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UNLV's Thomas just scratching surfaceCHRIS GIVENSARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE LAS VEGAS -- UNLV was six years removed from a winning season, but this year would be different. The Rebels had found their savior, sophomore quarterback Jason Thomas. He was the only UNLV quarterback pictured on preseason posters promoting the team, despite facing competition from four others for the starting job. He was the only quarterback invited to the preseason media luncheon and was named first-team all-conference by two publications. He has been called UNLV's greatest recruit since current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Randall Cunningham in 1981, and maybe ever. All this attention and expectations, and Thomas had yet to play a Division-I down. Somehow Thomas overcame the Herculean and sometimes overwhelming pressure he faced after transferring to UNLV from Southern California. He has lived up to the hype. How? "I just stayed close to my guys and let them know that I don't feel like I'm any different," Thomas said. "I don't feel like I'm any savior. If there's a savior to this program it's [Coach] John Robinson. The publicity doesn't mean anything, I just want to be a part of a team." With a big assist from Robinson, Thomas did save the program, or at least breathed more life into it than the Rebels have had in several years. Thomas, a near-unanimous choice as Mountain West Offensive Newcomer of the Year, has led UNLV to a 7-5 record and just its third bowl game, the Las Vegas Bowl against Arkansas on Thursday. Thomas' go-for-broke playing style has drawn comparisons to Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick. Very athletic at 6-4 and 235 pounds, Thomas averaged 54.5 rushing yards a game, ran for 11 scores, passed for 155 yards a game and threw 14 touchdown passes. And like Vick, there may be a Heisman Trophy campaign in Thomas' future. But first things first. "[The expectations] aren't unfair but not realistic," Thomas said. "All I can do is go out and play hard. I think everyone handled it well. The team knew what I could do." Robinson, who recruited Thomas out of high school when he coached at USC and was the sole reason Thomas chose to come to UNLV, doesn't pay attention to the hype. Nine years as an NFL coach will do that, but Robinson has seen something special in his quarterback. "That pressure lasted for about a week when everybody took his picture," Robinson said. "Then he just became the opponent's quarterback and got the hell kicked out of him. At the beginning of the year there were a lot of eyes on him, but that's true for every good player. I think he handled it great." Two years ago, the future of the UNLV football program, to put it mildly, looked bleak. After an 0-11 season, it was difficult for players to see light at the end of the tunnel. "We were way down the street, peering ahead and still trying to find a corner to turn," Thomas said. Then when Thomas announced at the Four Seasons resort that he was coming to UNLV in the spring of 1999, the Rebels suddenly saw that corner, and it was Thomas that led them full-speed around it. An All-American prep star out of Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., Thomas was recruited by Nebraska, Michigan and Colorado, among others. At the time, Robinson was coaching at USC and signed Thomas. Soon after, Robinson left and went to UNLV. After a redshirt year in 1998, Thomas entered spring practice in 1999 with plenty of optimism for a chance at the Trojans' starting job. Then a quote he saw from USC Coach Paul Hackett changed everything. Hackett wasn't considering Thomas for the starting job, instead calling the Trojans "[quarterback] Carson Palmer's team." It was time for Thomas to transfer. With Robinson, for whom Thomas has an enormous amount of respect, at UNLV, the choice was simple. Thomas didn't visit another school. "I saw a little glimpse of things to come here," Thomas said. "Then once Coach Robinson decided to come here I knew this is where I should be." Thomas sat out the 1999 season per NCAA transfer regulations, then the new era of Rebels football began this year. Thomas, however, deflects much of the credit for the program's resurgence. "A lot of people said as soon as I came the program turned around, but all we needed to turn things around was a guy to not make mistakes," he said. "I thought I was very efficient my first year playing Division I and not hurting my team; it was a great season for a lot of people. We had a 1,000-yard rusher [in Jeremi Rudolph], Nate Turner almost had 1,000 yards receiving, the offensive line played well. ... We accomplished a lot." It's difficult to believe all Thomas did was "not make mistakes" when listening to praise from opposing coaches. After watching game film, Colorado State Coach Sonny Lubick said Thomas was the best quarterback in the nation. By the end of September, several Mountain West coaches called Thomas the best player in the conference. Robinson has even said he has the ability to play in the NFL. "I know I have a lot to work on," Thomas said. "Understanding that makes it easier to take those compliments. They're great compliments, and to know I have so much to work on, I can't wait until my senior year." This season hasn't been too bad, either. Against New Mexico in Week 10, UNLV trailed 14-11 with less than three minutes left, and at 4-5 the Rebels were staring at another losing season. Thomas drove UNLV 70 yards downfield and found Turner with a 2-yard touchdown pass with 18 seconds remaining. The comparisons suddenly ballooned from Vick to the likes of John Elway and Joe Montana, especially when UNLV went on to win its next two games, including a 34-32 victory over Hawaii that clinched the bowl berth. "He's naturally a great athlete and has proven to be a great competitor," Robinson said. "Those things I think are going to serve you well. He's a physically gifted athlete, the type you look at and say 'Uh-oh, that's a pretty good-looking specimen.' " Despite the personal heroics in the New Mexico game, it was the Hawaii victory that Thomas is most proud of, since it meant so much to the team. Because as much emphasis as has been put on Thomas' ability by everyone outside the team, there is only one reason Thomas is playing, and it has nothing to do with individual stats. "This is a great chance to be part of a tradition, to be part of a great team," Thomas said. "There's a lot of bright spots, and I think I bring a lot to the table. "And I'm still just scratching the surface right now." JASON THOMAS AT A GLANCE BORN Dec. 16, 1979 HOMETOWN Comton, Calif. HIGH SCHOOL Dominguez (Parade, SuperPrep, The Sporting News and Prep Star All-American) HT-WT 6-4, 235 FAMILY Father, Charles; mother, Lois; sister, Nicole MAJOR Sociology 2000 HONORS Preseason first team All-Mountain West Conference; Mountain West newcomer of the year.
This article was published on Monday, December 18, 2000RETURN to main page
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