Relf can’t wait to get his hands on the ball

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, April 17, 2002 | 9:28 a.m.

David Relf's road to Division I football was a long and winding one. But four years after helping lead Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., to a San Gabriel Valley League title, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound wide receiver finally got his wish at UNLV.

"Going through high school, we always wanted to play college football together," Relf said, alluding to childhood friend and current Rebel quarterback Jason Thomas. "Now here it is four years later and we finally get that chance."

It certainly wasn't the path the duo had in mind during their senior year in high school.

Thomas, one of the most decorated prep prospects to come out of Southern California in more than a decade, signed with USC. Relf picked Oregon State.

Thomas, of course, transferred to UNLV after a falling out with then-Trojan head coach Paul Hackett. Relf, meanwhile, failed to meet minimum NCAA freshman eligibility test score standards and eventually enrolled at Compton College.

And despite recruiting attention from schools such as Louisville, Washington State and Oregon State last season when he caught 65 passes for 1,140 yards and 10 touchdowns, Relf decided to sign with UNLV so he could play with his close friend Thomas again.

If the first nine practices of spring drills count for anything, the Rebels may have found the kind of go-to clutch receiver they missed desperately last season after Nate Turner graduated.

"David is such a quiet, unassuming guy that I guess maybe he has been one of the bigger surprises this spring," UNLV head coach John Robinson said.

"David is faster than I thought he'd be. He's sneaky fast, a lot like Nate Turner was but he's probably faster than Nate. And he has kind of a unique ability to kind of slip around defenders and get open. He's going to play a lot and be a very good player for us."

"I'm still kind of getting my feet wet," said Relf, who has made several dazzling catches during spring drills. "I know if I keep working hard that I can be a help to the team and get in the (playing) rotation somewhere."

Thomas, who was repeatedly victimized by dropped passes, couldn't be happier about throwing to Relf again.

"I've known David as long as I can remember," Thomas said. "We played Pop Warner football together when we were about eight years old. We throw together a lot and just have developed that chemistry. I know what he's doing and he feels what I feel out there. It's just one of those things."

Relf is living with Thomas and senior defensive end Ahmad Briggs.

"We talk football all day," Thomas said. "(Relf) asks me questions about our offense and I ask him questions about it. We quiz each other. He wants to know things just like a quarterback wants to know. He can go out there and find the holes in the zone that normal receivers don't see.

"David is kind of tough like Nate Turner, but he's a little smoother than Nate as far as his route running and knowing the field. Obviously, I'm very happy to have him here."

Although he's happy with how things have gone in spring practice, Relf knows there still is room for improvement.

"I think I'm doing pretty good but I know that I can do a lot better," he said. "I want to catch every pass in every practice. I think I've dropped about six so far this spring. I need to improve on that."