UNLV’s Lotulelei Named All-Conference First Team

UNLV linebacker John Lotulelei (55) tackles New Mexico’s Jhurell Pressley at Sam Boyd Stadium Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012. Photo by UNLV Athletics.

By Rodney S. Yap

University of Nevada Las Vegas linebacker John Lotulelei earned First Team All-Mountain West honors Tuesday as part of the conference’s official postseason awards.

On Monday, the senior from Kihei was named the Rebels’ Defensive Most Valuable Player for 2012.

Lotulelei currently ranks third in the Mountain West and 39th in the nation with 9.2 tackles per game and his total of 120 was the 10th-highest in UNLV single-season history and 44 more than the next defensive player on the team this year.

A team captain, the Baldwin High graduate turned in a career-high 19 total tackles against Nevada, Reno and grabbed his first interception against Washington State.

The former junior-college transfer also received the 2012 Bill “Wildcat” Morris Most Inspirational Award.