Claridge’s star shines, but he shuns the glare

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2004 | 11:04 a.m.

This UNLV senior linebacker is tied for the Mountain West Conference lead in quarterback sacks with six.

He is also tied for the conference lead in tackles for loss with 10 for minus 51 yards. And he's third in the MWC in tackles with an average of 9.5 per game. He's also rated one of the top 10 senior prospects at his position by the Web site nfldraftblitz.com.

Did you guess Adam Seward?

Wrong.

It's Ryan Claridge.

Don't feel bad. Claridge, a 6-foot-3, 240-pounder, prefers to stay under the radar when it comes to media attention.

"I just want to lay as low as possible," Claridge said. "I'm glad to see Adam get the interviews and the attention."

Why?

"I just don't want to change anything up because I really didn't get that much attention at the beginning of the season," Claridge said. "And I want to keep it that way the rest of the season."

That's not meant as a knock on teammate Seward, a preseason all-Mountain West Conference pick who will leave UNLV with the school and conference career tackling records.

But Claridge, who hails from the small Michigan town of Almont, prefers to let his football do his talking.

"I don't know how many sacks I have and I don't want to know," he said. "At the end of the season I'll look and see. But right now I'm just glad to be healthy and playing the best football I possibly can to help the team."

Claridge, who started as a true freshman on the 2000 UNLV squad that defeated Arkansas in the Las Vegas Bowl, had one of his finest games as a Rebel in the team's 63-28 loss at No. 7 Utah two weeks ago. He finished with nine tackles and three quarterback sacks, the most sacks by a Rebel in a game since Anton Palepoi, now a member of the Denver Broncos, had four in a 2000 victory against Wyoming.

Claridge earned second-team all-Mountain West Conference honors as a sophomore when he finished with 71 tackles and forced six a conference-leading six fumbles.

But he had to miss the entire 2002 season with what was eventually diagnosed as a sports hernia injury in his abdominal area.

Sitting out that season, as painful as it was, made Claridge appreciate just being healthy enough to play for the Rebels again.

"You don't know what you have until it is gone," he said. "You hear that all the time. You take advantage of being able to run around and some people can't. That is why I try to work and play as hard as I can, because there are some people who can't be in my position."

After several months of tough rehabilitation in the weight room, Claridge returned to play in 2003 and earned honorable mention all-MWC honors after compiling 76 tackles, including 12 for loss, and a team-high 5 1/2 sacks.

This season he has already registered 76 tackles in eight games and has six sacks. Little wonder he has caught the attention of NFL scouts.

"I haven't even thought about it yet," Claridge said of the possibility of playing in the NFL next year. "I've only got three games left here and that's it. I'll probably be able to give you more information in about three weeks.

"But right now I really don't want to talk too much about it."

UNLV head coach John Robinson says he has "no doubt" that Claridge will go on to an NFL career.

"Ryan will probably be an outside linebacker in the NFL," Robinson said. "He has good pass-rushing ability and has coverage skills. I can see him playing in a system like New England's and playing in the same kind of spot as a Willie McGinest (whom Robinson coached at USC)."

But don't try telling that to Claridge ... yet.

"My feelings are I have a few games left here and then that's it," he said. "I can't even think about next year. My main focus is playing well in these last three games."