No time for a break for Ryan Wolfe

This is supposed to be time for a break for UNLV football players like Ryan Wolfe.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior All-American candidate received his diploma in kinesiology earlier this month and summer conditioning drills for the Rebels don’t officially begin until June 1st. But Wolfe along with about two dozen other football players were busy pumping iron under the supervision of strength coach John Grieco at the Lied Athletic Complex when I stopped by earlier this week.

“It’s great to just get back into the swing of things,” Wolfe said between sips of a protein shake. “As Coach Cink (wide receivers coach Kris Cinkovich) says, it isn’t that hard to get back into shape if you never allow yourself to get out of shape. I’m just trying to maintain and work on some little things and kind of get these young guys going a little.”

With his degree already in hand, it would be easy for Wolfe to be back home in southern California relaxing on the beach until June 1. But the man who already holds school career receiving records for catches (209), receiving yards (2,735) and 100-yard receiving games (10) said he’d rather get a head start on his final season in a UNLV uniform.

“Being an athlete, for me at least, I get kind of stir-crazy if I don’t have too many things going on,” Wolfe said. “If I went home and just hung out on the couch all day, I’d be over it in three days and want to come back and start working out again. It’s good to find some positive things to keep your time occupied.”

Wolfe plans to start work in graduate school this summer for a degree in sports education and leadership. He says he’s working out now so he can be ready to go when the team’s official summer conditioning workouts begin in two weeks.

“It’s great to get a crash course now so you’re not struggling in June,” he said.

Wolfe also has perhaps more riding on his senior season than any other Rebel. NFLDraftScout.com currently ranks him the 25th best wide receiver prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft and ranks him as a potential 6th or 7th round pick. Of course, that can change dramatically between now and next April. Just ask former Rebel running back Frank “The Tank” Summers who wasn’t even on the NFL radar at this time last year but wound up getting drafted in the fifth round by the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

“That’s so far away right now,” Wolfe said of the NFL Draft. “Right now I’m just focusing on the guys around me. I’m real happy for Frank and all the other guys I know who made it on some NFL teams but right now I’m just focused on this team.”