26 Deante' Purvis

UNLV: Perhaps the fastest player on the UNLV team (4.3 40 time), Purvis moved over to offense to add burst to the Rebel running game during his junior season .... Will compete at tailback as a senior and is listed on depth chart after spring practice ... In 2009 he became the first man to score on a kickoff return for UNLV since 1999, which broke the program's 118-game drought ... Earned Academic All-MW honors in 2008 ... Name is pronounced "dee-ON-tay PURR-vis."

2010: Played in all 13 games as a junior ... Started season on defense, including starting the first two at CB, but moved over to offense to compete at running back early in campaign ... Made his offensive debut with 12 yards on four carries in victory over New Mexico in Game Four ... Rushed a season-high 17 times for 48 yards at West Virginia and then made his first start at RB at Colorado State in Game Seven, gaining a season-high 85 yards on 14 attempts ... Season-long rush of 27 yards came against the Rams ... Also caught six passes for eight yards ... Returned three kickoffs for 39 yards ... Had six total tackles as a DB... A preseason Third Team All-MW selection as a returner by Phil Steele's, which also ranked him the preseason No. 24 KR in the nation.

2009: Played in all 12 games on defense and special teams ... Started seven games at CB as a sophomore and finished with 20 total tackles ... Also credited with a partially blocked punt in a victory at New Mexico ... Had the fourth most kickoff return yards in the nation with 1,165 and finished 73rd with an average of 23.3 per return ... Had the most returns in the country with a school- and MW-record 50, which was only five short of the NCAA FBS single-season record of 55 by William White of Army in 2002 ... His 94-yard kickoff return for a TD vs. BYU was the first such score by a Rebel since Lenny Ware in 1999.

2008: Earned his first letter as a Rebel by playing in 11 games and was voted UNLV's Co-Special Teams MVP ... Lined up in the defensive backfield as well as on special teams ... Finished with four total tackles, all on kick coverage ... Took over as the team's primary kick returner in Game Nine at TCU ... Named the MW Special Teams Player of the Week on Nov. 10 after recording 140 returns yards, including posting the longest return by a Rebel since 2004 with a 55-yarder on a kickoff vs. UNM ... Purvis also blocked a Lobo punt in the fourth quarter, which Rodelin Anthony picked up and returned for what became the game-winning score ... Led team in kickoff return average with 23.4 yards (64th in nation) on 18 attempts ... Also credited with 37 punt return yards on his blocked attempt vs. UNM.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2008 graduate of Pinole Valley HS ... Starred on both sides of the ball for coach Steve Alameda ... Played RB, S and WR for the Spartans during his three years as the team posted a combined record of 33-3-1 and won two Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League titles ... Rushed for 1,277 yards and 19 TDs as a junior, which included a 221-yard, five TD game vs. El Cerrito ... Also a track standout who ran the 100m and 200m events along with a leg on the 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams.

PERSONAL: Deante' Purvis was born on Nov. 4, 1989, in Richmond, CA ... The son of Tomm Purvis and Lainey Wright ... Has three sisters who currently run track in college: Amber (a two-time NCAA champion in the 4x400 relay at Oregon), Julian (Michigan) and Ashton (Miami-FL) ... Majoring in interdisciplinary studies.

--Courtesy of UNLVRebels.com