UNLV’s Hassons learn lesson from father’s mistake

Tajh and Tim Hasson speak to their father regularly, and he provides the kind of advice almost any parent would give.

Do well in school. Be responsible. Live an honorable life.

That advice, however, comes from a federal prison in Oregon, where Anthony Hasson is serving out a drug conviction.

Anthony holds up his life as an example of what not to do, and his sons have taken that message and become top students at UNLV and starting defensive players on its football team.

"He regrets that he missed most of our childhood," Tim said. "Sometimes he can't sleep at night, so he tells us all the time he would never do that again. That's why he pushes academics so much because he wants us to have something."

Anthony Hasson never has seen his sons play in high school or college, but that will change Sept. 14 when the Rebels host Washington State on ESPN.

Saturday's 7 p.m. game against Northern Arizona at Sam Boyd Stadium won't be televised.

Anthony Hasson keeps close touch on his sons' progress, calling often and making sure they follow a different path.

Tim said Anthony was sentenced to prison in the summer of 2006, and was supposed to serve until November 2014. But Tim said new information was brought forward that reduced his father's prison time.

Tim broke into a wide smile when he thought about seeing his father in February.

"It's almost over," he said.

The Hasson brothers grew up about 30 minutes apart in Los Angeles - they have different mothers - before Tim moved to Las Vegas to attend Cimarron-Memorial High School.

Tim earned first-team All-Northwest League honors in 2009. That same year, Tajh received All-Del Rey League at Cathedral High in L.A.

They wanted to attend college together, and on the same day received visits from UNLV assistant coaches.

UNLV offered Tajh a scholarship, but told Tim it would like to bring him in as a preferred walk-on. Tim had to earn his scholarship, which he did before last season.

Tim showed he deserved it in last week's season-opening 30-27 triple-overtime loss to Minnesota. The junior linebacker made seven tackles, including 1½ tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.

Tajh, a redshirt sophomore who is the starting strong safety, made four tackles, including half a tackle for a loss.

"I know Tim's been motivated since Day One," defensive coordinator J.D. Williams said. "Now it's a matter of Tajh getting his motivation up to where Tim's is, and you can have something special."

The brothers live together, a pair of neatniks who prefer to socialize away from their apartment. And when visitors do come over, Tajh said they are told "to keep it nice. Don't mess up our stuff."

They also are diligent about their schoolwork. Tim is a two-time Academic All-Mountain West Conference honoree, and Tajh made the Dean's List in the fall of 2011.

They want to set the example their father wishes he could.

"I just don't want him feeling bad," Tim said. "Even though he went (to prison), me and my brothers all stayed focused. We don't want him to feel guilty. Even though he went in there, we were still able to become good young men and stay focused and go to college.

"That's mainly what he's proud of - that we did it without him."

■ NOTE - Gov. Brian Sandoval told the Reno Gazette-Journal the athletic departments of UNLV and UNR will compete for the Governor's Cup. "It's kind of like the Sears Cup for the NCAA that Stanford always wins," Sandoval said. "You get a certain amount of points for each sport for men's and women's. We're going to do that in the state of Nevada with UNR against UNLV." The biggest news might be the governor calling his alma mater "UNR."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at
manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.