Brandon’s back after MVP year

Steve Guiremand

Friday, Aug. 17, 2001 | 10:29 a.m.

Quick, name the defensive MVP on UNLV's football team last year.

Was it:

a) Preseason Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Thomas?

b) First team all-MWC defensive end Anton Palepoi?

c) Second team all-MWC strong safety and team leader Randy Black?

Try none of the above.

Sam Brandon, a senior free safety from John W. North High School in Riverside, Calif., quietly earned the honor after leading the Rebels with 82 tackles and intercepting a pass in his first year as a starting defender for John Robinson's Las Vegas Bowl champions.

Although he has been tabbed an honorable mention preseason All-American by Street & Smith's Magazine this year, Brandon sometimes gets overlooked on a squad that also contains a couple of potential first round NFL picks in Thomas and Palepoi -- not to mention a Heisman Trophy candidate in junior quarterback Jason Thomas.

"It was awesome," Brandon said of winning the honor. "I just came in my first year and contributed as much as I could. We had a lot of all-stars on that defense. And then for me to be named MVP was just an incredible honor."

"I think he belongs with all of them in terms of notoriety and the quality of his play," UNLV head coach John Robinson said. "He's a leader. He's has become a really good safety. I think he's become a really smart player back there for us. He knows what to do and how to do it."

Not bad for a guy who was originally recruited to UNLV to play wide receiver. In fact, as a redshirt freshman in 1998, he caught 12 passes for 122 yards for the Rebels, including five in one game against SMU.

But Brandon's dream was to always play defense. He got his wish when Robinson took over in 1999 and moved him to that side of the ball.

"I've always had defense in my heart," he said. "I remember when I first went into high school and they asked me what I wanted to play. I said, 'free safety!' I'm glad we made the move because I feel at home now."

Brandon excelled on both sides of the ball in high school where he teamed with former USC All-American and current Detroit Lion Chris Claiborne to lead the Huskies to a perfect 14-0 record and CIF Division IV title his junior year.

Brandon would visit USC practices when Claiborne was playing for a head coach named John Robinson.

"It's funny how things have worked out," Brandon said. "I wanted to play for Coach Robinson at USC but it didn't work out. But now he's here and I get to play for him anyway."

And Brandon gets to wear the number (42) of his idol, Ronnie Lott, who grew up in nearby Rialto and played at USC for Robinson.

"I used to watch (Lott) play all the time," Brandon said. "I get my mentality from the way he played the game. I like the hard-hitters like he was."

As one of the perks of playing for Robinson, Brandon and his teammates got to listen to Lott and Joe Montana address the team when they dropped by practice one day last year.

"It was just incredible to see (Lott) and be able to hear him talk," Brandon said. "He was so passionate about football. It's incredible to see someone you admired speaking about the game you love so much."

This year Robinson will be counting on Brandon to continue to show some of that same passion on the field as one of the leaders of UNLV's defense.

"I don't think there's any question that Sam and Kevin (Thomas) and their leadership back there is going to be really key for us," Robinson said.

For those who can't make it out to the stadium, KENO-1460 a.m. will have a special one hour broadcast from the site starting at 7 p.m.