Offense to count on Costa for spark

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2001 | 10:18 a.m.

UNLV fullback Steven Costa's middle name should be Versatile.

The 6-1, 225-pound junior from Tulare, Calif., will be a man of many positions in the Rebels' backfield this fall. And although he has only 22 carries in his college career, that qualifies him as UNLV's most experienced running back.

"I think he's going to be a key player on our team," UNLV head coach John Robinson said.

Costa, who exploded for 78 yards on eight carries in last year's 34-13 win over Air Force, will take over the role handled mainly by James Wofford last year. That means he'll be lining up everywhere from fullback to wide receiver to H-back to even some tailback.

"Actually, it's one position," Costa said. "But sometimes I'm lined up in slot, sometimes I'll line up at the traditional fullback spot, sometimes I'm a wing and sometimes I'll line up at a wide receiver. And when we go into our gun formation, I'm the tailback.

"It's fun. I'm up for it. I've worked hard. I learned a lot from James (Wofford) and what he did last year. He was a great role model for me. He's on the Vikings now which tells you how good a player he was."

The Rebels lost two talented tailbacks from last year's squad in Jeremi Rudolph (1,005 yards) and Kevin Brown (798 yards). Senior Jabari Johnson (17 carries, 58 yards) and junior Joe Haro (8 career carries for 65 yards) are the frontrunners for the starting tailback job, with true freshmen Dominique Dorsey and Dyante Perkins of Bishop Gorman High School also expected to eventually play their way onto the field.

With so much inexperience at tailback, Robinson is counting on beefing up Costa's role in the offense.

"He's very talented," Robinson said. "At that position he has a chance to both catch and run with the football. One of our goals this year is to get more plays to him. I regret that Wofford didn't get the ball more last year."

That's just fine with Costa, who will be backed up by senior George Gordon, an Eldorado High product.

"(Robinson) told me I'd probably get the ball quite a few more times," Costa said. "I told him, 'Bring it on.' That's what I want. That's what I've been working for."

There will be times this season when the Rebels will have an all-Tulare Union High School backfield of Costa and Dorsey, who followed Costa at tailback for the Redskins and went on to set California state prep records with 7,761 career rushing yards and 118 touchdowns.

"I've been rooming with Dominique," Costa said. "It's been great. I actually played with his older brother, Donald, when I was a sophomore in high school. I was the fullback and he was a real good tailback.

"I knew Dominique back when he was in Pop Warner. You think he's small (5-8, 160) now? You should have seen him then. But he didn't say anything. He just went out and ran all over the place. It's great he decided to come play here."