Rather packs punch as fullback for Rebels

ELY -- It was the kind of ultimatum you hear often from father to son: If you don't want to play football, fine. But for such a physical kid, you're going to do something.

Brett Rather was 13 then, and "something" meant training under former UNLV boxing coach Skip Kelp, of looking daily at a picture on a wall of past Rebel champions and dreaming of becoming one.

"That was always the plan," Rather says now.

This wasn't: UNLV's football team ended its stay for fall camp in this small mining town Saturday with what was billed as a scrimmage but turned out to be nothing more than a practice with players working yardage chains.

Bobby Hauck planned the previous evening for such a vanilla offering, or perhaps the first-year coach was worried some Wisconsin spy had set up camp in an abandoned building near the field, because most buildings here are now abandoned.

On offense for the Rebels, wearing No. 49, was a freshman fullback still fighting for a starter's role, a kid who before camp probably sat closer to No. 105 on a 105-man roster than, well, 103 of his teammates.

Brett Rather lived his dream in April, when the UNLV boxer won an NCAA title at West Point as a 6-foot, 230-pound heavyweight. He beat a guy from Maryland who went 6-6, 280, a guy from Navy who went 6-3, 240, a guy from Army who went 6-2, 220.

"I didn't go back there (for the tournament) because, in all honesty, I thought he probably would have been done after the first fight," Bob Rather said. "I didn't think a freshman fighting against bigger, more experienced guys would stand much of a chance. But he kept calling each night, saying he had won again. We were so proud of him."

The football part returned in high school, when Brett blossomed as a linebacker for Green Valley. Bob Rather was a terrific linebacker at UNLV in the 1970s, and his son began to show college ability late in his prep career.

But realize that grayshirt freshmen walk-ons seriously challenge for starting spots on Division I teams about as often as Hauck openly discusses injuries.

It wasn't going to happen for Rather on defense at UNLV, so he was told upon arriving for camp in Las Vegas to switch sides and pick up a white jersey.

Fullback is a critical part of Hauck's scheme, and at some point during spring drills, coaches saw in Rather an ability to play it.

That, and they were really short on bodies.

"We needed some guys there, and (Rather's) movement is more suited for fullback," Hauck said. "He has done some good things there. He's working at it."

The toughness part won't be an issue. During his semifinal bout at the boxing championships, Rather suffered what was later diagnosed a concussion.

He woke up vomiting the day of his final match but didn't tell anyone, because nothing was going to keep him from being one of those UNLV boxing champions in a picture kids stare at years from now and dream.

His love for all things UNLV -- and, in turn, his loathing for all things UNR -- has been entrenched within every thought since birth.

Bob Rather, an assistant football coach at Del Sol High, is the local with a license plate that reads "H8 UNR." If the man has anything blue in his closet, someone made a terrible mistake when shopping for birthday presents.

Which makes you wonder: Boxing at UNLV is a club sport; UNR, however, awards its athletes in the ring with scholarships.

What if the younger Rather, now in the 245-pound range, had chased the money?

"Then he and I would have had a boxing match between ourselves right then," Bob said jokingly. "I think right now he's a 19-year-old freshman who doesn't know what is going on but who is very lucky to have options and different opportunities. He hasn't played a snap of live college football yet. He has no idea how much fun it's going to be."

It doesn't mean he is without goals. Brett Rather has big ones, beginning with winning three more NCAA boxing titles. He also wants to be on the field Sept. 4 against Wisconsin. He'd love to start but realizes he is competing with a senior in Anthony White.

"Wisconsin will have some big boys, but I love a challenge," Rather said. "Coach Hauck talks about being a warrior and stepping up. I'll do whatever it is I need to do."

The kid was like No. 103 of 105 a few months ago. It's safe to say he doesn't back down from much.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618.