OT | 2019 |
| Justin Polu | OG | 2020 |
| Mike Hughes Jr. | DT | 2018 |
Boyd is the Rebels' top '18 prospect, per NFLDraftScout.com.
HT: 6-1
WT: 185
40: 4.48
POS RNK: 12
PROJ: 5th Rd.
Jacobson (6-5/292) and Polu (6-3/320) each figure to be late-round picks down the road.
Final Notes
Cunningham was the first QB selected in the 1985 draft… the other QBs selected that year were Frank Reich, Steve Bono, Joe Shield, Doug Flutie, Rusty Hilger, Scott Barry, Steve Calabria, Paul Berner, Buddy Funck and John Conner… the '85 class also includes Hall of Fame inductees Jerry Rice (No. 16 overall), Chris Doleman (No. 4), Bruce Smith (No. 1), Andre Reed (No. 86) and Kevin Greene (No. 113), as well as Herschel Walker, Jack Del Rio and Refrigerator Perry.
