Running back planning to commit to Rebels

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2000 | 10:30 a.m.

Entering his senior year at La Mirada (Calif.) High School, Mike Lemon was one of the most heavily recruited running backs on the West Coast.

The 6-1, 195-pound nephew of former major league baseball star Chet Lemon had schools such as Nebraska, Michigan, Texas and Washington actively recruiting him. Then Lemon, who rushed for more than 2,800 yards and scored 34 touchdowns as a junior for the Matadors, played his first game of the season against West Torrance.

On his fourth carry of the game, a West Torrance defender fell across Lemon's right ankle while making a tackle. Lemon didn't get up.

"My leg kind of went numb, but I still felt the pain," Lemon recalled.

Lemon's right shin -- and senior season -- were shattered.

He suffered a compound fracture of both his tibia and fibula above the ankle and also below his knee. A metal rod and four screws would be needed to fix his injured leg.

"It was pretty bad," Lemon said. "You could look down and see the bone sticking out."

Lemon's season was over almost before it began. The recruiting calls stopped coming when coaches found out how serious his injury was.

"As soon as the injury happened, everybody backed off," Lemon said.

Then in late November, Lemon, who was back near 100 percent, got a phone call from UNLV assistant Joe Hubbard.

The Rebels decided it would be worth the risk to recruit Lemon. And this weekend Lemon will be one of 11 prospects to take an official recruiting trip to UNLV.

Although some Internet recruiting sites have Lemon already committing to the Rebels, he says that's not quite right.

"No, that's not accurate," he said. "But when I take my trip there this weekend, I will commit to them."

This despite the fact schools such as Texas and Fresno State have begun calling again.

"UNLV was the only school that really called me after my injury," Lemon said. "Coach (John) Robinson came by for a home visit about a week ago. They were the first ones to really show interest in me after my injury."

Lemon said he will have further surgery on his leg on Tuesday to remove the four screws.

"I will have to stay off my leg for two days," he said. "But after that, everything should be fine."

He will redshirt next season to give his leg more time to heal and also not to waste a year of eligibility. The Rebels will have three senior running backs -- Jeremi Rudolph, Washington State transfer Kevin Brown and James Wofford -- on their two-deep next year.

"We thought he was a real good ballplayer," Dick Lascola of the Fallbrook, Calif.-based Scouting Evaluation Assn. said of Lemon. "We had him in our preseason film of top prospects for Southern California. I liked him. In fact, we filmed the game that he got hurt at."

Lemon is just one of several top recruits in the Southern California area to give UNLV a verbal commitment in recent days.

Tyler Kruse (6-2, 225), a first-team all-Orange County linebacker from perennial prep powerhouse Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, also has given the Rebels a verbal commitment, as has speedy wide receiver Joe Hunter (5-10, 160) of Lakewood (Calif.) Mayfair High School and his teammate, fullback Terrence Young (5-11, 230).

Hunter was a first-team selection to the Long Beach Press-Telegram's "Dream Team" squad while Young was a second-team choice as an all-purpose player. He also plays linebacker.

The Rebels also landed talented junior college wide receiver Charles James (6-2, 175) from San Diego Mesa College.

"He's a good-sized receiver with good hands," Lascola said. "He can separate. We liked him."

The national letter of intent signing period begins on Wednesday, Feb. 2.