UNLV’s Palepoi, teammates hope to receive call

Steve Guiremand

Friday, April 19, 2002 | 11:16 a.m.

UNLV draft sketches

Draft projection: Second or third round.

Draft projection: Fourth of fifth round.

Draft projection: Late rounds or free agent.

Draft projection: Late rounds or free agent.

Draft projection: Late rounds or free agent.

Compiled by Steve Guiremand

They've spent the past few months taking part in all-star games and combines, getting measured, weighed and timed. Now comes the hard part for five senior members from UNLV's football team who are entertaining dreams of playing in the National Football League.

Waiting.

"That's the hard part ... keeping your mind off of it," defensive end Anton Palepoi said. "Right now I'm just trying to stay focused on working out and letting the chips fall where they may."

Those chips begin falling on Saturday morning when ESPN begins coverage of the two-day, seven-round NFL draft. It will end sometime on Sunday afternoon.

For those who get picked, they'll begin packing and making plans to attend NFL mini camps the following week. For those who don't, they'll be on the phone with their agents, trying to line up free agent deals with NFL squads.

"I just want to get a chance to play," said cornerback Kevin Thomas, the Mountain West Conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2001. "It's been real rough, not just the last couple of days as the draft gets closer, but also the last couple of months going through everything you go through."

Palepoi, an explosive defensive end who missed the final half of the 2001 campaign with a knee injury, and Thomas, one of the top cover cornerbacks on the West Coast, are expected to hear their names called the quickest -- possibly as high as the second or third round. Or they could find themselves waiting by the phone Sunday when the final four rounds of the draft are held.

Safety Sam Brandon, defensive tackle Ahmad Miller and offensive lineman Brandon Bair also can be found on most draft lists and could be late round picks or free agent signings.

Palepoi is listed as high as the 10th best defensive end prospect in some draft analysis. UNLV coaches say they've heard he could be drafted as high as the second round.

But Palepoi, who will watch the draft with his family in St. George, Utah, said he has heard a wide variety of opinions on where he'll be selected.

"That's the frustrating part of it," Palepoi said. "I've heard some good things but then I've also heard some negative things. I've also heard talk of maybe even being a free agent. I'm just trying to stay clear of those things."

Ditto Thomas, who could go anywhere from the third to seventh rounds according to various draft rankings.

Part of the problem the slow 4.69 40-yard dash time he clocked at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February. But Thomas said he has an excuse for that poor showing.

"My luggage got lost," he said. "I had to wear my roommate's shoes. He wears a size 13, I wear a size 11. So that made it a lot more difficult to run."

During what is called "Pro Day" at UNLV on March 19, with scouts from about 15 NFL teams on hand, Thomas was clocked a much more acceptable 4.50 on grass.

"I definitely think that helped me," said Thomas, who also took part in the Shrine and Senior Bowl games. "But you never know what those guys are thinking. I've heard everything from going in the mid-rounds to going early. Until you get that call, you really don't know."

Palepoi's stock also rose dramatically after that workout, in part because of a blazing 4.78 forty time.

"I think I put myself in the top three of defensive ends as far as workout numbers that day," Palepoi said. "I think it definitely helped me."

Just how much, however, won't be known until the phone rings this weekend.

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