Miller, Suggs providing size, strength on the defensive line

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Aug. 25, 1999 | 10:25 a.m.

Ahmad Miller and Anthony Suggs came to UNLV this summer with some mighty big expectations placed upon them.

The junior college transfers were being counted on to help give some much-needed size and strength to the Rebels' defensive line. And if the first two weeks of practice are any indication, both figure to play key roles this season.

The 6-4, 300-pound Miller, a former prep teammate of Rebel tailback Jeremi Rudolph as well as Florida State Heisman hopeful Peter Warrick at Southeast High School in Bradenton, Fla., and the powerful 6-1, 265-pound Suggs, a native of Oxford, Miss., who starred last year at Northwest Mississippi Community College, will both be in the starting lineup when UNLV opens its season next Thursday at North Texas.

Asked where he'd be without Miller, a defensive end, and Suggs, a tackle, on his squad, UNLV coach John Robinson smiled and said, "I'd be very worried.

"I think they'll both certainly play a lot in the first game. I think there's some technique things about playing on the defensive line that they're still learning, like staying low. But I think they're going to develop as the season goes on and are first-rate players."

Miller, who actually played linebacker at Southwest Mississippi Community College two years ago, sat out last year while attending Manatee Community College in Manatee, Fla., as a part-time student. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

"He has good athletic ability and when he gets down to 285 he'll really be a cat out there," Robinson said. "When you think of he and (freshman) Kawika Sagapolu and (redshirt freshman) Ahmad Briggs as still being young, it bodes well for the future."

Suggs has a 500-pound bench press to his credit. In fact, he lifted 420 his first day at UNLV just hours after flying in from Mississippi.

"If he stays low, he can win a lot of battles in there because of how powerful he is," Robinson said. "He can be a force. He just has to stay low."

* COMINGS AND GOINGS: Freshman fullback Royce Boone was on campus on Tuesday getting his academics in order and the Cathedral City, Calif., High School product, recommended strongly to Robinson by ex-USC and Rams assistant Marv Goux, could be out at practice as soon as tonight.

Meanwhile, another running back, University of Washington transfer Jabari Johnson, must attend junior college this year because he didn't have a high enough GPA to transfer straight into another Division I school. Johnson will likely attend a JC near his Mesa, Ariz., home.

* SCRIMMAGE CANCELLED: Robinson has decided to cancel his team's final scrimmage on Thursday and will hold a normal workout at 4 p.m. instead.

The Rebels concluded two-a-day workouts on Tuesday and will practice just once today at 7 p.m. The team spent most of the day moving out of their dorms and into their new living quarters for the start of school.

"One of the things I've got to do with this team is make sure it's fresh and uninjured," Robinson said. "I think we're playing at a crisp level right now."

* SAVE THOSE QUARTERS: Both USA Today and the Los Angeles Times are scheduled to run major front-page stories on Robinson on Friday.

The happiest folks besides UNLV's promotions office should be the owners of hotels on The Strip. Both publications took photos of Robinson with a lighted Strip as a backdrop to run with their stories.

Nothing like a little free publicity.