Wiesner award honors Brimmer’s leadership

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004 | 9:49 a.m.

All-American safety Jamaal Brimmer added another award to his UNLV football resume on Monday when the school announced that Brimmer, a senior from Durango High School, would be the recipient of the team's annual Tom Wiesner Award.

The award, which was started in 2002 and is voted on by each year's senior class, was created to honor one senior player who best exemplified the courage, enthusiasm, dedication and toughness of Wiesner, a former University of Wisconsin football star who became one of Las Vegas' leading businessmen, philanthropists, politicians and ambassadors.

Wiesner, a former Nevada Board of Regents member who also was inducted into UNLV's Athletic Hall of Fame, died in 2002 at the age of 63 after a battle with leukemia.

UNLV coach John Robinson helped establish the award, which is announced before the Rebels' first home game each season, three years ago. Brimmer will be honored before Saturday night's Mountain West Conference opener against Air Force and will wear a special jersey with a patch commemorating Wiesner during the rest of the season.

"It's a leadership award," Robinson said after his weekly coaches luncheon on Monday. "It's an award that could have gone to several players this year. Jamaal represents the kind of maturity and the type of man that you want to have on your team."

"It's a nice accomplishment, especially since it's voted on by most of the guys I came in with," Brimmer said. "I'm not a vocal leader type, so it's nice to get recognized for that."

The first two Wiesner awards went to offensive linemen. Guard Tony Terrell won the inaugural award in 2002 while center Dominic Furio, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, wore the jersey in 2003.

Brimmer said he met Wiesner once during his sophomore year during a Rebel Football Foundation luncheon at Wiesner's Big Dog's restaurant.

"Coach Robinson told me how important a person he was and how much he meant to UNLV athletics," Brimmer said.

Brimmer said he learned of the honor two weeks ago. And for those watching Saturday's 18-3 loss at Wisconsin, the news should have been no surprise.

"They already had the patch on my white jersey that I wore in the game," Brimmer said.

Times for the remaining three home games against Nevada-Reno (Oct. 2), New Mexico (Oct. 16) and Wyoming (Nov. 6) have yet to be set because of possible television.

UNLV's home opener on Saturday against Air Force also starts at 7 p.m.