UNLV’s Oblad helps honor high school teacher, receives warm welcome back at Liberty

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018 | 2 a.m.

Kenyon Oblad walked onto the Liberty High School campus Friday morning and was immediately greeted by Principal Derek Bellow. “Welcome home,” Bellow said with a smile before giving the 2018 graduate a gigantic hug.

Oblad, a freshman quarterback at UNLV, is a legend in these parts. He once threw seven touchdowns in a game and established the state record for passing yards. And on one Friday night early in his junior season, the Patriots beat a ranked team in Texas in an improbable victory to cement Oblad’s legacy and help Liberty reach the national top 20.

It’s a legacy that isn’t only about football, Liberty officials say. Oblad was extremely popular with his peers — as witnessed by students greeting him and pointing in his direction during Friday’s visit — and was excellent in the classroom.

Oblad returned to Liberty to represent UNLV in the Extra Yard For Teachers program, surprising his former English teacher with a gift bag that included season tickets, Rebels swag and posters for the classroom. That teacher, Paula Burdett, was shocked to see Oblad. She was even more surprised he picked her for the acknowledgment.

“He was awesome — very involved in class, very thoughtful,” Burdett said.

Oblad appreciated how Burdett interacted with students and took an interest in their well-being, realizing he thrived in her class because she went above and beyond to be more than an educator. Those experiences were important in his development, as was the overall education he got at Liberty.

“This place was pretty fun,” Oblad said.

Because of Liberty’s block-schedule format, Oblad was able to graduate early to enroll at UNLV in January, in time for spring practice. “That was huge for me,” he said.

The Extra Yard For Teachers initiative is the annual salute to teachers supported by the College Football Playoff Foundation and its college football partners.

Oblad’s UNLV teammates Jocquez Kalili (Desert Oasis) and Jalil Briley (Bonanza) also returned to their former Las Vegas-area high schools.

It’s important outreach for a Rebel program determined to populate its roster with the best locals and develop a stronger fan base in Southern Nevada.

The effort is working at Liberty, where two players — defensive back Austin Fiaseu and linebacker Kyle Beaudry — from 2019 are verbally committed to play for UNLV. That can be partially attributed to players following the extremely well-liked Oblad, who is one of the top local prospects coach Tony Sanchez has recruited in his four-plus years at UNLV.

The teachers will be honored Nov. 3 during the UNLV game against Fresno State.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21