Got ‘em covered

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Aug. 23, 2001 | 10:57 a.m.

John Robinson has sent his share of talented cornerbacks to the NFL.

Stalwarts such as Joey Browner, Jeff Fisher, Brian Kelly and Daylon McCutcheon.

But the UNLV head coach says none could do a better job in pass coverage than UNLV senior Kevin Thomas.

"His coverage skills are probably the best of any player I've ever dealt with," Robinson said. "I think Kevin has had the good fortune to be here and coached first by (UNLV defensive coordinator) Mike Bradeson and now (defensive backs coach) Steve Leach. I think they've both taught him very well."

Thomas, a two-time first team all-Mountain West Conference pick and preseason defensive player of the year, already holds UNLV's school record for pass breakups with 45. And the Jim Thorpe Award candidate, who is best known for his improbable 100-yard game-winning fumble return on the final play of a 27-24 win at Baylor two years ago, is rated the 23rd best NFL prospect by Foxsports.com.

When informed of Robinson's comments, the hard-hitting 5-11, 180-pound senior from Foothill High School in Sacramento, Calif., just smiles.

"It's special to hear that especially since it's coming from someone like Coach Robinson," Thomas said. "When he compliments you like that it just makes you want to go out and play even harder for him."

Although he started 11 games and had 41 tackles and seven pass breakups as a redshirt freshman in 1998, Thomas said he credits the hiring of Robinson after that season for helping to make him the All-American candidate he is today.

"Football wasn't fun anymore," Thomas said. "When you go 0-11, you don't want to practice. You don't want to lift weights. It was hard to find anything positive about football.

"Coach Robinson has been able to make me feel like I might be able one day to fulfill my dream and play in the NFL. But more importantly, he brought the love for football back for me. I really appreciate that. He just opened doors and made it fun again."

Thomas, who was recruited only by UNLV while in high school, takes all the all-conference and All-American talk in stride.

"That's just preseason stuff now," he said. "I need to go out and play hard and have fun and then that other stuff will come. I'm mainly worried about winning football games right now."

And for the Rebels to at least match last year's eight win total, Thomas and the rest of the Rebel secondary will have to come up big.

"This is probably the best secondary I've been a part of here," Thomas said.

"I'm real excited to see just how well our defense is going to do this season. Our goal is to finish the year ranked in the Top 25 nationally. And if everybody can stay healthy and play the way I know we can, I think we have a good shot at that." Sun football writer Steve Guiremand profiles 10 potential impact players who could make -- or break -- UNLV's 2001 football season. This is the ninth in a 10-part series.